Abstract:
Public parks are integral elements of residential areas of cities. It is well established that public parks have a positive
influence on the social and physical health of the people who have access to them. The public parks despite being seemingly planned
according to urban planning guidelines and are located appropriately in the neighbourhoods of the cities of South Africa, they are
observed to be highly underutilised. Many social and physical factors that include location, accessibility, crime or fear of crime, life
style, and lack of time are generally attributed for such a scenario. However, explicit studies on the factors that influence- and their
relationships with the use of public parks by people, particularly in the residential areas of cities are limited. Therore, the objective of
this study is to explore how pedestian movement network in the neighbourhoods and illumination levels in the public parks influence
the utilization of public parks in the residential areas of South African cities. Blomefontein city of South Africa was taken as a case
study, and a survey research method for data collection, subsequent statistical analyses and development of empirical models were
follwed. Data were collected through park user survey conducted by using random sampling process, and household survey through
startified random sampling by using pre tested questionaires. Besides, physical park utlisation survey was conducted by using
continous time lapse digital photography and videograpgy of the public parks. The study revealed that more people use the public
parks during evening hours. Higher artificial illumination and availability of quality pedestrian pavement netwoks are the two
important factors, which influence public park use, although they do not necessarily influence each other. However, the combination
of availability of both factors would enhance the utlisation of public parks significantly.
