Urban Nature Visitation, Accessibility, and Impact of Travel Distance for Sustainable Cities
Start Date
3-17-2025 12:00 AM
End Date
3-17-2025 12:00 AM
Abstract
Accessible urban nature is a key component of creating sustainable urban communities and promoting human health and well-being. However, more information is still needed regarding how planners and managers can promote urban nature visitation and equitable access during health and environmental crises. The purpose of this study was to examine trends in urban nature visitation during the COVID-19 pandemic and then to determine if the effect of the pandemic on the frequency of urban nature site visitation varied by distance to home. This study analyzed both publicly available large-scale mobility data and a conducting web-based survey of residents about their urban nature experiences in Tel Aviv-Yafo. The mobility data results showed that there was a negative mean % difference in park visits compared to baseline during the first and third lockdowns, but an increase compared to baseline between lockdowns and even during the second lockdown. This suggests that urban residents had greater need to reconnect with urban nature during and after periods of intense stress. The survey results showed an increasing negative effect of distance on urban nature site visitation during the pandemic, specifically for urban nature sites located more than 1 km from home, suggesting that people who lived within 1 km of their preferred urban nature site had disproportionate access to the benefits of urban nature during and after lockdowns. To effectively make transitions toward urban sustainability, it is vital that cities collaborate with diverse community stakeholders and promote urban nature accessibility during current and future crises.
Subjects
Environmental social sciences, Land use planning, Sustainable development
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/43109
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 License.
Urban Nature Visitation, Accessibility, and Impact of Travel Distance for Sustainable Cities
Accessible urban nature is a key component of creating sustainable urban communities and promoting human health and well-being. However, more information is still needed regarding how planners and managers can promote urban nature visitation and equitable access during health and environmental crises. The purpose of this study was to examine trends in urban nature visitation during the COVID-19 pandemic and then to determine if the effect of the pandemic on the frequency of urban nature site visitation varied by distance to home. This study analyzed both publicly available large-scale mobility data and a conducting web-based survey of residents about their urban nature experiences in Tel Aviv-Yafo. The mobility data results showed that there was a negative mean % difference in park visits compared to baseline during the first and third lockdowns, but an increase compared to baseline between lockdowns and even during the second lockdown. This suggests that urban residents had greater need to reconnect with urban nature during and after periods of intense stress. The survey results showed an increasing negative effect of distance on urban nature site visitation during the pandemic, specifically for urban nature sites located more than 1 km from home, suggesting that people who lived within 1 km of their preferred urban nature site had disproportionate access to the benefits of urban nature during and after lockdowns. To effectively make transitions toward urban sustainability, it is vital that cities collaborate with diverse community stakeholders and promote urban nature accessibility during current and future crises.
