Park and Neighborhood Attributes Associated With Park Use: An Observational Study Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Abstract

As the world becomes more urbanized, neighborhood parks are becoming an increasingly important venue where people engage in physical and social activities. Using park-use data collected by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the aim of this study is to account for park use in light of park attributes and neighborhood conditions. The role of the built environment near a park receives particular attention as it is understudied in the literature. A regression model shows that neighborhood park utilization is positively associated with park attributes (i.e., larger area, a playground, a creek/pond, quality maintenance, and organized activities) and neighborhood attributes (i.e., fewer minority/low-income population, higher density, more commercial and public uses, and a well-connected street network). The statistical significance of these factors varies by user types. This study provides insights into the role of neighborhood compactness and mixed land use, which calls for interdisciplinary collaboration among urban planners/designers, landscape architects, and park programmers.