The effects of park improvement on park use and park-based physical activity
Park is considered as one of the necessary settings in the urban area to promote physical activity and a healthy lifestyle. It provides opportunities to engage in park-based physical activity to a wide range of users. Studies have found that park improvement is a sustainable way to increase the urba...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Vilnius Gediminas Technical University
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Journal of Architecture and Urbanism |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.vgtu.lt/index.php/JAU/article/view/11845 |
| Summary: | Park is considered as one of the necessary settings in the urban area to promote physical activity and a healthy lifestyle. It provides opportunities to engage in park-based physical activity to a wide range of users. Studies have found that park improvement is a sustainable way to increase the urban population’s physical activity levels. This study explores the effects of park improvement on park use and park-base physical activity using Benjakitti Park, one of the major district parks in Bangkok, Thailand, as the case study. The park improvement was designed and constructed from October 2016 – January 2017. A System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) observations were used to observe the changes in park use and park-based physical activity before and after the park improvement. It was found that park improvement changed users’ characteristics and the patterns of park use and park-based physical activity. The park improvement was associated with an increasing number of children and elderly visitors and a 4.1% and 17.6% increase in cycling and running. The project shows that even a tiny improvement in the built environment can change people’s attitude and behaviour towards physical activity and a healthy lifestyle. |
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| ISSN: | 2029-7955 2029-7947 |