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Friendly Communities and Outdoor Spaces in Contexts of Urban Population Decline

Author

Listed:
  • M. Francisca Lima

    (OPENspace Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9DF, UK)

  • Catharine Ward Thompson

    (OPENspace Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9DF, UK)

  • Peter Aspinall

    (OPENspace Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9DF, UK)

Abstract

Urban population decline has been extensively described as a triggering factor for community segregation and fragmentation, as well as for land use vacancy and house/flat vacancies, resulting in rising interest in strategies of green infrastructure expansion aimed at citizens’ wellbeing and urban ecosystems. However, city-scaled green infrastructures can be formed by different typologies of outdoor spaces, providing diverse social affordances that can impact community cohesion and resilience differently. This study focuses on the relationship between preferences for particular outdoor space typologies and for community friendliness, under contexts of urban population decline as a migratory process. In the context of Lisbon, a European capital-city experiencing migration and immigration but also urban population shrinkage in some areas of its metropolitan region, the study used conjoint analysis to test participants’ preference for different attributes of their urban environment. The results showed a significant positive correlation, in the sample living in depopulating neighbourhoods, between preferences for friendlier communities and for outdoor spaces of an enclosed and protected character (r = 0.34), compared with no significant correlation in the studied non-depopulating neighbourhoods. These results do not deny the importance of public parks of wide dimensions as a strategy for shrinking cities’ green infrastructures but suggest that urban citizens living in depopulating neighbourhoods have a higher awareness of the importance of small-scale, enclosed outdoor/green spaces to give a stronger sense of social connectedness. This study contributes to the general literature on urban shrinkage by showing that these sensitive conditions can potentially change behaviour and use of public spaces in urban contexts.

Suggested Citation

  • M. Francisca Lima & Catharine Ward Thompson & Peter Aspinall, 2020. "Friendly Communities and Outdoor Spaces in Contexts of Urban Population Decline," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-13, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:9:y:2020:i:11:p:439-:d:442482
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Evangelia Athanassiou, 2017. "The hybrid landscape of public space in Thessaloniki in the context of crisis," Landscape Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(7), pages 782-794, October.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Kaijian Li & Ruopeng Huang & Guiwen Liu & Asheem Shrestha & Xinyue Fu, 2022. "Social Capital in Neighbourhood Renewal: A Holistic and State of the Art Literature Review," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-27, July.
    3. M. Renée Umstattd Meyer & Tyler Prochnow & Andrew C. Pickett & Cynthia K. Perry & Christina N. Bridges Hamilton & Christiaan G. Abildso & Keshia M. Pollack Porter, 2021. "The Effects of Play Streets on Social and Community Connectedness in Rural Communities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-15, September.
    4. Yangyang Shi & Jiao Zhang & Xinyue Shen & Liang Chen & Yunchen Xu & Rui Fu & Yang Su & Yiping Xia, 2022. "Designing Perennial Landscapes: Plant Form and Species Richness Influence the Gaze Perception Associated with Aesthetic Preference," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-17, October.
    5. Xiaoming Ding & Shangkun Yu & Yi Miao & Chengxin Wang & Zhenxing Jin, 2022. "Types, Modes and Influencing Factors of Urban Shrinkage: Evidence from the Yellow River Basin, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-18, July.

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