Search Results (30)

The organic volatile compound gases (VOCs) emitted by the rubber running tracks in the park pose a threat to human health. Currently, the challenge lies in how to detect the VOC gas concentration to ensure it is below the level that is harmful to human health. This study developed a low-power acetone gas sensor based on SnO₂/Nb₂C MXene composites, designed for monitoring acetone gas in pocket park rubber tracks at room temperature. Nb₂C MXene was combined with SnO₂ nanoparticles through a hydrothermal method, and the results showed that the SnO₂/Nb₂C MXene composite sensor (SnM-2) exhibited a response value of 146.5% in detecting 1 ppm acetone gas, with a response time of 155 s and a recovery time of 295 s. This performance was significantly better than that of the pure SnO₂ sensor, with a 6-fold increase in response value. Additionally, the sensor exhibits excellent selectivity against VOCs, such as ethanol, formaldehyde, and isopropanol, with good stability (~20 days) and reversibility (~50). It can accurately recognize acetone gas concentrations and has been successfully used to simulate rubber track environments and provide accurate acetone concentration data. This study provides a feasible solution for monitoring VOCs in rubber tracks and the foundation for the development of low-power, high-performance, and 2D MXene gas sensors. Full article

Urban parks are essential public resources that contribute significantly to residents’ well-being. However, disparities in the spatial distribution and social benefits of urban parks remain a pressing issue. This study focuses on the central urban area of Shanghai, a representative high-density megacity, and its findings hold significant reference value for similar cities, systematically evaluating urban park services from the perspectives of accessibility, spatial equity, and social equity. Leveraging multi-source big data and enhanced analytical methods, this study examines disparities and spatial mismatches in park services. By incorporating dynamic data, such as actual visitor attendance and residents’ travel preferences, and improving analytical models, such as an enhanced Gaussian two-step floating catchment area method and spatial lag regression models, this research significantly improves the accuracy and reliability of its findings. Key findings include (1) significant variations in accessibility exist across different types of parks, with regional and city parks offering better accessibility compared to pocket parks and community parks. (2) Park resources are unevenly distributed, with neighborhoods within the inner ring exhibiting relatively low overall accessibility. (3) A spatial mismatch is observed between park accessibility and housing prices, highlighting equity concerns. The dual spatial-social imbalance phenomenon reveals the prevalent contradiction in rapidly urbanizing areas where public service provision lags behind land development. Based on these results, this study proposes targeted recommendations for optimizing urban park layouts, including increasing the supply of small parks in inner-ring areas, enhancing the multifunctionality of parks, and strengthening policy support for disadvantaged communities. These findings contribute new theoretical insights into urban park equity and fine-grained governance while offering valuable references for urban planning and policymaking. Full article

Urban parks deliver vital ecosystem services and enhance residents’ well-being globally, yet equitable access remains challenging in high-density cities. The prevailing planning paradigms predominantly rely on proximity-based metrics, overlooking critical interactions between demographic diversity, differentiated social demands, and park typology distinctions. Moreover, the existing studies frequently examine aggregate green space distributions without categorically analyzing justice implications. This study develops a geospatial–quantitative framework integrating spatial equality and social justice metrics, applied in Xuhui District, Shanghai. Key findings reveal the following: (1) spatial inequality characterized by large parks clustered in low-density peripheries, while high-density central zones lack adequate park coverage; (2) significant social justice deficits for priority groups (elderly, youth, low-income), exacerbated by insufficient consideration of socioeconomic needs; (3) pronounced disparities in justice across park types, with pocket parks exhibiting the most severe inequities. Consequently, we recommend prioritizing the social demand in park allocation and implementing community-centered pocket park development. This study not only diagnoses spatial–environmental injustices in high-density urban cores but also provides a transferable framework for equitable park planning. Full article

To address the issues of subjectivity in the selection of design schemes for pocket parks in public building environments, as well as the lack of scientific and objective decision making, a comprehensive TOPSIS method-based optimization decision model for pocket park design schemes was developed. Firstly, an evaluation index system for the pocket park design schemes was established through a literature review and expert interviews. Secondly, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Entropy Weight Method (EWM) were employed to determine the weight coefficients of various evaluation criteria, combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. Finally, the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) algorithm was applied, constructing a weighted decision matrix for the design schemes based on each criterion. By calculating the distance between each evaluation scheme and the ideal solution, the final ranking was determined, thus completing the comprehensive evaluation and optimization of the design schemes. This model was used to assist designers in the decision-making process for scheme optimization, achieving a priority ranking of five pocket park design schemes in a district of Xi’an, and validating the objectivity, feasibility, and scientific nature of this method. Full article

Pocket parks are small green spaces that significantly enhance urban livability, particularly in densely populated cities. To leverage this advantage, Chongqing has committed to establishing 100 pocket parks by 2024. This study assesses the landscape quality of six pocket parks in Chongqing’s Dadukou District, employing Scenic Beauty Estimation (SBE) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The results of the SBE method identify four main factors—spatial hierarchy, plant diversity, landscape harmony, and color richness—that show a strong correlation with scenic beauty (R = 0.947, R² = 0.897). AHP analysis reveals that landscape function is the dominant criterion, accounting for 66.86% of the total weight, with ecological function and service function contributing 21.44% and 8.82%, respectively. Notably, plant color richness emerges as the most significant factor, with a comprehensive weight of 0.1509, emphasizing its critical role in enhancing visual appeal. Based on these findings, this study recommends increasing plant diversity, optimizing color design to improve visual appeal, and implementing sustainable, low-maintenance strategies. This research integrates both quantitative and qualitative approaches, offering strategies to refine pocket park designs and establish a framework to enhance green spaces in densely populated urban areas, not only in China but potentially globally, promoting environmental sustainability and user satisfaction. Full article

The 19th century neo-Gothic chapel located in the Stradom district of Czestochowa, Southern Poland and built at the intersection of the main streets is a recognizable landmark of great historical value. Unfortunately, the current condition of the surroundings depreciates the charm of such a chapel, and thus does not encourage people to admire it. Therefore, in order to expose such a valuable object, we planned to create a conceptual design of a pocket park around this cultural monument. When choosing the location of any park, it is recommended to know the needs of the local residents, so we conducted a survey regarding their wishes. When designing the area, we intended to use species representing the vegetation characteristic of the Krakow–Czestochowa Upland located in Southern Poland. At the same time, we used a material typical of the area, namely limestone. Design principles around the chapel were taken into account, separating the sacred and profane zones with the intention of giving this site a unique character and creating the first urban pocket park of this kind. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the demand for urban pocket parks near residential areas, posing new challenges for environmental governance. However, there is a lack of research on how to engage citizens in pocket-park governance to address both potential and unforeseen risks. This study combines social information processing theory with a norm activation model to develop a framework that identifies the shaping stages and influencing factors of citizens’ intentions to participate in pocket-park governance. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling, this research analyzed the relationships among external factors, attitudes, moral norms, and intentions to participate based on 719 responses from an online survey targeting Chinese citizens in November and December 2023. Results indicate that health risks and pocket-park environmental quality positively affect perceived usefulness. Attitudes and moral norms are indeed important factors mediating the positive effect of the external environment on the intention to participate. The pathway of guiding citizens to participate in pocket-park governance is clarified, which helps bolster the resilience of urban green spaces and improve the quality of life of residents after public crises. Full article

Goal: This study aimed to examine provincial differences in patient spending for cancer care and reductions in household spending including decisions to forego care in Canada. Methods: Nine-hundred and one patients with cancer, from twenty cancer centers across Canada, completed a self-administered questionnaire (P-SAFE version 7.2.4) (344 breast, 183 colorectal, 158 lung, and 216 prostate) measuring direct and indirect costs and spending changes. Results: Provincial variations showed a high mean out-of-pocket cost (OOPC) of CAD 938 (Alberta) and a low of CAD 280 (Manitoba). Differences were influenced by age and income. Income loss was highest for Alberta (CAD 2399) and lowest for Manitoba (CAD 1126). Travel costs were highest for Alberta (CAD 294) and lowest for British Columbia (CAD 67). Parking costs were highest for Ontario (CAD 103) and lowest for Manitoba (CAD 53). A total of 41% of patients reported reducing spending, but this increased to 52% for families earning <CAD 50,000 per year. The highest national rates of decisions to forego care were in relation to vitamins/supplements, the selection made by 21.3% of those who indicated spending reductions. Reductions for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) were made by 16.3%, and for drugs, by 12.8%. Most cost categories had higher proportions of individuals who decided to forego care when family income was <CAD 50,000 per year and for patients under 65 years of age. Conclusions: Levels of financial burden for patients with cancer in Canada vary provincially, including for OOPC, travel and parking costs, and lost income. Decisions to forego cancer care are highest in relation to vitamins/supplements, CAM, and drugs. Provincial differences suggest that regional health policies and demographics may impact patients’ overall financial burden. Full article

High-density building environments and fast-paced working conditions in cities pose health challenges for office workers. Office-type pocket parks assume the social responsibility of providing restorative environments for office workers, and the soundscape is an essential element of such environments. However, there is limited research on soundscape restoration in office-type pocket parks. Therefore, this study focused on soundscape restoration in office-type pocket parks. First, on-site investigations explored the spatial characteristics of 55 office-type pocket parks while analysing the soundscape features of 12 representative parks. Notably, significant correlations emerged among the perceptual parameters of the soundscape. Subsequently, three dimensions were extracted through an experimental study on the restoration levels of soundscape elements in office-based pocket parks: attractiveness, coordination, and disengagement. Finally, this study explored the impact of spatial enclosures and interface characteristics on soundscape restoration levels. This revealed that the restorative effect of negative sounds, such as traffic, air-conditioning, and speech, is significantly negatively correlated with spatial enclosure. Therefore, the greater the enclosure, the lower the restorative effect of the soundscape. Birdsongs significantly enhance the attractiveness of grey spaces, whereas small fountain sounds are most coordinated in blue spaces. This study provides a reference for the design of soundscapes in pocket parks to build healthy, restorative urban environments. Full article

In the context of escalating global temperatures and intensified heat waves, the Mediterranean region emerges as a noteworthy hotspot, experiencing a surge in the frequency and intensity of these extreme heat events. Nature-based solutions, particularly management of urban green infrastructure (UGI) areas, have shown promising outcomes in adapting urban areas to the challenges posed by heat waves. The objective of the current study is twofold: firstly, to identify the compositional patterns of strategically distributed small public green spaces, demonstrating their enhanced capacity to mitigate the impact of heat waves in the Mediterranean region; secondly, to assess the association, direction, and explanatory strength of the relationship between the composition elements of the UGI areas and area typology, specifically focusing on the variation in land surface temperature (LST) values during heat wave episodes spanning from 2017 to 2023. The methodology involved obtaining land surface temperature (LST) values from satellite images and classifying green areas based on composition, orientation, and typology. Ordinal multiple regressions were conducted to analyze the relationship between the considered variables and LST ranges during heat wave episodes that occurred from 2017 to 2023. The findings indicate an increase in LST ranges across many areas, emphasizing heightened thermal stress in a Mediterranean medium-sized compact city, Granada (in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula). Traditional squares, pocket parks and gardens, and pedestrian areas with trees and impervious surfaces performed better in reducing the probability of exceeding LST values above 41 °C compared to other vegetated patches mainly occupied by herbaceous vegetation and grass. The study concludes by advocating for the strategic incorporation of vegetation, especially trees, along with traditional squares featuring semipermeable pavement with trees and shrubbery, as a potential effective strategy for enhancing resilience against extreme heat events. Overall, this research enhances our understanding of LST dynamics during heat waves and offers guidance for bolstering the resilience of urban green spaces in the Mediterranean region. Full article

Urban parks have been proven to effectively reduce mental fatigue among city residents; however, there has been less focus on the mental health benefits offered by pocket parks in densely populated areas from a field experiment perspective. Additionally, there is insufficient evidence providing information on the environmental characteristics that support recovery from mental fatigue. This study was based on 80 young adults aged 19–25 years. Three types of pocket parks were selected: street corners, interblock spaces, and intrablock spaces. Through a field experiment with questionnaire collection, physiological (BP, HR, and LF/HF) and psychological indicators (FS-14 and VAS) were used to explore the relationship between various pocket park features and respondents’ mental fatigue recovery. This study investigated the restorative effects of 10 environmental features by collecting questionnaires. The results suggested that different types of pocket parks have the recovery effect of pocket parks. Four environmental factors, namely, vegetation colour (β = −0.472, p = 0.002), vegetation coverage (β = 0.298, p = 0.046), resting facility comfort (β = −0.336, p = 0.028), and plant species (β = −0.437, p = 0.003), were more predictive of mental fatigue recoverability. However, factors such as neighbourhood hygiene and spatial privacy did not show significant predictive effects. Our findings provide robust evidence for urban park planning and design. In the future landscape design of high-density urban areas, greater emphasis can be placed on the construction of pocket parks. The rational selection and configuration of environmental factors that contribute to recovery effects in pocket parks will contribute to meeting the psychological health service needs of high-density urban populations. Full article

The increasing density of cities poses a huge threat to public health, so pocket parks with high accessibility and flexibility have become potential resources to promote public health. In this context, the ways in which pocket parks can improve public health have become the focus and challenge of current research. This study selected 10 different types of pocket parks in Fuzhou, China, as the research subjects and collected real-time psychological and physiological data of participants by watching videos of the sample plots. The aim was to explore the impact of the environmental characteristics of pocket parks on the psychological and physiological responses of recreational users. The results of the study showed that: (1) the environmental characteristics of pocket parks significantly affect the psychological and physiological responses of recreationists. Different environmental characteristics can affect recreationists’ emotional state, attention recovery, environmental preferences, and the indicators of IBI, HR, SDNN, RMSSD, pNN50, SCL, and EMG to varying degrees. (2) The environment of pocket parks may encourage recreationists to generate positive psychological benefits when the site is larger and has a higher degree of scenic beauty, and when the space is not effectively confined. A pocket park environment with a low paving ratio, open view, cultural elements, topographic changes, special vegetation and distributing space can also have a positive effect on the psychological benefits of recreationists to a certain extent. Low canopy density and high green visibility can also play a role in suppressing negative emotions. (3) Pocket parks with high levels of depression and off-site disturbance are not conducive to positive physiological responses from recreationists, while pocket parks with high levels of green visibility and beauty and specialized vegetation are more likely to provide health benefits to them. Full article

Healing through nature has long been confirmed as an efficient way to improve human physical and psychological health in contemporary urban life. This concept evolved into the well-known Park Prescription Program. However, the psychological restoration imparted by nature was not particularly emphasized in the original Park Prescription Program; it primarily addresses the regulation of physical activities. The quality of urban parks may affect how well people pursue these prescriptions, but the program rarely includes designers among its stakeholders. This study is inspired by the Park Prescription Program, and its intent is to develop a Pocket Park Prescription Program that encourages usage by active people and proper landscape design. The inclusion of designers has been found to be extremely important for pocket parks since they are limited in size but have the advantages of high flexibility and accessibility, and their restorative potential needs be maximized with the limited resources available. Ten pocket parks with distinct functional and landscape attributes were selected in Shanghai as research sites. The Restorative Component Scale was designed into a questionnaire-based survey to measure how people perceived restorative experiences in each site. The onsite survey also incorporated questions investigating people’s behaviour characteristics of using these pocket parks. Site photos were taken and analysed with semantic image segmentation to indicate the landscape compositions of each site. The relations between people perceived restorativeness and parks’ using patterns and landscape characteristics were then explored with correlation analysis to provide cues on instructing how people’s visiting behavior and park landscape design can be improved. The results suggest there are better restoration results when people stay longer in pocket parks, and when people visit their neighborhood pocket parks two to three times a week, these benefits are further enhanced. This study also found that when these prescribed health behaviors are uncertain, the restorative experiences perceived by people can be improved with design interventions in regard to landscape elements such as vegetation, person, decorative lamps, pavement and terrain. These interventions should be made also in consideration of specific park functions. The research outcome intends to show that designers should be included as stakeholders in the Pocket Park Prescription Program, and it is expected to guide individuals towards effectively using pocket parks for restoration. This is to ensure that both the design and the people’s perspectives will be strengthened through the implementation of this program. Full article

Urbanization is a global trend that is expected to continue, and by 2025, it is estimated that almost 60% of the world’s children will live in urban areas. Urban community pocket parks provide a solution to the need for parks in high-density urban communities due to their flexible location, small size, and patchy distribution. This paper aims to examine and optimize the construction of urban community pocket parks from a child’s perspective to encourage children’s participation in these parks. The first step was to conduct a literature review to identify key evaluation indicators for assessing the child-friendliness of pocket parks. Then, the AHP-entropy TOPSIS approach was used to establish an indicator system to effectively evaluate the child-friendliness of pocket parks in urban communities. The system included physical space, cognitive ability, emotional development, environmental perception, and social interaction. Finally, suggestions for optimization were made based on the weighting of influencing factors. The results show that freedom of movement (6.2%) significantly affects the child-friendliness ratings of community pocket parks. Additionally, Hefei residents are not sufficiently influenced by the diversity of play (2.29%) and play facility planning (2.58%) in pocket parks. Therefore, consideration should be given to focusing on the degree of nature adaptation in park construction and renewal projects, as well as understanding children’s perception of nature. Full article

The idea of building pocket parks in cities is one of the more rational proposals for utilizing cameral spaces to create new quality in terms of green areas while accounting for the potential to blend them into the compact functiospatial structure of the contemporary city. Numerous examples of pocket park projects from around the world point to there being considerable interest in this form of greenery. The goal of this paper is to present the findings of a study of a selected number of pocket parks in Krakow, Poland, in terms of their accessibility, local determinants, and the nearby functiospatial structure, as well as whether they can be included into a wider network of service and green spaces of supralocal significance. The research method included novel field research of selected pocket parks and their surroundings. The form and function of the parks were analyzed and the type of their surrounding urban structure was determined, along with the parks’ accessibility. The study investigated nine parks located in the northeastern part of Krakow in a dense development structure dominated by multi-family housing. Analyses of the parks themselves and the research on the relations and linkages between parks and their surrounding urban structure generally pointed to the accuracy of the concept of the pocket park, its universality, and its compliance with the concept of the sustainable development of urban space. The presence and manner of development of pocket parks can be said to enhance the quality of spaces in confined fragments of an urban structure and to have predominantly local significance. Full article