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Did COVID-19 Reshape Visitor Preferences in Urban Parks? Investigating Influences on Sentiments in Shanghai, China

Author

Listed:
  • Siqi Lai

    (Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 611 Taft Drive, Champaign, IL 61820, USA)

  • Yifan Zhu

    (Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Yale University, 17 Hillhouse Ave, New Haven, CT 06511, USA)

  • Brian Deal

    (Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 611 Taft Drive, Champaign, IL 61820, USA)

Abstract

Urban parks can be critical components of city landscapes. In the wake of COVID-19, understanding the role of urban parks in helping to elicit positive sentiment and improve the overall well-being of visitors has gained new traction in the literature. This research distinctively investigates whether the COVID-19 pandemic altered preferences regarding urban parks and identifies the key landscape attributes and environmental factors that influenced positive visitor sentiment, thereby addressing a critical gap in understanding the evolving dynamics of urban green spaces in the post-pandemic era. We use a mixed methods approach that includes natural language processing techniques to analyze crowd sourced data across more than 100 urban parks in Shanghai, China. Not surprisingly, our results highlight a post-pandemic rise in preferences for neighborhood parks and features typically associated with neighborhood parks, such as walking accessibility and surrounding residential densities. In addition, we found six park features, the presence of grasslands, water bodies, walking paths, and proximity to shopping facilities, significantly impacted the ways in which people perceived their park experience. These insights can guide urban park planning, design, and management in our evolving post-pandemic landscape to help ensure that urban parks continue to serve as essential urban spaces.

Suggested Citation

  • Siqi Lai & Yifan Zhu & Brian Deal, 2023. "Did COVID-19 Reshape Visitor Preferences in Urban Parks? Investigating Influences on Sentiments in Shanghai, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-16, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:23:p:16396-:d:1289925
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jisoo Sim & Patrick Miller, 2019. "Understanding an Urban Park through Big Data," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-16, October.
    2. William C. Sullivan & Chun-Yen Chang, 2017. "Landscapes and Human Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-2, October.
    3. Hyungun Sung & Woo-Ram Kim & Jiyeon Oh & Samsu Lee & Peter Sang-Hoon Lee, 2022. "Are All Urban Parks Robust to the COVID-19 Pandemic? Focusing on Type, Functionality, and Accessibility," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-15, May.
    4. Gabriele Zabelskyte & Nadja Kabisch & Zaneta Stasiskiene, 2022. "Patterns of Urban Green Space Use Applying Social Media Data: A Systematic Literature Review," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-21, February.
    5. Shujin Zhang & Peiheng Yu & Yiyun Chen & Ying Jing & Fanxin Zeng, 2022. "Accessibility of Park Green Space in Wuhan, China: Implications for Spatial Equity in the Post-COVID-19 Era," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-20, April.
    6. Siqi Lai & Brian Deal, 2022. "Parks, Green Space, and Happiness: A Spatially Specific Sentiment Analysis Using Microblogs in Shanghai, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-18, December.
    7. Stefano Maria IACUS & Giuseppe PORRO & Silvia SALINI & Elena SILETTI, 2015. "Social Networks, Happiness and Health: From Sentiment Analysis to a Multidimensional Indicator of Subjective Well-Being," Departmental Working Papers 2015-20, Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods at Università degli Studi di Milano.
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