Description
Pocket parks are increasingly recognized as a feasible solution to the scarcity of public spaces in urban China as urbanization progresses rapidly, and land resources become scarce. However, the role of pocket parks in China's green space system defined by the existing policy documents is unclear, and specific evaluation indicators and methods for evaluating the utilization and efficiency of pocket parks have not been proposed. Therefore, in this research, the efficiency of pocket parks in the urban environment is evaluated by analyzing their utilization, defined as “vitality”, and the related multiple influencing elements and key indicators are identified. The study selected as cases studies of two main cities built on the hilly topography of Southwest China, Guiyang and Chongqing, where the issue of urban parks is very rarely studied in the disciplinary literature, and empirical observation allows to claim that the actual low utilization of pocket parks means they are not fulfilling their role as carriers of daily activities and recreation for residents.To study the vitality of pocket parks, a "multi-strategy" qualitative and quantitative research framework was applied, consisting essentially of desktop research and small-scale field investigation. In the desktop research, the existing literature on open public spaces – due mostly to Western scholars and case studies – was investigated to summarize the relevant indicators influencing vitality based on user behaviour characteristics. In the field investigation, on-site observation, interviews, and focus group discussions, the study summarized the behaviour characteristics of Southwestern Chinese users in pocket parks.
The combination of these two sets of indicators links well-established Western theories with contemporary Chinese reality and resulted in a vitality evaluation system suitable
for Chinese users' features. Key influencing indicators selected in the field investigation were explored through on-site questionnaires. Based on the key indicators and the questionnaire findings, targeted design directions are proposed to enhance the vitality of pocket parks in the specific case studies.
This study surveyed 12 pocket parks in Guiyang and Chongqing, selected as a representative sample of the pocket parks in the cities. On-site observation discovered not only that these parks often have a low vitality but also that vitality is closely related to the features within each park. Secondly, the questionnaire survey found that the facilities are the ultimate indicator affecting pocket parks’ vitality, and their importance far exceeds that of other influencing indicators such as social activities, space, location, and nature. Thirdly, the analysis of questionnaire data found that the role of pocket parks differs according to the users: low-income groups are the main participants in various activities in pocket parks, while middle- and high-income groups prefer other options for activities and recreation. Based on the findings, specific design directions are proposed to increase the vitality of pocket parks in the Chinese Southwest cities.
| Period | 1 Oct 2019 → 9 Nov 2023 |
|---|---|
| Examinee | Angelo Sanpieri & Marco Cimillo |
| Examination held at | |
| Degree of Recognition | International |