Access and Use of Green Areas during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Green Infrastructure Management in the “New Normal”

This study aims to identify the influence of the socioeconomic attributes and environmental contexts of citizens’ residential areas on the access and use of green areas during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results can aid policymaking and facilitate the safe and unrestricted use of green areas during t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainability 2020-12, Vol.12 (23), p.9842
Main Authors: Uchiyama, Yuta, Kohsaka, Ryo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
Agricultural land
Agricultural management
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Environmental management
Family income
Gardens
Gardens & gardening
Green infrastructure
Households
Influence
Land use
Pandemics
Parks
Parks & recreation areas
Questionnaires
Residential areas
Rural areas
Smart growth
Social factors
Society
Socioeconomic data
Socioeconomic factors
Socioeconomics
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Summary:This study aims to identify the influence of the socioeconomic attributes and environmental contexts of citizens’ residential areas on the access and use of green areas during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results can aid policymaking and facilitate the safe and unrestricted use of green areas during the pandemic. The access and use of green areas were analyzed using a survey conducted after the official COVID-19 emergency in Japan (16 April to 14 May, 2020). Visits to green areas during the pandemic have gained salience globally from multiple perspectives: health, planning, social justice, and equity. The results of this study demonstrated that socioeconomic factors influenced the frequency of visiting green areas. The factors further influenced the use of the three categories of green areas (parks, agricultural lands, and gardens). Environmental contexts, including the land use patterns in residential areas, also influenced the use of specific types of green areas. Thus, policies need to further facilitate visits to green areas by reflecting the socioeconomic attributes of residents and their households, including income, number of children, gender, and age, incorporating those who have less access and considering the spread of COVID-19 locally. Furthermore, policies for the use of specific green areas, including parks, agricultural lands, and gardens, need to take cognizance of the residents’ environmental contexts. Management of specific green areas, like agricultural lands, is required, and residents should be provided with opportunities to use these areas with measures to avoid infection.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su12239842