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The impact of renewal of an urban park in Belgium on park use, park-based physical activity, and social interaction : a natural experiment

(2023) CITIES. 140.
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Abstract
Studies investigating the impact of park renewal on park use, park-based physical activity (PA), and social interaction are scarce and mainly conducted in Australia and North-America. This study investigates the impact of renewal of an urban public park in Belgium, Europe, on park use, park-based PA, and social interaction using a natural experiment. Baseline observational data of park visitors and their levels of PA were collected in two public parks with similar features and amenities. After the renewal of one park (i.e., installation of (1) paved walking and cycling paths, (2) benches and picnic tables, (3) outdoor fitness equipment, and (4) playgrounds for different age categories), observations were repeated in both parks. At posttest, park users' social interaction was assessed. Generalized linear (mixed) models were fitted to investigate the impact of the renewal on the number of park visitors, their levels of PA, and their level of social interaction. We found that urban park renewal can strongly increase the number of park visitors across age categories. However, no evidence for an effect of park renewal on visitors' mean PA level was detected. Similarly, the level of social interaction observed among park visitors at posttest did not differ between both parks.
Keywords
Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management, Urban Studies, Sociology and Political Science, Development, Public open spaces, Green spaces, Natural environment, Physical activity, Natural experiment, Public park

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MLA
Poppe, Louise, et al. “The Impact of Renewal of an Urban Park in Belgium on Park Use, Park-Based Physical Activity, and Social Interaction : A Natural Experiment.” CITIES, vol. 140, Elsevier BV, 2023, doi:10.1016/j.cities.2023.104428.
APA
Poppe, L., Van Dyck, D., De Keyser, E., Van Puyvelde, A., Veitch, J., & Deforche, B. (2023). The impact of renewal of an urban park in Belgium on park use, park-based physical activity, and social interaction : a natural experiment. CITIES, 140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2023.104428
Chicago author-date
Poppe, Louise, Delfien Van Dyck, Emma De Keyser, Amber Van Puyvelde, Jenny Veitch, and Benedicte Deforche. 2023. “The Impact of Renewal of an Urban Park in Belgium on Park Use, Park-Based Physical Activity, and Social Interaction : A Natural Experiment.” CITIES 140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2023.104428.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Poppe, Louise, Delfien Van Dyck, Emma De Keyser, Amber Van Puyvelde, Jenny Veitch, and Benedicte Deforche. 2023. “The Impact of Renewal of an Urban Park in Belgium on Park Use, Park-Based Physical Activity, and Social Interaction : A Natural Experiment.” CITIES 140. doi:10.1016/j.cities.2023.104428.
Vancouver
1.
Poppe L, Van Dyck D, De Keyser E, Van Puyvelde A, Veitch J, Deforche B. The impact of renewal of an urban park in Belgium on park use, park-based physical activity, and social interaction : a natural experiment. CITIES. 2023;140.
IEEE
[1]
L. Poppe, D. Van Dyck, E. De Keyser, A. Van Puyvelde, J. Veitch, and B. Deforche, “The impact of renewal of an urban park in Belgium on park use, park-based physical activity, and social interaction : a natural experiment,” CITIES, vol. 140, 2023.
@article{01H43P4SPKCCC5HKE84WGVV8BF,
  abstract     = {{Studies investigating the impact of park renewal on park use, park-based physical activity (PA), and social interaction are scarce and mainly conducted in Australia and North-America. This study investigates the impact of renewal of an urban public park in Belgium, Europe, on park use, park-based PA, and social interaction using a natural experiment. Baseline observational data of park visitors and their levels of PA were collected in two public parks with similar features and amenities. After the renewal of one park (i.e., installation of (1) paved walking and cycling paths, (2) benches and picnic tables, (3) outdoor fitness equipment, and (4) playgrounds for different age categories), observations were repeated in both parks. At posttest, park users' social interaction was assessed. Generalized linear (mixed) models were fitted to investigate the impact of the renewal on the number of park visitors, their levels of PA, and their level of social interaction. We found that urban park renewal can strongly increase the number of park visitors across age categories. However, no evidence for an effect of park renewal on visitors' mean PA level was detected. Similarly, the level of social interaction observed among park visitors at posttest did not differ between both parks.}},
  articleno    = {{104428}},
  author       = {{Poppe, Louise and Van Dyck, Delfien and De Keyser, Emma and Van Puyvelde, Amber and Veitch, Jenny and Deforche, Benedicte}},
  issn         = {{0264-2751}},
  journal      = {{CITIES}},
  keywords     = {{Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management,Urban Studies,Sociology and Political Science,Development,Public open spaces,Green spaces,Natural environment,Physical activity,Natural experiment,Public park}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{11}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier BV}},
  title        = {{The impact of renewal of an urban park in Belgium on park use, park-based physical activity, and social interaction : a natural experiment}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2023.104428}},
  volume       = {{140}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}

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