DOI: 10.11118/978-80-7701-087-0-0193

IDENTIFICATION OF THREATS IN URBAN GREEN SPACES IN WARSAW BY THE USE OF A VOLUNTEERED GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION (VGI) TOOL

Kinga Kimic¹, Paulina Polko²

¹ Department of Landscape Architecture, Institute of Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska Street 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland

² Faculty of Applied Sciences, WSB University, Cieplaka Street 1C, 41-300 Dabrowa Gornicza, Poland

Urban green spaces are attractive public areas, and a sense of safety is crucial for their use. In addition to their benefits, they may also pose certain risks that limit accessibility and willingness to use them. The study aimed to identify and analyse the hazards reported by residents of Warsaw (Poland) in parks and green squares and their immediate surroundings, using the National Map of Security Threats (NMST) in 2025. The types of hazards and the scale of their occurrence in access to and use of green spaces were taken into account. The results show that 59 reports were identified in the NMST concerning 23 parks and 10 green squares. Residents considered the most troublesome threats to be alcohol consumption by other users in parks and green squares, and incorrect parking on routes leading to them. They also pointed to the groups of young people at risk of demoralisation gathering in green spaces and their surroundings, which may pose a threat to other users. Despite the overall limited number, the reports indicate real hazards that affect users' sense of security and their willingness to visit green spaces, resulting in practical conclusions for local authorities and managers to shape parks and green squares by eliminating crime-prone areas.

Keywords: parks and green squares, users, threats, public security, greenery

pages: 193-197, Published: 2026, online: 2026