Park use patterns among children- dual roles of neighbourhood parks

Abstract

The close link between neighbourhood parks and people's physical and mental health is widely acknowledged. However, most neighbourhood parks were developed without consulting park users. As a result, many parks were deserted and not well utilised. While there is an increased interest in neighbourhood park research, little is known on the park use patterns among children. The main aim of this paper is to explore the park use patterns - or type of activities - that children perform at neighbourhood parks. Children in Alazizeyyah neighbourhood in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia were chosen as participants. The data were collected through children's drawings and oral descriptions. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The results showed that children engage more in active park use, in which swinging, family gathering and sliding are the top park use patterns among children in the study area. The results suggested the dual-roles of neighbourhood park - to promote physical and mental health among children and to encourage social ties among family members and friends. The results imply the importance of considering child-friendly environment in the development of neighbourhood parks to increase park visitation and use and subsequently, improve health and wellbeing.