Short answer
Prioritize site maintenance and visitor safety by addressing issues like litter and animal presence to maximize the positive impact of urban green spaces.
- Field
- User-Centred Design
- Source
- Forests (2024)
- Method
- Qualitative research (in-depth interviews)
- Sample
- 36 participants
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
Maintaining the cleanliness and managing animal populations in urban and peri-urban forests are crucial for enhancing visitor satisfaction and the perceived recreational and aesthetic benefits. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2024 study published in Forests. Using Qualitative research (in-depth interviews) with 36 participants, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Prioritize site maintenance and visitor safety by addressing issues like litter and animal presence to maximize the positive impact of urban green spaces.
Visitor dissatisfaction with forest cleanliness and stray animals impacts perceived recreational value.
Maintaining the cleanliness and managing animal populations in urban and peri-urban forests are crucial for enhancing visitor satisfaction and the perceived recreational and aesthetic benefits.
Forests · 2024
Key Findings
- 01Visitors derive significant recreational, aesthetic, and cultural benefits from urban and peri-urban forests.
- 02Lack of cleanliness and the presence of stray dogs are significant sources of visitor disappointment.
- 03Visitors prefer organized, less disruptive activities like sports competitions and child-oriented events over large festivals and noisy events.
- 04There is a desire for forests to be maintained in a relatively undisturbed state.
Application
Design takeaway
Prioritize site maintenance and visitor safety by addressing issues like litter and animal presence to maximize the positive impact of urban green spaces.
How to apply
When designing or managing urban parks and forests, conduct user surveys to identify specific concerns regarding cleanliness, safety, and preferred activities, and integrate these findings into management plans.
Project actions
- 01When researching user experiences, ask specific questions about what detracts from their enjoyment.
- 02Consider how environmental factors, beyond just the natural beauty, influence user perception.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Focuses on user perceptions, which is vital for user-centred design.
- +Identifies specific actionable issues (cleanliness, stray animals) impacting user experience.
Limitations
The number of interviews is relatively small, and the findings are specific to one location. The study doesn't explore the reasons behind the lack of cleanliness or the stray dog issue.
Reliability & validity
The use of in-depth interviews provides rich qualitative data, enhancing validity. However, the small sample size and single location may limit generalizability and thus reliability across different contexts.
Think critically
How might the presence of stray animals or litter influence different user groups (e.g., families with young children vs. solo hikers) in distinct ways?
Design Principles
"The perceived value of a natural space is as dependent on its maintenance and management as on its inherent ecological features."
Designers and urban planners must consider the holistic visitor experience, recognizing that environmental factors like cleanliness and safety directly influence the perceived value and usability of natural spaces. Addressing these issues can lead to more successful and appreciated urban green infrastructure.
What This Means for Your Design
People like going to forests in cities, but they get upset if they are dirty or have too many stray dogs. They also prefer quiet activities over loud events.
How to use in your project
- 1.This research can inform the user research phase of your design project by highlighting common issues in public spaces that need to be addressed.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
User research indicates that the perceived value of urban natural spaces is significantly influenced by factors such as site cleanliness and the management of animal populations. For instance, a study in Timișoara found that while visitors appreciated the recreational and aesthetic benefits of forests, dissatisfaction arose from litter and the presence of stray dogs, impacting their overall experience and willingness to return.
Source
Forests
Forests and Their Related Ecosystem Services: Visitors’ Perceptions in the Urban and Peri-Urban Spaces of Timișoara, Romania
journal · 2024
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about visitor dissatisfaction with forest cleanliness and stray animals impacts perceived recreational value?
- Prioritize site maintenance and visitor safety by addressing issues like litter and animal presence to maximize the positive impact of urban green spaces. Evidence: Forests (2024).
- Why does "Visitor dissatisfaction with forest cleanliness and stray animals impacts perceived recreational value." matter for design?
- Designers and urban planners must consider the holistic visitor experience, recognizing that environmental factors like cleanliness and safety directly influence the perceived value and usability of natural spaces. Addressing these issues can lead to more successful and appreciated urban green infrastructure.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Prioritize site maintenance and visitor safety by addressing issues like litter and animal presence to maximize the positive impact of urban green spaces.
- What were the main findings?
- Visitors derive significant recreational, aesthetic, and cultural benefits from urban and peri-urban forests.. Lack of cleanliness and the presence of stray dogs are significant sources of visitor disappointment.. Visitors prefer organized, less disruptive activities like sports competitions and child-oriented events over large festivals and noisy events.. There is a desire for forests to be maintained in a relatively undisturbed state.
- What research method was used?
- Qualitative research (in-depth interviews) with 36 participants.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2024 journal from Forests.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing or managing urban parks and forests, conduct user surveys to identify specific concerns regarding cleanliness, safety, and preferred activities, and integrate these findings into management plans.
- What are the limitations?
- Findings are specific to the two studied forests in Timișoara, Romania, and may not be generalizable to all urban forest settings. The study did not quantify the extent of the issues or the precise impact on visitor numbers.