| dc.description.abstract | Urban green spaces (UGSs) are, besides performing ecological functions, valuable for ensuring human quality of life in the city. In order to manage UGSs well, it is therefore important to understand the human perspective on these spaces. Especially since they are under increasing pressure of calls for infill or compact urban development to prevent unsustainable urban sprawl. This study will assess residents’ urban green space perceptions, preferences, and use frequencies and motives (summarized under the term urban green space attitudes) in Cape Town, and specifically which individual (demographic and socio-economic) and locational factors influence people’s UGS attitudes. This will enable the City of Cape Town to develop science-based UGS policy.
306 Questionnaire surveys and seven expert interviews have been conducted in the Southern Peninsula of Cape Town, a research area that represents the larger city well. The questionnaires focussed on gathering information on people’s UGS attitudes, on their individual characteristics and on their real location. ArcGIS was used to calculate people’s relative location: where people live in relation to their favourite and most frequently visited UGS and how much UGS is within their reach. The individual and locational factors were then used as independent variables in the statistical analysis, using STATA, predicting people’s UGS attitudes.
The neighbourhood of residence tells us a lot about both people’s individual characteristics and about their location. Due to the legacy of Apartheid, based on people’s neighbourhoods, one can very well predict their household income, race, employment status and educational level, number of children, and access to a private garden. And naturally, the neighbourhood of residence tells us where people live relative to the UGSs they visit and whether they are likely to have to travel far to reach their desired UGSs. Since the mentioned individual characteristics and travel distance are important predictors of UGS attitudes, and since these are so closely linked to the neighbourhood of residence, it can be said that in Cape Town, the neighbourhood of residence predicts people’s UGS attitudes.
Inequality between the neighbourhoods, in terms of endowment with UGS and the quality thereof, travel distances to desirable UGSs and visit frequencies, is large with the wealthier neighbourhoods disproportionally benefiting. In order to reduce this UGS related inequality, the City of Cape Town could lower both real (for example distance and safety issues) and perceived barriers (for example feelings of not being welcome) for the use of UGSs. | |
