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Percieved safety and pleasantness in parks : insights from elderly citizens in Enschede
Koppelaar, Prisca (2025) Percieved safety and pleasantness in parks : insights from elderly citizens in Enschede.
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| Abstract: | The elderly population in the Netherlands is increasing. Ageing is associated with poorer physical and mental health. Therefore, there is an increasing need for opportunities to promote good health and well-being. Parks are known to benefit the health of people of all ages, yet little is done in park design that facilitates the needs of elderly people. The aim of this study was to explore what characteristics make a park feel safe and pleasant for elderly people. Participants were interviewed in their homes about their perceptions of safety and pleasantness relating to parks in general as well as the Volkspark in Enschede. They were asked to complete a park design assignment as well. All surveys and designs were analysed using excel, R-studio and QGIS. Participants primarily reported using parks for walking and enjoying their surroundings in a park. Park features valued highly for safety include good lighting, visibility and natural features. For pleasantness main themes such as natural features, park design and subjective experiences were valued highly. These findings are important for policy makers, urban planners, and park designers to ensure parks are designed to support elderly people to visit parks more often and increase their well-being and physical health. |
| Item Type: | Student Thesis (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Psychology BSc (56604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/106639 |
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