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. 2022 Mar:69:127493.
doi: 10.1016/j.ufug.2022.127493. Epub 2022 Feb 4.

How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact urban green spaces? A multi-scale assessment of Jeddah megacity (Saudi Arabia)

Abdullah Addas  1 , Ahmad Maghrabi  1
Affiliations

How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact urban green spaces? A multi-scale assessment of Jeddah megacity (Saudi Arabia)

Abdullah Addas et al. Urban For Urban Green. 2022 Mar.

Abstract

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a global public health threat. In this crisis period, urban parks provided multiple ecosystem services and direct/indirect benefits to mental and physical health. However, the use patterns, attitudes, and perceptions of urban park visitors remained unexplored in Saudi cities. This study aimed to find out the use patterns, attitudes, and perceptions of people regarding urban parks during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the findings were compared with non-pandemic periods. Two urban parks (Al Masarah Garden and Al Jamaa Garden) in Jeddah megacity (Saudi Arabia) were assessed, and 215 respondents were surveyed to fulfil the objectives of the study. The study applied a questionnaire survey and field observations to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the use patterns, attitudes, and perceptions of urban park visitors. Non-parametric tests (Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests) were performed to find out the impact of sociodemographic factors (such as age, gender, and education). From the results, it was found that the COVID-19 pandemic had a substantial impact on the use, attitudes, and perceptions of urban parks in comparison with non-pandemic periods. The number of park visitors decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, but urban parks were crucial to people's mental and physical well-being. The findings of this study may help to understand the importance of urban parks as green spaces and to implement measures to enhance the quality and quantity of urban green spaces in Saudi cities.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; Green spaces; Urban parks; Urban sustainability; Well-being.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Figures

None
Graphical abstract
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Locations of urban parks in Jeddah city.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Views of parks where questionnaires were performed: (a–c) Al Masarah Garden and (d–f) Al Jamaa Garden.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Dimensions and parameters that were used in this study.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Frequency of park visits during pandemic and non-pandemic periods (Al Masarah Garden survey).
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Frequency of park visits during pandemic and non-pandemic periods (Al Jamaa Garden survey).
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Duration spent per visit in parks during pandemic and non-pandemic periods (Al Masarah Garden sample).
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Duration spent per visit in parks during pandemic and non-pandemic periods (Al Jamaa Garden sample).
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Reasons for visiting urban parks during pandemic and non-pandemic periods (Al Masarah Garden sample).
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
Reasons for visiting urban parks during pandemic and non-pandemic periods (Al Jamaa Garden sample).
Fig. 10
Fig. 10
Level of agreement with place attachment items as perceived by the park visitors (Table 3).
Fig. 11
Fig. 11
Question-specific assessments of the impacts of COVID-19 on the perception of urban parks.
Fig. 12
Fig. 12
Role of urban parks in achieving sustainable cities and societies.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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