Search Results (36)

Urban community parks are important public open spaces (POSs) that support residents’ quality of life (QoL) by aiding recreation, social interaction, and physical activity. However, evidence on how to design and assess sustainable POS in Saudi Arabia remains limited, particularly in relation to the country’s hot–arid climate, socio-cultural context, and emerging urban development priorities. This study aims to develop a context-sensitive framework for the design and assessment of sustainable POSs (a scope of urban community parks) in Saudi Arabia using a mixed-methods approach. The study combined: (i) a structured review of the literature on POSs’ sustainability and QoL/subjective well-being (SWB); (ii) naturalistic field observations in two community parks in Al-Khobar (Shells Park and Prince Ibn-Jalawy Park); (iii) an on-site questionnaire survey of park users assessing satisfaction and self-reported well-being (n = 89); and (iv) structured expert interviews to refine and prioritize the framework elements (n = 15). The quantitative analysis included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and reliability testing using Cronbach’s alpha, the Mann–Whitney U test, and the Kruskal–Wallis test to explore the associations between perceived park attributes, user satisfaction, and self-reported well-being. The framework was iteratively refined through triangulation via the literature, field evidence, user feedback, and expert judgement, while expert responses were synthesized using weighted mean scores, simple ranking system, and the Relative Importance Index (RII). The findings indicate that shading and thermal comfort, safety, accessibility, maintenance, and cultural alignment are the most important design priorities in the Saudi Arabian context. The empirical assessment also highlights recurrent shortcomings in the selected parks, particularly inadequate heat mitigation measures, inconsistent maintenance, limited recreational infrastructure, and the weak integration of smart support features. Based on this triangulated evidence, the study proposes a framework comprising nine categories, 43 sub-categories, with 137 indicators organized across environmental, socio-cultural, economic, and smart-enabler considerations. The framework provides a practical and context-sensitive tool for evaluating existing parks, prioritizing interventions, and guiding future community park development in support the Quality-of-Life Programme of Saudi Vision 2030. Full article

China’s rural public open spaces (POS) are largely governed as common-pool resources through self-organized collective arrangements, often regarded as a viable pathway to sustainable commons management. Yet, in practice, these systems remain prone to overuse and under-maintenance, reflecting collective action failures associated with the tragedy of the commons. The governance of rural POS therefore constitutes a complex social–ecological problem shaped by the interplay of institutional rules, biophysical conditions, and user–stakeholder interactions. Taking Taigu District in Shanxi Province—characterized by heterogeneous social–ecological contexts and collective action dilemmas—as the empirical case, this study develops a meso-level baseline model to identify the key conditions (design principles) for sustainable rural POS governance. Adopting an expert-based epistemological approach, 24 specialists in rural governance (scholars, planners, and local administrators) were engaged. Grounded in commons and collective action theories within the Social–Ecological Systems (SES) framework and informed by Transaction Cost Economics (TCE), the study operationalizes a Delphic Hierarchy Process (DHP), combining three rounds of Delphi to establish consensus on governance conditions with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to derive their relative weights. The model specifies 14 governance conditions across four interrelated dimensions: ecological (e.g., clearly defined resource boundaries and congruence between resource characteristics and user needs), institutional (e.g., simple and enforceable rules, accessible conflict-resolution mechanisms, accountable monitoring, and calibrated external support), social (e.g., social capital, leadership capacity, clearly defined user boundaries, and group interdependence), and interactional (e.g., resource dependence, equity in benefit distribution, and supply–demand alignment). It further clarifies their relative importance and systemic interdependencies. By operationalizing commons design principles within a meso-level analytical framework, the study advances their empirical application in rural planning and offers five targeted managerial implications to strengthen institutional robustness and the long-term sustainability of self-governed rural POS. Full article

Public Open Spaces (POSs) on university campuses play a vital role in promoting student well-being, fostering social interaction, and enhancing academic engagement. Yet, in Indian technical institutions, these spaces are often underutilized due to poor design integration, lack of thermal comfort, and minimal user-centered planning. This study applies the Campus Open Space Index (COSI) to assess the functionality, inclusivity, and experiential quality of POSs at two premier Indian institutions, IIT Delhi and IIT Roorkee. COSI evaluates campus POSs across five dimensions: Physical Planning, Engagement, Need Perception & Behavior, Thermal Comfort, and Management. Through a mixed-methods approach involving surveys (n = 522), field observations, and spatial mapping, six open spaces from each campus were analyzed. The aspect-wise COSI results indicate that IIT Delhi performs better in Management (75.84%) and Thermal Comfort (60.56%), while IIT Roorkee performs better in Engagement (71.68%); both campuses show deficits in universal accessibility and climate responsiveness. The study reveals that POS effectiveness depends not only on spatial layout but also on user behavior, comfort, and perceived safety. COSI provides a replicable and scalable assessment model that supports data-driven decision-making for campus planners and administrators. This research advocates for participatory, student-centric planning approaches to transform campus POSs into more inclusive, responsive, and sustainable environments aligned with educational and social goals. Full article

Public open spaces (POSs) are key assets in renovating traditional residential areas, and many studies examine how their commercial attributes shape spatial cognition and consumer behavior to encourage activity and boost local consumption. However, there is a lack of response to the emotional feedback needs of locals in the renovation of public open spaces in historic communities. To fill this gap, this study proposes a VR-based multimodal perception assessment framework integrating immersive virtual reality (VR) experiments, electroencephalography (EEG) measurements, and AI-based landscape image segmentation to investigate how built environmental elements in public open spaces influence the spatial preferences and psychological responses of local residents within Quanzhou historic communities. By integrating EEG data with Likert-scale preference evaluations, it investigates how varying characteristics of visible landscape elements within POSs influence residents’ psychological responses. The results reveal that locally distinctive vegetation and heritage architectural remains in historical district public open spaces (HDPOSs) are positively correlated with relaxation and negatively correlated with attention levels. It is worth noting that recently designed or renovated spaces with preserved old vegetation are more popular and cause higher levels of relaxation among locals compared to more contemporary built-up areas, highlighting their cultural and ecological importance in urban settings. This study advances the fields of urban planning and historical preservation by advocating for the integration of local preferences and historical elements into POS design to foster community well-being and ensure cultural continuity. Full article

In urban design, public open spaces (POS) are essential for enhancing health and well-being across the lifetime. High-quality public open spaces facilitate the maintenance of optimal physical and mental health in older individuals by encouraging activities like physical exercise and social engagement. Preserving the physical and mental well-being of elderly individuals is a fundamental concern for aging policy. Nevertheless, urbanization presents considerable problems with the provision of public open spaces for activities aimed at the elderly. South Korea has more significant issues than other nations globally. This study, based on data from 477 valid questionnaires collected in and around Tapgol Park in Jung-gu, Seoul, employed a decision tree approach to identify key factors and paths that influence overall satisfaction. The goal was to identify decision paths that improve satisfaction while ensuring interpretability, thereby providing a scientific basis for urban space design and renovation. The results show that: (1) The decision tree of this study presents a hierarchical logic of quietness first, then accessibility and cleanliness, and finally price and vitality, which is consistent with the high frequency of use of Tapgol Park by the elderly and the diverse facilities in the surrounding area. (2) The key to improving the management and satisfaction of Tapgol Park in Seoul is the quietness of the site. (3) When the park is not quiet, users are most sensitive to bottom-line factors, such as commercial supply, evacuation safety, transportation accessibility, price perception, barrier-free, and anti-slips. (4) When the park is quiet, basic comfort factors such as smooth walking, all-day opening, sunlight, and no odor constitute the minimum condition set for entering the comfort zone. (5) Water experience, waterfront accessibility, proximity to cultural resources, and moderate business and community-oriented leisure facilities are key plus points. Methodologically, this study is among the first to apply a decision tree approach to low-income elderly using a small public open space in a historic city center, clarifying the nonlinear and hierarchical relationships among environmental factors within these low-income elderly groups. This provides empirical support and reference for the aging-friendly urban space in world heritage cities and other historical and cultural cities. Full article

Public open spaces play a vital role in supporting social connection and leisure among residents, enhancing quality of life while contributing to both economic growth and environmental health. The rapid global urbanization underscores the critical link between urban environments and human health, which demands focusing on sustainable, health-conscious urban planning. Accordingly, Public and green spaces are vital in this context, as recognized by global agendas like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 11.7. This research aims to objectively evaluate the availability of public open spaces (POS) in Alexandria, Egypt. This study will utilize Geographic Information System (GIS) to formulate a methodology that incorporates spatial data analysis for quantifying public open spaces and assessing the proportion of the population with convenient access to these areas, evaluating their coverage, service area isochrones, spatial distribution, and proximity to residential areas. The study will benchmark its findings against global standards to expose critical spatial inequalities within cities of the Global South. The primary aim is to present evidence-based recommendations for sustainable urban public space design, tackling availability and accessibility issues to improve the well-being of Alexandria’s expanding urban population. This research offers a scientific foundation to inform policy and decision-making focused on creating more equitable, healthier, and resilient urban environments. Full article

Rapid urbanization in China has driven substantial rural population out-migration, raising concerns about its implications for the governance of land commons in villages. While existing studies have acknowledged the effects of migration on rural resource management, little attention has been paid to its influence on the self-governance of rural public open spaces (POSs). This study adopts the social–ecological systems (SES) framework to examine how rural out-migration shapes POS self-governance mechanisms. Based on survey data from 594 villagers across 198 villages in Taigu District, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and a mediation model grounded in the SES framework were employed for analysis. The results indicate that rural out-migration does not exert a direct impact on POS self-governance. Instead, it negatively influences governance outcomes through full mediation by villager organizations, the left-behind population, collective investment in POSs, and self-organizing activities. Notably, the mediating roles of the left-behind population and self-organizing activities account for 67.38% of the total effect, underscoring their critical importance. Drawing on these insights, the study proposes four policy recommendations to strengthen rural POS self-governance under conditions of demographic transition. This research contributes to the literature by being the first to incorporate an external social factor—rural out-migration—within the SES framework in the context of POS governance, thereby advancing both theoretical and practical understandings of rural commons management. Full article

Climate change is increasingly affecting the livability and functionality of urban environments, particularly public open spaces (POSs), impacting user behavior in complex ways that require a comprehensive, multi-perspective approach to understanding. This study reviews current progress, methodologies, and findings in POS research by proposing a critical analytical framework focused on key spatial and temporal factors that contribute to the design of climate adaptive solutions. Overall, 62 significant influencing factors were identified and categorized into four subject areas, environmental factors, spatial attributes, population and society, and behavioral perceptions, which were further divided into 12 themes. These factors were analyzed through a two-dimensional approach using a co-occurrence matrix to examine interactions. The findings reveal that spatial and temporal dimensions do not operate independently but interact in ways that significantly influence POS usability. The findings also indicate that temporal factors such as temperature, solar radiation intensity, and wind speed significantly influence user behavior when combined with spatial factors like site facilities, greenness, and walkability. Understanding these interactions is essential for optimizing POS design to enhance climate adaptability and long-term usability. By promoting climate adaptive design principles based on empirical research, this review offers insights and practical guidance for future urban planning to address climate change. Full article

The revitalization and renewal of existing urban space is a primary objective in the redevelopment of high-density transit-oriented development (TOD) areas. In this context, offering incentive zoning bonuses is a critical tool for optimizing urban space. However, in some subway-adjacent plots with high building densities, traditional incentive zoning methods face limitations due to insufficient horizontal space. These areas increasingly rely on multi-ground public spaces to balance density with public services. This study investigates new methods of incentive zoning between commercial areas and public spaces in multi-ground public spaces within subway-adjacent plots, using 33 rail transit complexes in Shanghai, China, as the research subject. The findings are presented in the form of visual guidelines to provide guidance on architectural control, with the goal of enhancing the quality of urban public spaces. In this research, a multiple linear regression model is employed, using GNCS_AR (the ratio of ground non-commercial stay to area), which captures both efficiency and equity in public space quality, as the dependent variable. A model is developed in SPSS, incorporating independent variables such as TCA (total commercial area), POS (public open space area), PIS (public indoor space area), and MGZFs (multi-ground zoned floors). This model provides a framework for developers to manage and control public space in multi-ground settings within rail transit complexes. Research has found that MGZFs alone cannot be included as the independent variable in the model, as their absence leaves the model unable to explain three-dimensional spaces. However, incorporating the ratio of RIOPS (the ratio of indoor to outdoor public space) to MGZFs significantly improves the model’s correlation and explanatory capacity. The resulting model demonstrates that, under different POS and MGZF tiers, the influence of PIS and TCA on public space quality varies. Using a typological approach, the study categorizes these complexes into five tiers based on POS and MGZFs. Within the same tier, changes in PIS and TCA types lead to variations in public space quality. The empirical results are translated into diagrams that link data, forms, and indicators to guide the development of three-dimensional spaces. These diagrams, which can be named visual guidelines, provide practical guidelines for optimizing public spaces in these subway-adjacent plots. Full article

The aim of the research is to provide a numerical evaluation of the occurrence of New European Bauhaus (NEB) principles in urban plans, using four key indicators: GI (green infrastructure), POS (public open space), PSN (public and social needs), and UR (urban reconstruction). The initial step in the research involves determining numerical quantitative indicators with target reference values, which are then used as a measure of compliance with the vision of the NEB. Indicators are modeled based on elements embedded in urban plans and implemented in a framework for evaluating these plans. Through the analysis of collected data, a comparison is made with the set goals and values of the NEB, thus enabling the assignment of ratings for occurrence and identification of areas where improvements are needed. The research results for Rijeka point to the need for planning new green areas, maintaining and developing street networks, and increasing pedestrian and park areas. Additionally, there is a suggested need to increase content to meet public and social needs and expand areas planned for urban reconstruction. The research results emphasize the importance of monitoring and adjusting urban plans to the NEB platform to achieve sustainable and balanced urban development goals, highlighting the need for continuous improvement in the quality of urban planning. Full article

Community programs can facilitate the access of vulnerable subgroups to physical activity (PA). This study analyzed the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics, health conditions, public open spaces (POS) usage, and women’s PA. The 155 participants were assiduous in taking part in PA classes in POS in São José dos Pinhais, Brazil. The accelerometer-based PA measures identified four outcomes: (1) daily light-intensity PA (LPA), (2) daily moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (MVPA), (3) LPA in POS, and (4) MVPA in POS. Linear regression, and the Durbin–Watson and Mann–Whitney U tests were used for data analysis in STATA software. The main results showed that the weekly frequency (β: 10.9, p < 0.01) and intensity of the main activity in the POS (β: 22.4, p < 0.05) were related to daily MVPA. Economic level and length of stay in the POS were positively related to the LPA performed (p < 0.05). Weekly frequency (β: 2.4, p < 0.01), length of stay (β: 11.0, p < 0.01), and intensity of PA practiced in the POS (β: 5.9, p < 0.05) showed a positive relationship with MVPA in the POS. In conclusion, there was a positive relationship between some analyzed variables and PA of different intensities, especially the consistent relationship between weekly frequency of POS usage and MVPA. Participation in structured PA classes in a community program can contribute to an increase of 47 min of daily MVPA. Full article

Public open space (POS) confers numerous physical and mental health benefits to people throughout life. The study applies POI and other multi-dimensional methods to examine the intergenerational equity of POS within a 15-min living circle of old communities in high-density cities. Firstly, an evaluation system for the comprehensive POS supply level in the community is constructed from the perspective of the quantity, quality, and spatial distribution of POS. Secondly, based on the idea of all-age sharing, the population in the community is divided into children, young and middle-aged, and elderly, and the factor “adaptation space share” is introduced to supplement the intergenerational equity evaluation system. The study takes Caoyang New Village in Shanghai as an example and the districts of the community committee as the basic evaluation units. The results show that the comprehensive supply of POS in Caoyang New Village is relatively high but there is still a mismatch between supply and demand; the intergenerational equity level is medium, and spatial alienation exists between POS supply and intergenerational equity; and the adaptation space share for children is much higher than that for the elderly, young and middle-aged people. Furthermore, young and middle-aged people are found to form a marginal group in spatial sharing and resource allocation. Finally, it is proposed that in community POS planning, attention should be focused on the differences in population age structure and on spatial cultural attributes and functional compounding on the basis of ensuring the comprehensive service of POS, so as to promote all-age sharing in community POS. Full article

With the intensification of population aging and the increasing awareness of public health protection in the post-epidemic era, the renewal of the old urban community neighborhood space is facing many new challenges and problems. Neighborhood Public Open Space (POS) is the main place for people to carry out various social activities in community life. The quality of the social interaction environment that a neighborhood POS can provide can have a vital impact on people’s well-being, as well as their physical and mental health. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to identify and clarify the key physical environmental design attributes/features of the old urban community neighborhood POS, and to explore the relationship between them from the perspective of creating a high-quality social environment. Through the investigation of relevant cases in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, China, the classification performance of each case on the key physical and environmental elements is used as the conditional attribute, and the quality of the social interaction environment in the current situation of each case is used as the decision making attribute to conduct a data mining analysis. Using rough set theory, this study screened out four important elements: greenbelt form planning (C₁); ped and bike system (C₂); space organization and zoning planning (C₆); Public facilities (C₈). Moreover, this study also presents a set of hierarchical decision rules to describe the classification status of the matching physical environmental design elements when the social interaction environment reaches a high quality in the neighborhood POS. This study provides local policy makers with key current situation assessment and diagnostic tools in urban-built environmental renewal projects. The results of this study can help designers draw up the renovation design plans of neighborhood POS on the basis of efficiently obtaining the practical experience of relevant cases, and then create a high-quality social interaction environment. Full article

Public open spaces (POSs) can be crucial during earthquakes, serving as essential places for recovery and mitigation. However, the ability of POSs to respond to earthquakes varies based on their degree of resilience. Resilience plays a significant role in ensuring effective responsiveness to earthquakes in POSs, in addition to enhancing their daily use in normal times. By exploring and examining the earthquake resilience criteria that can be incorporated into the planning and design of POSs, this study aims to determine and enhance the ability of POSs to provide an effective response during earthquakes. Four main criteria consisting of twelve sub-criteria of earthquake resilience are investigated. The resilience criteria are applied and compared in 169 POSs in three different areas in Chongqing municipality in China. A geographic information system (GIS) is used to study the earthquake-resilience criteria of the POSs. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used to weight the resilience criteria. Weighted overlay analysis (OWA) is used to determine the degrees of earthquake resilience of POSs. The results show the different potentials for earthquake resilience in POSs according to the area characteristics and POS type. The results also show that the current resilience degree of POSs is insufficient to respond effectively to earthquakes, especially severe ones. This study provides a valuable source for enhancing cities’ resilience against earthquake disasters. Full article

Apart from interactivity, representativeness (in the meaning of grandness) is the basic and required characteristic of public open spaces. The representativeness of public open spaces (POS) is understood in terms of their ability to portray cities and their inhabitants as a whole. This study considers the historical value of public spaces and determines their contemporary role as spaces for representing cities. Moreover, we explore the relationship between the natural value of such places and their representativeness function. It was necessary to define the criteria determining the representativeness of public spaces, including their physical, semiotic, and functional features. The study was carried out in the midtown zone of Szczecin. The subject of the study is urban landscape objects. The landscape, according to the definition presented by the European Landscape Convention, is part of the land, as perceived by local people and visitors, which evolves through time as a result of being acted upon by natural forces and human beings. The landscape approach used in this research enables an assessment that requires taking into account and comparing many aspects that build the layers of the landscape. Qualitative and quantitative research methods were used to assess the characteristics that distinguish POS in the symbolic, formal, location-related and functional layers and to examine their ecological value. The results of the study generally confirmed our hypothesis: i.e., embedding the studied POS within the city’s tradition—with its strong semiotic connections and with the specific history of the place (genius loci)—increases the space’s range of contemporary, representative functions. At the same time, an apparent decrease in the prestige of the studied POS was observed. Although they originally had high historical value, they either lost key artifacts constituting that identity or were excluded from the main functional and compositional axes of the city. Moreover, this study proves that the representativeness of POS, conditioned by historical value and contemporary functional, spatial, and location features, is generally inconsistent with their high natural value. Still, this inconsistency does not have to be a mean contradiction. Full article