Exploring multi-faceted accessibility of urban greenspaces

• Main Author: Lim, Aikeen Youu Ming
• Other Authors: Perrine Hamel
• Format: Thesis-Master by Research
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2024
• Subjects: Earth and Environmental Sciences; Social Sciences; Urban greenspace; Physical accessibility; Psychological-social accessibility; Park use
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/174054
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Accessibility has been increasingly recognised as a multi-dimensional concept that departs from the traditional notion of physical distance between two locations. Having more accessible urban greenspaces can lead to increased use, consequently improving the health of residents. However, the number of studies investigating the psychological-social aspect of accessibility and effects of demographic variables remain scant. As local policies aim for homes to be situated within 400m of an urban greenspace, non-distance measures of accessibility become increasingly pertinent. Door-to-door surveys were administered for Jurong West planning area (251 responses), followed by statistical modelling using survey items. Results suggest that overall perceived accessibility was likelier to be explained by components of physical accessibility like walkability and travel experience. Additionally, age was the most significant demographic variable in explaining greenspace use. These findings suggest that improving routes leading to urban greenspaces may be more desirable than solely focusing on park provisioning and location.