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The density and pattern of urban parks, traffic conditions are the main factors affecting urban park accessibility. To clarify the influence of traffic mode and urban road network on urban park accessibility, we examine downtown area of Nanjing, China, and based on GIS network analysis, analyze urban park accessibility under different traffic modes in the current year (2017) and the Nanjing master planning target year (2030). The results shows: Using automobiles takes the shortest time to get to urban parks in 2017 and 2030 (if the problem of parking is ignored). Comparing the results of 2030 and 2017, by when the ground transportation network in the study area will be further improved, urban park accessibility was improved by a small margin under walking and automobile traffic modes, however, the density of rail traits increased fastest, urban park accessibility is improved most under this mode of transportation, rail transit route development becomes the dominant factor in improving park accessibility in downtown area of Nanjing. To a certain extent, this study reveals the leading factors of improving the accessibility of urban parks on the premise that the system of urban parks tends to be stable, and provides a reference for improving urban park accessibility.

To study the spatial layout of urban sports parks, the constraint graph model was used to quantitatively analyze the construction of urban sports parks in China. At the same time, theories on the construction and development of urban sports parks and urban renewal at home and abroad were reviewed. The construction status of urban sports parks in China was systematically studied. Foreign case cities were investigated. Finally, the case cities in our country were discussed. The results showed that in addition to the influence of certain policies and economic factors, the development of sports parks was affected by factors such as urban space development, population size and living distribution, urban culture, regional environmental characteristics and the layout of original sports resources. Therefore, the impact of the above factors should be considered in the development of sports parks and their spatial layout. The layout of the sports park should be balanced to meet the diverse needs of the residents.

This study aimed to explore the spatial accessibility dynamics of urban parks and their driving forces from 1901 to 2010 in terms of the dynamic relationships between spatial morphology and road networks, taking Nanjing City as an example.

This study mapped and examined the spatiotemporal distribution of urban parks and road networks in four time points at Nanjing: the 1910s, 1930s, 1960s and 2010s, using the analysis methodology of spatial design network analysis, kernel density estimation and buffer analysis. Two approaches of spatial overlaying and data analysis were adopted to investigate the accessibility dynamics. The spatial overlaying compared the parks' layout and the road networks' core, subcore and noncore accessible areas; the data analysis clarified the average data on the city-wide and local scales of the road networks within the park buffer zone.

The analysis of the changing relationships between urban parks and the spatial morphology of road networks showed that the accessibility of urban parks has generally improved. This was influenced by six main factors: planning implementation, political policies, natural resources, historical heritage and cultural and economic levels.

The results provide a reference for achieving spatial equity, improving urban park accessibility and supporting sustainable urban park planning.

An increasing number of studies have explored the spatial accessibility of urban parks through the relationships between their spatial distribution and road networks. However, few studies have investigated the dynamic changes in accessibility over time. Discussing parks' accessibility over relatively long-time scales has practical, innovative and theoretical values; because it can reveal correlational laws and internal influences not apparent in short term and provide reference and implications for parks' spatial equity.

This study aims to evaluate the key factors affecting the behavioural intention of urban tourists towards visiting national parks by integrating the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and expectancy theory (ET).

Data were collected from urban tourists using an online questionnaire developed through Google forms. A total of 489 valid online questionnaires were considered for this study. The proposed research model was empirically evaluated using the structural equation modelling method.

According to the results of this research, TPB constructs are significantly and positively associated with the behavioural intention of urban tourists towards visiting national parks in India and out of ET constructs, only expectancy and valence are significantly and positively associated with behavioural intention while instrumentality does not.

This study manifests the behaviour of urban tourists towards national parks and contributes to academics by incorporating existing literature. The findings of this study also help policymakers in formulating innovative strategies for national parks. It presents an integrated framework that lays the platform for a new study domain on urban tourists' intentions to visit national parks, which will be useful to urban managers, officials and the tourism sector. Furthermore, as the scope of this study is confined to assessing the intentions of urban tourists toward visiting national parks, it is difficult to generalize the findings.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first research of its kind to provide an understanding of the behavioural intention of urban tourists towards visiting the national parks in India by optimizing the TPB and ET.

Functioning as space connectors, path structures in urban parks may rarely present social interaction opportunities, although centralized activity spaces are available. This paper investigated the interrelationships between the visual and physical accessibility attributes of path structure and their impacts on passive social interaction intensity across urban parks in Kuala Lumpur.

The concept of social interaction has been studied elsewhere in social cohesion, social affiliation and sense of communication. Still, it has not been studied in the context of urban park design. This study employed mixed methods using an adaptive and unique combination of qualitative and quantitative data collections to analyze urban parks with a bit of visual vegetation barrier. The experiential landscape method was applied to determine visual accessibility by interpreting experiential landscape maps. The space syntax method based on quantitative analysis is considered to measure physical accessibilities and vigorous activities along the designated paths by conducting integration analysis and gate observation. The data were crossed-analyzed using a Geographic Information System (GIS) classification technique, correlation analysis and Microsoft combo-charts to generate the relationship between patterns of activities and their accessibilities.

The results suggested that designated paths with higher accessibility attributes, impressively more elevated than other tracks, could influence the intensity of passive social interactions. The findings supported the understanding that activity nodes and active areas adjoining designated routes could make accessibility attribute areas more critical. These findings verify that visually enriching the spaces along the path structure toward activities is a pivotal contributor to urban planners and designers to enhance the paths’ local integration (LI) and visual accessibility to predict more passive eye contact among park visitors.

The proposed interrelationship among variables in this study has limitations because of not considering other qualitative methods and techniques like cognitive maps and interview simultaneously. These techniques could discover why some paths generate more passive eye contact among park users (Mohammadi Tahroodi, 2018).

Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020 emphasizes Kuala Lumpur’s unique image as a tropical garden city via preserving and developing the iconic historical urban parks in the city center (CHKL, 2004, pp. 3–3). The latest Draft Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2040 has outlined the strategy to achieve a conducive, good-quality neighborhood that encourages social interaction. The findings could assist urban planners and designers better public parks by considering accessibility and permeability aspects of design. This research endorses the appropriateness of interrelationship between accessibility attributes of path structure and social interaction in urban design research, which local urban designers have not fully considered until now. Evaluating the visual convenience of designated paths and assessing LI of the axial lines constructing each designated route of urban parks during the primary stage could enable urban designers to estimate to what extent the paths are accessible and respond to passive social interaction. Then they could enrich with salient landmarks, views and activity nodes to make them attractive. The considerable number of designated paths connections, specifically while they shape the sides of activity nodes, could increase the connectivity and integration of spaces within the parks. These patterns of positioning the activity nodes make the designated routes more legible and provide ease of movement. As a result, it will give urban park users more information about the activities. Allowing people to use the paths will increase people’s presence and, subsequently, passive social interaction. One way is to locate accessible lands that provide social activities at direct visual access paths within urban parks for legibility.

The socially responsive urban design enhances the quality of life and provides life satisfaction, happiness and society’s overall health. Being in urban social parks in any passive and active situations has psychological benefits. It facilitates relief and rests from a stressful modern lifestyle that significantly impacts their mental health and well-being. The framework applied in this research integrates the social, spatial and physical aspects of parks design. With this regard, principles and indicators facilitate physically and socially attractive urban parks for Kuala Lumpur city center and applicable to similar contexts elsewhere.

The concept of social interaction has been studied elsewhere in social cohesion, social affiliation and sense of communication. Still, it has not been studied in the context of urban park design. This study employed mixed methods using an adaptive and unique combination of qualitative and quantitative data collections to analyze urban parks with a bit of visual vegetation barrier.

This chapter explains the primary factors influencing the growth in parking supply, what the impacts have been in urban areas throughout the United States, efforts that are underway to better manage urban parking supply, and how these findings relate to international cities.

This chapter offers a review of prior research and literature, and further explores the impacts of parking using historical data from six cities and by focusing on two specific case studies. It also includes a discussion of global implications.

Parking supply has increased by anywhere from 70% to 160% in urban areas throughout the United States, thereby contributing to considerable land consumption and increases in local automobile use. These increases were driven in large part by minimum parking requirements and perceived market demand. Since 1980, parking growth has slowed considerably in cities that have implemented parking limits and parking management strategies.

Parking is typically viewed as a valuable amenity that should be provided indiscriminately. This work outlines the consequences associated with this view and highlights isolated cases in which policies have been successfully implemented to address the negative outcomes of conventional policy approaches.

This chapter offers a comprehensive overview of prior research in parking policy and ties the findings to specific outcomes in urban areas throughout the United States. No other study to date has tracked long-term changes in urban parking supply or its impacts. This work provides a valuable perspective on the magnitude of those impacts and the potential to mitigate those impacts thorough policy reform.

This study aims to test whether the size of and distance to the nearest green space has any effects on residential property transaction prices in Auckland, New Zealand.

This paper divides all green spaces in Auckland into three categories, namely, urban parks, regional reserves and volcanic parks (a unique feature in Auckland, New Zealand). This study uses six years of residential property transaction data to estimate hedonic price regressions. For each property, this paper calculates the size of and distance to the nearest park in each category.

The logged sizes of the nearest regional reserve and volcanic park have positive effects on property prices. The logged distances to the nearest urban park and volcanic park are insignificant, while the logged distance to the nearest regional reserve is positively significant. In other words, homebuyers prefer larger regional reserves and volcanic parks and prefer to be further away.

Auckland is ranked as a top-five city in the world in terms of the proportion of public green space, trailing four European cities. However, because of Auckland’s much younger age, it presents a very different urban form. The study shows that the distribution of green space (not only its total amount) can bring negative capitalization on property prices.

Purpose – This chapter will examine the role of Central Park in setting in motion certain practices related to park development as well as revolutionizing park financing in the mid-nineteenth century and again in modern times. It will examine the shift from public financing of parks to the development of public–private partnerships to design, build, fund, and administer urban parks.

Design/methodology/approach – The author takes an historical approach to put contemporary park debates vis-à-vis funding and administration in context. Archival materials are used to examine park financing models all over the country.

Findings – Central Park still continues to revolutionize urban park financing. Cities are cutting back on funding for public parks; as a result, there is a greater reliance on private financing options. Not all parks are in a position to rely heavily on private financing, and this raises questions about access to open space in cities.

Originality/value – The chapter raises questions about equity in the shift toward the private financing of urban parks. It extends the environmental justice discourse to examine open space issues. It examines long-term historical trends in helping the reader understand the contemporary state of urban park financing.

Nature-based solutions (NBS) generate different impacts at the urban scale, such as the ability to regulate water or store carbon, comparable to traditional, gray infrastructures in a more cost-efficient way. On the other hand, by their intrinsic nature, NBS do deliver a series of other services that are commonly defined as social, economic, and environmental cobenefits. These benefits are not always valued in a consistent and complete way, so there is the need to compile a more comprehensive evidence base on the social, economic, and environmental effectiveness of NBS. The chapter attempts to identify a categorization of the existing NBS and define the ecosystem services (ES) provided by them. Furthermore, starting from the results achieved through the definition of the existing NBS frameworks assessment, the chapter will identify a set of key performance indicators KPIs, based on the ES produced by NBS, to measure the economic, social, and environmental benefits generated in by NBS at the urban level taking into account their multifunctional character. In total, 66 key performance indicators have been individuated: 3 for provisioning services, 38 for regulating services, 17 for cultural services, and 8 for supporting services. Each indicator has been associated to a category of ES in order to measure and evaluate the performances of NBS implemented in cities.

It is noted that cities in the region of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have a very poor Walkability Index. It is typically the forgotten mode of transport. Moreover, walking has become impossible. This is not just due to the scorching weather conditions but also due to the excessive dependence of the residents on the private automobile. The purpose of this paper is to explore walkability urban problems and to propose smart urban solutions so as to encourage walking in GCC cities.

This present paper defines walkability and portrays its advantages and benefits. It adapts the criteria of walkability to meet GCC cities’ planning needs. Furthermore, it analyzes Masdar City in Abu Dhabi as an example of encouraging walkability using smart solutions. The pilot case study for this present paper, King Abdullah national park in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, will be the application pool of those criteria. However, a questionnaire has been formulated in order to solicit some facts about attaining pedestrian comfort in that park.

The paper provides various smart urban solutions so as to encourage walkability in GCC cities.

Through presenting an overview of walkability in GCC cities and suggesting smart urban solutions, an additional study would be required to encourage walkability in other environments using various intelligent urban features.