Accessibility and user perception of parks in Columbia, Missouri
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Parks serve an essential role in city life as many residents enjoy visiting and interacting with the outdoors on a regular basis. The open space, greenery, quietness, and lack of crowds can provide a wonderful contrast to the hustle and bustle of city life. To maximize the benefits that parks bring, public officials and stakeholders need to understand how park visitors interact with park elements as well as perceived accessibility and safety to manage and regulate city parks with best practices. This study helps explore how park preferences of residents of Columbia, Missouri correlate with the geographic accessibility of parks. Additionally, this study evaluates which park features that residents of Columbia, Missouri value the most and how preferences enhance or detract from park usage. To accomplish this, a mixed-methods approach utilizing a public survey and GIS software was employed to analyze how city residents perceive and interact with park features. The findings reveal key insights into how park features can elevate the usage of parks and better support public officials and stakeholders in ongoing efforts to overcome barriers of distance and accessibility for all residents of Columbia, Missouri.
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M.A.