This study investigated children's outdoor leisure trends and the driving forces that influence the use of urban green spaces, particularly parks and playgrounds. A special focus of the study was on environmental design.
The study was conducted in an urban neighborhood in Ankara, Turkey with 418 children and 383 of their parents participating. The neighborhood consists primarily of mass housing areas with green spaces integrated into the building units. This neighborhood was specifically chosen because residents generally had no significant financial and/or time constraints that would affect their leisure behavior. The neighborhood also includes a variety of green spaces, such as private gardens, public parks, and playgrounds.
Two different surveys were developed and used for the study: (a) draw and write surveys for children and (b) questionnaire surveys for their parents. Children (age 6-12) completed their surveys during their classes at school and under the supervision of their teachers. Children were asked to write and/or draw their outdoor favorite activities and/or their ideal park. The parent surveys collected demographic information and information about parents' leisure tendencies and use of green spaces. A final section included questions on their children's use of green space and their opinions on the importance of green spaces for their children's well-being. Direct observations were conducted at eight neighborhood parks chosen because of the number of children users and diversity of activity. A total of 192 visits were conducted, with each observation lasting at least 45 minutes.
Almost half of the participants reported visiting parks or green spaces at least once a week; 17% did so daily; and 4% never visited green spaces in their leisure time. Over half (55%) of the participants felt that they didn't go to parks as often as they would like to. Lack of spare time was the primary reason given for not visiting parks and green spaces frequently. Taking children to parks was a major motivation for parents to go outdoors. Parents reported that watching television was the most preferred leisure activity of their children, followed by playing with friends or siblings. Parents generally felt that existing parks and playgrounds were not designed well in terms of activity opportunities and variety of play equipment. They also identified security and maintenance as major concerns relating to their children spending leisure time in green spaces.
This research indicates that children's use of urban green spaces is strongly linked to both their parents' environmental attitudes and characteristics of the physical settings. Environmental design, then should not be considered the sole factor in children's use of green space. Social, cultural and physical aspects of the environment also play a role.
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