Who benefits from urban green spaces during times of crisis? Perception and use of urban green spaces in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic

《Who benefits from urban green spaces during times of crisis? Perception and use of urban green spaces in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic》

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作者: Bianca Lopez;Christopher Kennedy;Christopher Field;Timon McPhearson

来源: URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING,Vol.65,Issue1,Article 127354

语言: 英文

关键字: COVID-19;Equity;Health and wellbeing;Open space;Survey;Urban parks

作者单位: Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 160 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA 01003, United States;Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, US Geological Survey, Amherst, MA 01003, United States;Urban Systems Lab, The New School, 79 Fifth Avenue, 16th Fl., New York, NY 10003, United States;Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, 45 Upper College Rd, Kingston, RI 02881, United States;Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York, NY 12545, United States;Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden;Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 160 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA 01003, United States;Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, US Geological Survey, Amherst, MA 01003, United States;Urban Systems Lab, The New School, 79 Fifth Avenue, 16th Fl., New York, NY 10003, United States;Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, 45 Upper College Rd, Kingston, RI 02881, United States;Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York, NY 12545, United States;Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden

摘要: Urban green spaces (UGS) provide health benefits to city dwellers, which may be even more important during times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. However, lack of access to UGS or important features of UGS, in addition to concerns about UGS safety or maintenance, could prevent people from receiving these benefits. We designed an online survey to understand how people were using and perceiving UGS during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City during the spring of 2020. The survey included questions about how people’s visits to UGS and perceptions of the importance of UGS for their health had changed since the start of the pandemic, as well as the concerns people had and features of UGS they considered important. Of the 1372 people who took the survey, most respondents were concerned about a lack of social distancing and crowded UGS, and respondents with these concerns were less likely to visit UGS and had visited UGS less often during than before the pandemic. In addition, generalized linear models showed differences in some concerns and important features of UGS across gender, race and ethnicity, demonstrating the importance of considering specific community needs in UGS design and management. Although concerns about lack of access were not common in our study population, these also appeared to prevent people from using UGS, and were more common in certain areas of the city that were also hard-hit by COVID-19 in the beginning of the pandemic. To ensure that people can get health benefits from UGS during times of crisis, cities must eliminate barriers by providing equitable access to UGS, considering what amenities communities need from UGS, and provide consistent communication about public health policies.