Use and non-use of parks are dictated by nature orientation, perceived accessibility and social norm which manifest in a continuum

Given the importance of urban parks for the well-being of urban dwellers, coupled with inequitable access to parks that seems widely reported in many cities, understanding the underlying factors that determine use and non-use of parks is a necessary step towards encouraging greater park usage. Past studies have highlighted the role of several influential factors, but rarely were these examined comprehensively in a single study to understand their relative importance. There is also a paucity of studies focusing on non-users. We report on a study using the Theory of Planned Behavior to understand the extent of influence that accessibility, nature orientation, social norm, and availability of time has on the use and non-use of parks. Data was collected through a randomized household survey representative of the national population (n = 1,500). Survey respondents were further grouped into frequent, infrequent, and non-park users. Park accessibility was quantified using spatial analysis of park distribution. Perceived accessibility, social norm, nature orientation and availability of time were measured through rating questions in a household survey. Our results showed that nature orientation, perceived accessibility and social norm were common factors affecting park use behaviour, but manifest to different extent among the three groups. In other words, whether a person is a frequent, infrequent, or non-park user depends on the relative levels of the three factors. Nature orientation was the most significant factor affecting park use demand for all three respondent groups, followed by perceived accessibility. Social norm was found to be an important factor in dictating whether a respondent was an infrequent or non-user of parks. In addition, nature orientation and park use time were found to be significantly correlated with self-reported wellbeing. We discussed the importance of our findings for understanding park use and park management.