Indicator development for sustainable urban park management in Hong Kong

Urban park managers in densely-populated metropolises such as Hong Kong have to cope with dynamic user expectations, the impacts of recreation, and the shortage of resources over time, and the goal to improve park management strategies is ongoing. Indicators are potentially effective yardsticks for measuring park conditions and explaining the implications of various conditions on sustainable park management. This study solicits an indicator set through a two-tiered process of indicator selection, screening and rating, and a tripartite engagement by 20 park managers, 9 local scholars, and 743 park users in Hong Kong. The findings from the user-perceived level of importance of each indicator suggest that users pay close attention to landscaping, and that users consider the environmental quality of parks to be important management aspects. User-associated components of urban park management are identified, which reveal gradual changes in park features over the years.