Physical and psychological health impacts of urban park in relation to pandemic crises

Abstract

Urban parks have numerous advantages and have been identified as a unique source of community resilience throughout protracted pandemic lockdowns and quarantine. The pandemic-related issues, including stay-at-home orders, lockdowns, and long-term quarantine, pose a global public health concern. It undoubtedly causes tremendous negative impacts on human health. It is believed that safe, healthy, and supportive environments are needed to maintain good human physical and psychological health. The research aims to investigate the role of urban parks as the mechanism for the physical and psychological health impacts of the pandemic crises. This research is exploratory research that employs a mixed-method approach. A survey questionnaire and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) are used for data collection. SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) software is utilised to help with the descriptive statistical analysis of the questionnaire survey data. In contrast, content analysis is used to analyse the data collected from the focus group discussion (FGD). The result shows that a natural environment has benefited one's overall physical and psychological health. The research suggests that environment and greenery are best practices to improve human health, especially during pandemic crises. The research findings show that urban parks can be designed to accommodate a safe space for physical activity and psychological health support. The necessity for urban people to have an open space to meet their fundamental physical and psychological needs is significant to improve their overall health. A more substantial plan must be implemented to develop a more accessible open green area. The available vacant spaces in the cities should be fully utilised by transforming them into multi-used urban parks with better connectivity and accessibility. A preventative measure of urban parks as the mechanism for physical and psychological health impact during pandemic crises is formed based on the survey questionnaire and FGD findings. The built environment professionals, such as architects, urban planners, and landscape architects, can use preventative measures to create evidence-based designs for public spaces that prioritise public health and well-being. It leads to the development of design specifications incorporating features and elements that promote physical and psychological health in urban parks, creating more health-conscious public spaces. As the research is conducted in the context of a pandemic, it can provide insights into pandemic-resilient design.