DOI - Mendel University Press

DOI identifiers

DOI: 10.11118/978-80-7509-963-1-0288

SAFETY PROVIDING ROLE OF URBAN PARKS – A CASE STUDY OF CENTRAL PARK (NEW YORK, USA)

Paulina Polko1,3, Kinga Kimic2,3

Urban parks are widely recognized as extremely valuable areas for city dwellers thanks to providing green places for rest and leisure for different types of users. Among the limitations to their use, the literature often mentions safety concerns - a security perception among users depending on the time of day, weather, lighting, and park maintenance, but also on the behavior of other park users. The case study of Central Park (NY, USA) based on the data collected by the New York Police Department shows that this huge park visited by hundreds of people each day is significantly safer than the surrounding precincts. In particular, it is interesting that in the park there are fewer cases of crime such as rape and felony assault, as well as grand larceny, which are the most common in green urban areas. The results prove that urban green areas can play an important role in increasing the safety related to recreational activities in the city, which should be taken into account in modern placemaking initiatives.

Keywords: urban green spaces, placemaking, public safety, sustainable society, sustainable city

pages: 288-291, Published: 2024, online: 2024



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