Search

This article presents our recent experience studying public perceptions, discourses, and social values in Park Beverin, a Regional Nature Park in Switzerland. We applied four social research methods (news media analysis, survey with micro‐narratives, go‐along interviews, and focus groups), and delved into the subject of wolf Canis lupus adapting a triangulation protocol and systematic process from the health sciences. We observed the recurring perceptions of 'wolf' throughout three of the four methods; however, depictions, values, prominence, and presence varied by method. Social values of the wolf were mostly silent when compared to other topics, and 'wolf amplification' and 'wolf fatigue' point to the need to rethink the social aspects in wolf management, conservation, and policy. The findings also show the need for diverse research methods for revealing social values and perceptions on sensitive topics that otherwise the use of one method may be masking or amplifying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the health risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in dust from city parks and prioritizing sources for control are essential for public health and pollution management. The combination of Source-specific and Monte Carlo not only reduces management costs, but also improves the accuracy of assessments. To evaluate the sources of PAHs in urban park dust and the possible health risks caused by different sources, dust samples from 13 popular parks in Kaifeng City were analyzed for PAHs using gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The results showed that the surface dust PAH content in the study area ranged from 332.34 µg·kg−1 to 7823.03 µg·kg−1, with a mean value of 1756.59 µg·kg−1. Nemerow Composite Pollution Index in the study area ranged from 0.32 to 14.41, with a mean of 2.24, indicating that the overall pollution warrants attention. Four pollution sources were identified using the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model: transportation source, transportation-coal and biomass combustion source, coke oven emission source, and petroleum source, with contributions of 33.74%, 25.59%, 22.14%, and 18.54%, respectively. The Monte Carlo cancer risk simulation results indicated that park dust PAHs pose a potential cancer risk to all three populations (children, adult male and adult female). Additionally, the cancer risk for children was generally higher than that for adult males and females, with transportation sources being the main contributor to the carcinogenic risk. Lastly, sensitivity analyses results showed that the toxic equivalent concentration (CS) is the parameter contributing the most to carcinogenic risk, followed by Exposure duration (ED). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parks built by the gentry represent a special type of parks in modern China. They were admission-free public places financed and controlled by the gentry. Nominally, these parks were public properties under the jurisdiction of the government, thus possessing dual attributes of privatization and nationalization. The planning and construction of such parks reflected the gentry's aesthetic interests and their deep involvement in local affairs. However, at the same time, these parks were always subject to the constraints of the specific power structure within the local society. Taking the Chengzhong Park in Wuxi as an example, this paper explores how the interaction among local gentry power, official power, and party power affected the history of park development and ultimately shaped the function and form of the park. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, optimization of the microgreen space distribution through multistage regulation is investigated, with the goal of alleviating the imbalance between the supply and demand of green resources in the central urban area of Shenyang. An optimized evaluation model of green space supply and demand is employed to calculate the green space accessibility index at a 100-m grid scale and identify different levels of green space resource supply and demand. Priority is given to supplementing resources for the elderly population by balancing the green space supply in vulnerable areas. Particle swarm—ant colony optimization (PS-ACO) is used to select microgreen space sites within each priority level. On the basis of the "important-urgent" quadrant analysis, S1-priority residential areas account for 8.12% of the grid, S2-priority areas account for 67.01%, and S3-priority areas account for 24.87%. The PS-ACO algorithm outputs potential microgreen space sites within each priority level to accurately regulate the green space distribution in residential areas with different supply pressures and limited land availability. A spatial correlation analysis of the new sites reveals good spatial dispersion within service units, effectively alleviating demand pressures, and good aggregation at a regional scale to address imbalances in the supply of green space in a targeted manner. Thus, the optimized results of the PS-ACO algorithm are effective, providing reliable site-selection references for subsequent urban microgreen space distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ongoing urbanization around the world is leading to changes in ecosystems, and wildlife is forced to respond by adapting to them. First of all, disturbance concern plant communities, which are transformed in and around the city actively. Changes in phytocenosis along with the stress of the human presence also affects animals, what often leads to a decrease in small mammal community biodiversity in places subject to anthropogenic influence. However, for some mammalian species (especially small ones) that are more resistant to stress from human presence, urbanization has its advantages by creating modified habitats and reducing competition with native species that are more sensitive to urbanogenic effect. For several years, we have been studying the influence of the megalopolis (Ekaterinburg city) located in the forest zone on communities of small mammals in sites of pine forest transformed to different degrees depending on the proximity to urban development (two park-forests), as well as in the Central Culture and Recreation Park (in places with different attendance level). The forest phytocenoses were found have been altered throughout the entire park-forest sites due to weed vegetation and introduced plant species, as well as under the influence of recreation especially strongly in places adjacent to developments. The micromammal communities of all sites, in addition to forest rodents, are present hemisynanthropic species that are not characteristic of this zone forest (the small wood mouse and the striped field mouse). In outlying park-forest places where the anthropogenic load is much lower, forest mammal species are found in greater numbers, although the presence of hemisynanthropic species remains. In some cases, this might lead to an increase in community diversity indices. Naturally the conditions of the plant environment affect the ability of rodents and shrews to form steady micropopulations and communities in the forest sites of the city outskirts, although and the anxiety factor plays a significant role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Play encourages physical and social activity creativity, and risk-taking. However, unstructured and risky play is on the decline. Our qualitative study explored the perspectives of Play Ambassadors, who faciliated a community-based loose parts play intervention ('play hubs') in Calgary parks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using semi-structured interviews with 12 Play Ambassadors, four main topics emerged. Experiences Supporting Unstructured Play reflected how they supported play and their perceptions and observations of the play hubs. Learning to Take Risks in Play reflected how Play Ambassadors' views on risk and facilitating risky play evolved. Value of the Play Hubs reflected Play Ambassador perspectives on the community and personal impacts of the play hubs. Supporting Play during a Pandemic highlighted the challenges encountered in delivering the play hubs. Our findings suggest that community-based play programs in local parks may be a viable strategy for encouraging play, especially when traditional opportunities are restricted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The service and social inequalities resulting from poor urban conditions underline the necessity of focusing more on children, who constitute a vulnerable and crucial segment of society. Meeting children's needs and demands within the framework of child-friendly city principles is essential. This study aims to assess the status of child-friendly city components and indicators in Amol, prioritizing them based on feedback from children and their parents. The research methodology involves surveys, questionnaires, and interviews with children as the analysis units and the entire child population of Amol as the statistical population. Through Cochran's sampling method, 250 samples were chosen using cluster random sampling. Data analysis employed the one-sample t-test and Friedman's test. The findings indicate that not all components of a child-friendly city are deficient and exhibit a notable deviation from the desired level. Moreover, there is a significant variance in the importance levels of these components; notably, access to services ranks highest in priority, while participation and valuing of children rank lowest. This suggests a lack of attention to fulfilling children's needs and desires within the context of child-friendly city components. Children have not been adequately acknowledged as stakeholders in development decisions. To enhance child-friendly indicators, prioritizing children's participation and recognizing their value are imperative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Target 3 in the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) calls for protecting at least 30% of the world's lands and waters in area‐based conservation approaches by 2030. This ambitious 30×30 target has spurred great interest among policy makers, practitioners, and researchers in defining and measuring the effectiveness of these types of approaches. But along with this broad interest, there has also been a proliferation of terms and their accompanying abbreviations used to describe different types of conservation areas and their governance, planning, management, and monitoring. The lack of standard terms is hindering the use and assessment of area‐based approaches to conserve the world's biodiversity. It is difficult to track progress toward GBF Target 3 or to share learning with other practitioners if different groups of people are using different words to describe the same concept or similar words to talk about different concepts. To address this problem, the International Union for Conservation of Nature's World Commission on Protected Areas commissioned a task force to review existing terms and recommend a standard English‐language lexicon for this field based on key criteria. The results were definitions of 37 terms across 6 categories, including types of protected and additional conservation areas (e.g., protected area, additional conservation area), sets of these areas (protected area network, protected area system), their governance and management (governance, rightsholders), assessment (effectiveness, equitability), spatial planning (key biodiversity area), and action planning (value, outcome, objective). Our standard lexicon can provide a common language for people who want to use it and a shared reference point that can be used to translate various terms used by different groups. The common understanding provided by the lexicon can serve as a foundation for collaborative efforts to improve the policies, implementation, assessments, research, and learning about this important set of conservation approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bangkok is a tropical metropolis subject to many human and nonhuman transformations. While Covid‐19 raged, the city's mix of precarity and oppression gave rise to a youth protest movement that opposed the junta government and sought to intervene in Thai politics‐as‐usual. At the same time, a rewilding experiment aimed at undoing environmental damage quietly was unfolding in Benjakitti Urban Forest Park. We draw on science and technology studies (STS), anthropology and urban theory to elicit the events of both park and protests as ongoing experiments in rewilding Bangkok on more‐than‐human terrain. Both involve overlapping critical zones, where encounters between many beings and practices of worlding shape an uncommons and create problems of coexistence. Such problems call for cosmoecological diplomacy, understood as the art of giving collective shape to a more‐than‐human cosmos yet to arrive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

São Paulo's Minhocão (Big Worm) is a 3.5 km elevated expressway that cuts across a dense part of the central city. Opened in 1971, it was controversial from the start, and widely held responsible for the decline of the city's historic centre in the 1970s and 1980s. However, it has been gradually tamed over the years, first closed to traffic at night, and then at weekends and on holidays, becoming an impromptu park, the Parque Minhocão, which has had official status since 2014. Those informal closures have been accompanied by numerous architectural schemes over the years to make the Minhocão a permanent park on the lines of New York's High Line. The Parque Minhocão in its present condition represents a stand-off between various interest groups, all of whom have claims on it as public space. The paper explores the history of the Parque Minhocão since 1969 through different forms of visualisation, arguing that its present condition, however imperfect, keeps multiple and contradictory interests in balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Düzce University Journal of Forestry / Düzce Üniversitesi Orman Fakültesi Ormancılık Dergisi is the property of Duzce University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background. The evolution of the urban landscape and the interaction of citizens with it is an integral part of the appearance of the city, which is reflected in the historical memory of the population. The participation of the population in urban improvement and landscaping is one of the factors in the formation of love for a small homeland. The study of this issue will allow us to analyze the ongoing policy of greening the city and the impact of green space on the image of the city. The purpose of the study is to analyze the daily practices of interaction of the population with the green space of Penza in the 19th – 20th centuries. Materials and methods. The daily practices of interaction of the population with the green space of Penza in the 19th – 20th centuries are considered on the basis of an analysis of the policy of local authorities on greening the urban area. The source base con-sisted of archival documents, materials from local and central periodicals (Pravda, Izvestia, Trud, etc.), memoirs of contemporaries. The research methodology is based on the princi-ples of the historical and systematic method, which allows us to analyze the effectiveness of regional greening policy. The historical and genetic method allows us to trace the trans-formation of the green zones of the Penza urban space. Results. The greening policy of Penza in the 19th – 20th centuries is considered. The ways of interaction of the population with green areas of urban space are revealed. The influence of landscaping on the image of the city in the perception of the population is analyzed. Conclusions. The good landscaping of Penza in the 19th century was due to the geographical location and the use of the natural landscape. The main green area during this period was a public garden and a country party. With the growth of the city's territory in the 20th century and a purposeful greening policy, much more green areas appear in the city. At the same time, the Central Park of Culture and Recreation named after V.G. Belinsky and the adjacent alleys retained their importance. It should be noted that the population was actively involved in the process of greening the city. All this contributed to the consolidation of the adjective “green” in relation to Penza in the historical memory of the population.

We developed the Life Course Sociodemographics and Neighborhood Questionnaire (LSNEQ) to query older adults about perceived neighborhood greenspaces across the life course (i.e., distance to park, number of neighborhood parks/playgrounds, and neighborhood greenness) and about characteristics hypothesized to confound or moderate/mediate greenspace-health associations. Six perceived life course indices are derived from the LSNEQ: neighborhood socioeconomic status, neighborhood walking/biking, urbanicity, neighborhood amenities, neighborhood park access, and neighborhood greenness. Older adults from St. Louis, Missouri, and Sacramento, California, completed the LSNEQ in 2020-2021. The indices demonstrated borderline acceptable to good internal consistency (alpha = 0.60-0.79) and good to excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.71-0.96) and detected different patterns of park access and neighborhood greenness by racialized group and location. Individuals with index scores indicating more neighborhood walking/biking and greater presence of neighborhood amenities over their life course were more likely to report neighborhood-based walking in older age. Overall, the LSNEQ is a reliable instrument to assess perceptions of life course social determinants of health including neighborhood greenspaces.

Compliance with the requirements for landscape and recreational areas in urban planning and development is a prerequisite for ensuring the sanitary well-being and comfortable living of the population. Therefore, the purpose of the presented work was to assess the green and other public landscape and recreational areas within the Ivano-Frankivsk, as well as to provide recommendations for greening the city and its improvement. Theoretical research methods were applied, including the collection and systematisation of regulatory and reporting information on public landscape and recreational areas within the Ivano-Frankivsk; analysis of compliance with the requirements of Ukrainian legislation; and generalisation of problems to provide recommendations for improving the city’s amenities. It has been established that as of the beginning of 2024, the total area of existing green spaces is about 126 ha and is represented by five city parks, one dendrological park, and 58 squares. There are 5.3 m2 of green space per person, which is almost twice as low as the norm (10 m2/person). In 2021-2023, the city council has planned to build 41 new squares with a total area of 31.46 ha, which will increase the specific area of green spaces to 6.6 m2/person. It was found that the average level of greenery in squares is 72%. There are seven areas and objects of the Nature Reserve Fund of Ukraine in the city, and the coverage of protected areas is less than 1%. The territory of the Emerald Network “Bystrytsia Nadvirna Valley” within the city and adjacent villages has been significantly transformed and urbanised and is used as a recreation area, which may affect protected species. The city’s water bodies are only partially equipped with recreation areas. Measures to green the city and improve its amenities are proposed, including the creation of green spaces in residential neighbourhoods and along roads, the use of green elements on the walls of buildings, and the organisation of meadow parks. The practical value of the results is to highlight the current and future state of the public landscape and recreational area network in Ivano-Frankivsk and to provide reasonable recommendations for its improvement

The application of environmental DNA (eDNA) methods to simultaneously study vertebrate diversity holds promise to accelerate conservation efforts, especially in freshwater systems which are among the most imperiled in the world. Here, using eDNA sampling, we identify patterns of vertebrate biodiversity across different habitats of the Kankakee River watershed, one of the most diverse lotic systems in Illinois, USA. Our eDNA metabarcoding analyses identified 147 different taxa, including 77 fishes, 38 birds, 24 mammals, five amphibians and three reptiles at 11 locations in the watershed, including tributaries and mainstem stretches upstream and within the Kankakee River State Park protected area. When compared to seining, eDNA sampling consistently detected more fish species, including non-native and imperiled species. We also found that vertebrate communities among the different habitats significantly varied in taxonomic composition, showing an upstream-downstream shift along the mainstem river as well as tributary-specific assemblages. Our study demonstrates the ability of single-marker eDNA metabarcoding to simultaneously document aquatic and terrestrial communities across large temperate lotic ecosystems and to monitor diversity patterns across protected areas.

This study investigates the influence of urban green spaces on the prevalence of overweight/obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. The search was run in the PUBMED database, using the search algorithm including combinations of keywords associated with the two concepts: civilization health problems and urban green spaces. A meta-analysis (for 48 studies) and critical review (for 26 studies) were performed. The meta-analysis results show that the presence, accessibility, and quality of green spaces are associated with the decreased prevalence of overweight/obesity (OR 0.86 (95% CI 0.77–0.95), p < 0.001, I2 99.7%), diabetes (OR 0.83 (95% CI 0.79–0.87), p < 0.001, I2 67.5%), and hypertension (OR 0.77 (95% CI 0.63–0.92), p < 0.001, I2 84.9%). In the children population, the influence of green spaces on overweight is unequivocal (OR 0.88 (95% CI 0.72–1.03), p < 0.001, I2 99.6%) and there is no influence on diabetes control. A green space's direct influence on systolic or diastolic blood pressure is unequivocal. A green space is associated with a decreased prevalence of civilization diseases. Its positive influence, however, is not so strong in children. The short-term influence of green spaces on blood pressure (e.g., taken as a proxy for mental stress) is unequivocal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the pollution emission of freight diesel motor vehicles in logistics parks, the article selected three logistics parks A, B and C in Dongxihu District of Wuhan City as the research object, analyzed the activity level of diesel motor vehicles based on the on-site survey and the data obtained from Wuhan Motor Vehicle Supervisory Platform, and carried out the field monitoring of NOx and PM2.5 in the entrance and exit sections of the logistics parks. The results show that the trucks entering and leaving the logistics park are mainly heavy-duty diesel vehicles, accounting for over 78.1%; the proportion of diesel motor vehicles of National + National emission standard types is more than 50%, but there are still a small number of diesel motor vehicles of National standard. The activity level of diesel motor vehicles in each logistics park has no direct correlation with the area of the logistics park, and the changes in traffic flow on weekdays and non-weekdays show different trends from the traffic volume on urban roads. The total emissions of NOx, PM2.5, PM10, CO, and HC from the three logistics parks during August were 36.958 tons, 0.529 tons, 0.586 tons, 16.588 tons, and 1.157 tons, respectively, and the monitored concentrations of NO2 and PM2.5 at the cross-sections into and out of the logistics parks in August and November were 1.24-2.41 times higher than those of the neighboring street air-quality monitoring stations, and 2.70-2.82 times higher than that of the neighboring -street air-quality monitoring stations, respectively, which shows that diesel motor vehicle exhaust emissions from the Logistics Park have a considerable impact on the quality of the air environ ment in the neighboring areas, and the type of diesel motor vehicle structure in the Logistics Park is also associated with the green transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the results of inventory of green areas of park territories of Aksu city of Pavlodar region with the assessment of the condition of trees and shrubs. The analysis of each park out of available five parks was carried out, species, age and vital state of plants were determined, comparative assessment of park plantings was carried out. Differences were found not only in species and age composition, but also in the criteria of plant life state. The most stable plant communities are represented in the Central Park and Baranovsky Garden, which are the largest park territories of the city by area. In parks with smaller areas there are indicators of disturbed out of balance communities. Thus, in the park at the intersection of Mametova and Auezov Streets there is an impoverished species composition, a high level of monodominance, the indicators of vital state are characterised by a relatively high proportion of moderately and severely damaged plantings. In the remaining two parks (Park at the intersection of Mametova and Stroiteley Streets and Park at the intersection of K. Marx and Astana Streets) negative dynamics is observed for all assessed indicators: impoverished species composition, uneven distribution of species in the community, monodominance, with predominance of one or two species, low proportion of young stands, high percentage of severely damaged trees. In addition, the structure of tree and shrub communities is different in each park, with different dominant species. The conducted inventory and assessment of the condition of tree and shrub community give an opportunity to identify problem areas of landscaping in order to develop further effective environmental protection measures of landscaping programmes and reconstruction of plantings of public areas of the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curbside parking in a residential area may be induced by the presence of a public transport stop. Travelers may park their car near the stop and continue their trip to the city center by other means. This is called informal park-and-ride. The magnitude of the phenomenon is estimated by simulation. Parking demand is derived from the history of parking time (tickets) sold at vending machines. For each ticket, an activity location is determined by stochastic sampling from a buildings (facilities) database based on the position of the vending machine. The activity timing is derived from the parking duration specified by the ticket. Suitable parking spots for an activity are determined for the cases (i) drive-park-walk and (ii) drive-park-publicTransport-walk respectively. The generalized cost (based on money and travel duration) is determined for both options. The decision is sampled by means of a behavioural model. Several scenarios are considered and the results allow to evaluate the complaints issued by residents of a study area because microsimulation enables the generation of probability densities for parking occupation in such area in each scenario. This paper reports how the method is applied to a study area in Amsterdam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Near Architecture is the property of Journal of Near East Architecture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the areas of urban public space planning and community engagement, the accessibility of public spaces is an important and relevant topic. These spaces serve as community facilities where people from various walks of life gather for leisure activities (Zhang, & He, 2020). But ensuring that the space is fully accessible to everyone, regardless of their age, ability or education, is a multifaceted challenge. Scholars Leclercq and Pojani (2023) argue that one of the most significant concepts of public spaces is their ability to promote social cohesion and community building for everyone. According to Leclercq and Pojani, (2023), the purpose of these spaces is to become a servant and help all local people to gather, communicate and engage in various activities. And here, according to Zhang and He (2020), the concept of public space means that everyone should have a common space where they can choose and connect, and it helps to create a wider community. At its core, the concept of public space is about the creation and maintenance of space that is open and accessible to all members of the community (Charmaz, 2020). Deepening how people communicate and what they expect from the construction of a public place, where they visit and what activities they would like to be carried out, this is precisely what affects its physical design, the devices that appear (Habermas, 2022; Thomas, et al., 2022). Looking at the importance of public spaces for the individual and their possibilities for leisure time, today's society is a relevant and important question. It is the case of Santakas Park, which is located in the heart of the Kaunas city center, that is relevant from this point of view and allows us to better understand how urban leisure spaces accessible to all can change and satisfy the needs of residents and quality of life indicators. It is also very important that the quality indicators of public spaces directly affect people's psychological and physical state (Azhar, Hardilla, & Kurniawan, 2021). This research will also shed light on the issues surrounding the ever-emerging lack of knowledge and provide insights and understanding of the current concept of public spaces. The aim of the article is to analyze public space as a place for free time accessible to everyone in the case of Santaka Park. To achieve the goal, the following problematic questions are raised: how are the public spaces of Santaka Park, as places of free time accessible to all, evaluated and experienced? How can we ensure that public spaces are adapted to people of different ages, abilities and needs? How can different cultural and social groups be taken into account to create public spaces that are welcoming and inviting to diverse communities? Research methods. In order to understand the dynamics, ways of use, social interaction and overall impact on communities, the theoretical analysis method examines public space, scientific literature, conditions of importance of dialogue, methods and other multidisciplinary approaches needed for the analysis of public spaces, including various research methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Architectus is the property of Oficyna Wydawnicza Politechniki Wroclawskiej and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Rendeu (Staurogyne elongata (Neese) Kuntze) is a native Indonesian plant used as food and traditional medicine in the daily life of the people residing around Gunung Halimun-Salak National Park. Due to the potential source of herbalbased medicines and traditional food in the long-run purposes, the proper method of its propagation is required so that Rendeu can be conserved and utilised sustainably. This study employed two research designs. First, a completely randomized design with pruning and IAA (indole-3 acetic acid) treatment was used for seedling growth. Second, plant propagation applied a factorial randomized block design: planting media types and plant growth regulator (PGR) (rootone F) treatment. Observation included the number of buds, number of leaves, number of flowers, plant biomass, root length, and relative chlorophyll content using the SPAD tool. The data were analysed using ANOVA (SPSS ver. 17.0), followed by Pearson correlation analysis. The results showed that applying IAA and leaf pruning could increase the number of buds, the number of leaves and the fresh weight of S. elongata plants compared to the control plant. The addition of rootone increased the growth of Rendeu shoot cuttings, shown in all growth parameters and chlorophyll content. Humus was the best media for Rendeu's growth among all planting medium. Planting media affected the increase in the number of leaves and the number of buds of S. elongata significantly. The interaction of planting media and PGR somewhat influenced root length and total leaf chlorophyll. The growth and production of S. elongata increased with the time of planting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disruptive change in urban landscapes, such as large-scale tree planting, is complicated by the different priorities of the wide range of urban stakeholders. Here, we demonstrate an approach to the planning of urban green spaces using virtual reality simulations. We evaluate the health benefits (restorative benefits) and safety concerns of participants using virtual reconstructions of 10 urban parks in Bradford, UK, to simulate changes in woodland cover. Participants experienced each of the 10 parks as immersive environments with each of three scenarios: (i) no trees, (ii) real tree distribution, and (iii) doubling of tree numbers. Participants answered a short questionnaire while in each virtual park to quantify their feelings of safety and the restorative benefit that they thought they would experience. The results show that our VR approach produces reported restorative benefits that are not significantly different from those reported in the physical parks during visits by participants. We then demonstrate that increased tree cover is associated with significant increases in perceived restorative benefit, with some evidence of saturation at higher tree densities. Reductions in tree cover lead to a reduction in reported restorative benefit. We suggest that immersive technologies present a useful tool for the consultation and co-design of urban landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Toxocariasis is one of the most common diseases among humans and animals. According to the various studies, the rate of soil contamination with the worm's eggs in the world has been reported on average at 13.2% and in Iran at between 3.5 and 63.5%. Due to a lack of information about the status of infection with this worm in animals and humans in Yasuj city and also the importance of toxocariasis, this study was conducted to investigate the soil contamination of the Yasuj public parks with the eggs of Toxocara spp. Methods: This descriptive study was performed on 150 soil samples from 6 parks in Yasuj in 2021. Samples were collected from five points based on geographical directions at a distance of 2–5 cm above the soil surface and transferred to the parasitology laboratory. To see the eggs of Toxocara species, a flotation method with saturated sugar water, and a light microscope with a 40X were used. Results: Out of 150 soil samples from six parks, 11 samples (7.33%) were found to be infected with Toxocara species eggs and 139 samples (92.67%) were not contaminated. In total, out of the six investigated parks, pollution was not observed in two parks (33.33%), but pollution was observed in four parks with a contamination rate of 8% in three parks and 16% in one park. Conclusion: According to the results of similar studies in Iran, it is concluded that Toxocara infections in the soil of Yasuj parks are similar to the national average and require more care, in terms of fencing the parks and preventing the free entry of dogs and cats.

In this study, optimization of the microgreen space distribution through multistage regulation is investigated, with the goal of alleviating the imbalance between the supply and demand of green resources in the central urban area of Shenyang. An optimized evaluation model of green space supply and demand is employed to calculate the green space accessibility index at a 100-m grid scale and identify different levels of green space resource supply and demand. Priority is given to supplementing resources for the elderly population by balancing the green space supply in vulnerable areas. Particle swarm—ant colony optimization (PS-ACO) is used to select microgreen space sites within each priority level. On the basis of the “important-urgent” quadrant analysis, S1-priority residential areas account for 8.12% of the grid, S2-priority areas account for 67.01%, and S3-priority areas account for 24.87%. The PS-ACO algorithm outputs potential microgreen space sites within each priority level to accurately regulate the green space distribution in residential areas with different supply pressures and limited land availability. A spatial correlation analysis of the new sites reveals good spatial dispersion within service units, effectively alleviating demand pressures, and good aggregation at a regional scale to address imbalances in the supply of green space in a targeted manner. Thus, the optimized results of the PS-ACO algorithm are effective, providing reliable site-selection references for subsequent urban microgreen space distributions.

Context and background: Urban green areas are critical in generating community social, economic, environmental, and health advantages. However, clear and reliable data on the spatial extent, distribution, accessibility, and attractiveness of green spaces and parks in the three African cities (Addis Ababa, Kumasi, and Musanze) are severely lacking. As a result, the study sought to map and appraise the distribution of existing green spaces and parks, as well as investigate their attractiveness and physical and economical accessibility to various communities. Goal and objectives: The study aimed to know the distribution and status of existing green spaces, investigate the physical and financial accessibility of recreational parks to different communities in Ad-dis Ababa (Ethiopia), Kumasi (Ghana) and Musanze (Rwanda) cities. Methodology: Green spaces were mapped using satellite imagers (Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8). A structural plan and Google Earth Pro were used to digitize parks. A questionnaire, focus group discussions, Key Informant Interviews (KII), an in-depth desk study, and field observations were used to collect aspatial data. ArcGIS 10.8.2 and SPSS 26 software were used to analyze the data. Results: The findings demonstrate that existing green spaces and parks are unevenly dispersed across cities, making it difficult for some visitors and communities to use them physically. Some of the parks were difficult to enter due to high entrance prices. Green area per capita in Addis Ababa, Kumasi, and Musanze is 9.7 m², 13.6 m², and 7.5 m², respectively. This suggests that Musanze city does not meet the World Health Organization's required green space per capita (9 m²/person). Poor collaboration, a deficient land management system, encroachment, a lack of community participation, and the conversion of green spaces to commercial and residential uses all impede the management and extension of green spaces and parks. Even while some parks were accessible to vulnerable populations, no explicit effort was made to promote inclusivity in the design or provision of auxiliary services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Graduate School of Natural & Applied Sciences of Mehmet Akif Ersoy University / Mehmet Akif Ersoy Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi is the property of Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The dendroflora of the Pryrichkovyi Park in Poltava and the correspondence of woody plant species composition to environmental conditions were studied by analyzing the amplitude of the leading environmental factors. Twelve species of deciduous trees have been identified, the representatives of seven genera of six families of the order Angiospermae, or Magnoliophyta. The highest Margalef index was calculated in zone 1, and the highest dominance index in zone 3. In all three park zones, 6 species of trees are represented – 2 Acer sp., 2 Populus sp., Salix alba, and Tilia cordata. The Sørensen-Czekanovsky index indicates the greatest similarity in the species composition of trees between zones 1–2 and 2–3 and the least similarity between zones 1 and 3. The lowest light index (Lc) was calculated for zone 2, where the tree density is the highest. The high-light-tolerant species – Robinia pseudoacacia and Betula pendula – grow in zone 1 (with a high recreational load). The soil moisture range (Hd) tolerance is the greatest for Populus tremulae, which is common in all three park zones. The lowest soil aeration index (Ae) in zone 1 is explained by its greatest compaction due to recreational load. The soil acidity index (Rc) increases in zone 3, where willows and poplars grow. Analysis of the ecological amplitudes of certain indicators confirms that environmental conditions in all park zones are favorable for the majority of presented tree species. Therefore, the analysis of the environmental amplitudes is recommended to use when assessing new species for planting. The data obtained make it possible to continue the study of the condition of the most common tree species and resistance to natural and anthropogenic factors of their damage and injury, in particular, recreation, vehicle emissions, phytophagous insects, and pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compliance with the requirements for landscape and recreational areas in urban planning and development is a prerequisite for ensuring the sanitary well-being and comfortable living of the population. Therefore, the purpose of the presented work was to assess the green and other public landscape and recreational areas within the Ivano-Frankivsk, as well as to provide recommendations for greening the city and its improvement. Theoretical research methods were applied, including the collection and systematisation of regulatory and reporting information on public landscape and recreational areas within the Ivano-Frankivsk; analysis of compliance with the requirements of Ukrainian legislation; and generalisation of problems to provide recommendations for improving the city's amenities. It has been established that as of the beginning of 2024, the total area of existing green spaces is about 126 ha and is represented by five city parks, one dendrological park, and 58 squares. There are 5.3 m² of green space per person, which is almost twice as low as the norm (10 m²/person). In 2021-2023, the city council has planned to build 41 new squares with a total area of 31.46 ha, which will increase the specific area of green spaces to 6.6 m²/person. It was found that the average level of greenery in squares is 72%. There are seven areas and objects of the Nature Reserve Fund of Ukraine in the city, and the coverage of protected areas is less than 1%. The territory of the Emerald Network "Bystrytsia Nadvirna Valley" within the city and adjacent villages has been significantly transformed and urbanised and is used as a recreation area, which may affect protected species. The city's water bodies are only partially equipped with recreation areas. Measures to green the city and improve its amenities are proposed, including the creation of green spaces in residential neighbourhoods and along roads, the use of green elements on the walls of buildings, and the organisation of meadow parks. The practical value of the results is to highlight the current and future state of the public landscape and recreational area network in Ivano-Frankivsk and to provide reasonable recommendations for its improvement [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Belle Park was established in 1973 in Kingston, Ontario, on a former landfill built on a wetland. Over the past three years, the SSHRC-funded Belle Park Project has been employing Research-Creation and community and interdisciplinary collaboration to engage with this small but highly complex space, whose most prominent feature is a totem pole carved by incarcerated Indigenous men in a local prison. The land is contaminated, but despite this the park is a rich natural habitat, and it is also the location of an encampment of unhoused people. Many existing models of harm and resistance do not capture the frictions and possibilities we experience in this site. "Belle Park Pluriverses" offers poetry and found poetry, along with photographs, to reveal and trouble binaries such as wild v. domestic, dry v. wet, beautiful v. ugly, care v. neglect, garbage v. means of life. Photos by Dorit Naaman and Laura J. Murray. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the demand for cultural and recreational services grows, the mismatch between the supply and demand of park services significantly affects residents' well-being. Optimizing the spatial layout of park services is a focal point of urban park and green space research. Taking Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, as a case study, this research analyzes the spatial patterns and balance of park service supply and demand. Utilizing the Grey Wolf Optimization Model optimized by the K-Nearest Neighbor Model (GWO-KNN), this study proposes construction objectives for optimizing park services. The results indicate the following: (1) significant differences exist in the park service demands of residents in different residential environments; (2) there is a noticeable spatial disparity in park service supply among various residential areas with an overall positive correlation between park service supply levels and resident demands, yet an imbalance exists; (3) this study categorizes spatial types into low-service coordination, high-service coordination, low-service imbalance, and high-service imbalance; (4) the GWO-KNN Model is applied with optimization objectives being the innovative aspect of this study. Strategies for each park category are proposed: emphasizing suburban park construction by utilizing surrounding green resources and adding diverse facilities; introducing facilities friendly to vulnerable groups to meet the needs of diverse populations; enhancing the complementary advantages between "new" and "old" cities by moderately increasing park sizes and improving cultural and facility development levels; optimizing spatial structure with limited land resources to construct an urban park network system. This study aims to provide theoretical and technical support for optimizing urban park and green space systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality of water in urban parks is closely related to people’s daily lives, but the pollution caused by microplastics in park water and sediments has not been comprehensively studied. Therefore, eight typical parks in the urban area of Changsha, China, were selected, and Raman spectroscopy was used to explore the spatial distributions and compositions of the microplastics in the water and sediments, analyze their influencing factors, and evaluate their environmental risks. The results showed that the abundances of surface water microplastics in all parks ranged from 150 to 525 n L−1, and the abundances of sediment microplastics ranged from 120 to 585 n kg−1. The microplastics in the surface water included polyethylene terephthalate (PET), chlorinated polyethylene (CPE), and fluororubber (FLU), while those in the sediments included polyvinyl chloride (PVC), wp-acrylate copolymer (ACR), and CPE. Regression analyses revealed significant positive correlations between human activities and the abundances of microplastics in the parks. Among them, the correlations of population, industrial discharge and domestic wastewater discharge with the abundance of microplastics in park water were the strongest. However, the correlations of car flow and tourists with the abundance of microplastics in park water were the weakest. Based on the potential ecological risk indices (PERI) classification assessment method, the levels of microplastics in the waters and sediments of the eight parks were all within the II-level risk zone (53–8,549), among which the risk indices for Meixi Lake and Yudai Lake were within the IV risk zone (1,365–8,549), which may have been caused by the high population density near the park. This study provides new insights into the characteristics of microplastics in urban park water and sediment.

Where and how much to expand or create new urban green spaces (UGSs) in a city, to fulfill the shortages of such spaces under population pressure, is a global problem that lacks research attention. This study creates new indices based on improved step floating catchment area methods that integrate factors related to transportation, residents, and green spaces in the real world. These are used to measure UGS provision by proximity and estimate UGS shortage under the city’s population pressure and UGS development standards. We make specific proposals, including the quantity, location, and priority of expanding and building new UGSs, to improve proximity at the metropolitan scale. We take the metropolitan area of Shanghai, China as the study site, demonstrate its very limited UGS provision in terms of proximity, and show that shortages at the neighborhood level mainly come from residents being located out of UGS service radii; shortages at the city level and community level mainly arise because the green space areas provided for the residents within the service areas do not meet relative standards. Building new green spaces provides a neighborhood-level service that is small in area but large in number, and locating suitable spaces according to priority proposal results is the most important and efficient path for Shanghai to achieve its goal of having only a 500 m distance to the nearest UGS for residents. The extensions needed for most green spaces under-meet area standards in Shanghai were not very large in area. But extensions with large areas and high priority are mainly distributed in the central city area, which is already quite strained in available land. It might be difficult to expand all these green spaces, and instead it might be easier to locate other available land and make new building decisions according to our priority proposal results. With these detailed and specific measures, effectively and efficiently improving the UGS service can be obtained according to the demands of the residents of Shanghai.

Kentsel açık yeşil alanlar özellikle Geç Osmanlı ve Erken Cumhuriyet yıllarından itibaren, kent planlamalarında medeniyetin ve çağdaşlaşmanın bir göstergesi olmuştur. Bu bağlamda kentlerde ilk yaygınlaşmaya başlayan en önemli açık yeşil alanlar olarak parklar göze çarpmaktadır. Erken Cumhuriyet dönemi sonrası; yanlış göç politikaları, hızlı kentleşme ve nüfus yoğunluğunun giderek artmasıyla bu politikaların git gide zayıfladığı görülmüştür. Son yıllarda insanların yaşadıkları kentlerden en büyük beklentisi bir planlama unsuru olarak, yoğun yapılaşmadan uzak, doğa ile iç içe olabilme imkanı sağlayan kentsel açık yeşil alanların varlığıdır. Cumhuriyet’in ilanı ile büyük kentlerde artmaya başlayan betonarme yapılar arasında modern çağın bir ihtiyacı olarak parklar, önce İstanbul ve Ankara gibi şehirlerde tesis edilmeye başlandı. Daha sonra Anadolu’nun diğer kentlerinde yaygınlaşmaya başladı. Bu kentler arasında bulunan Van kenti de Cumhuriyet’in ilanıyla açık yeşil alan olarak parkların kullanımı ve hizmeti konusunda ilerleme göstermiştir. Kent içinde halkın kullanım ihtiyacına ve kentteki planlama durumlarına göre Erken Cumhuriyet dönemi ile başlayan park yapımı günümüze kadar devam etmiştir. Bu doğrultuda geçmişten günümüze Van kentindeki açık yeşil alanlar ve parkların tarihi araştırılmış ve ilk kurulan parklar incelenerek günümüzdeki durumları hakkında çıkarımlar yapılmıştır. Çalışma sonucunda Erken Cumhuriyet döneminden başlayarak inşa edilen parkların dönemin mimari ve ideolojik ortamından etkilendiği kendine has özelliklerinin olduğu sonucuna varılmıştır.

While green spaces and parks, which are urban land use forms, meet the recreation needs of people, local political decisions affect the allocation of space, project design, areal size, and accessibility. The aim of the study is to examine the accessibility of active green areas in the city of Bursa in terms of political ecology. In order to examine the access levels of active green areas within walking distance (500 m), service networks were determined between the transportation networks and active green areas by using the Network Analyst tool in the ArcGIS 10.8 program. As a result of the analysis, it was found that there was access to active green areas in 29 neighborhoods (212.807 people), 89 quarters half neighborhoods (1.031.332 people), 83 partial neighborhoods (687.666 people), and 69 no-access neighborhoods (151.666 people). The information obtained showed that there are spatial differences in access to green areas in Bursa city.

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that prevent park and recreation area users in Düzce from engaging in physical activity and the factors that inhibit their choice of location. While the population of this study consisted of park and recreation area visitors over the age of 15 in Düzce, the sample group consisted of 290 individuals selected using the method of convenience sampling. To collect data "Physical activity space rating scale (FAMDO)" (Gümüş et al., 2015) was used. The scale has two subdimensions and thirty-three items. The first sub-dimension of the scale is comprised of factors that influence the selection of a physical activity venue, and the second sub-dimension is comprised of factors that inhibit the frequency of physical activity participation. The scale, which was preperad in a computer environment, was distributed online via Google forms to the participants. After determining that the data were reliable, a normality analysis was performed to determine which analyses would be applied to the data. On the basis of the results of analyses of reliability and normality, descriptive statistics were conducted first. Using the Independent Sample T test and ANOVA, the differences between the variables were examined. Consequently, when the participants' preferences for visiting these areas were examined, "spending time," "sitting / resting," and "psychological relaxation" ranked first, second, and third, respectively. Examining the results of the analysis reveals that there is a difference between high school, undergraduate, and graduate graduates and primary school graduates on both subdimensions. Furthermore, it has been determined that single people prefer these areas more than married people. According to the findings of the study, individuals with chronic diseases prefer these areas less than those without chronic diseases.

Among the main components of a smart city, the modern public space plays a vital and core role in the transition towards a friendly lifestyle. However, urban planning and design guidelines in many countries’ practices have radically transformed without cultural preservation purpose. Therefore, it is necessary to design public space with local cultural wisdom demonstrated as renewable criteria considered a sustainable public space solution for smart cities. This may improve places, increasing prosperity and extending expectations of modernization in many cities. This article contributes to cultural preservation dynamism in public spaces. It explores how modernist approaches to planning and design along with cultural features shaped the quality of urban space. This study uses the Banjar culture in Banjarbaru City, Indonesia as a replanned city in a rapidly developing economy, but one where largely unusable public spaces have failed to meet people’s everyday needs and aspirations. The study was performed based on extensive literature reviews, documentary analyses, morphological surveys, photographic and qualitative surveys. In general, the integration of Banjar culture into modern public space provides a better promotion understanding of identity and friendly environmental quality

Purpose. To assess the provision of green infrastructure in the city of Katowice (Poland) based on the analysis of the peculiarities of its formation and spatial distribution on the territory of urban landscapes. Methods: Historical (study of the historical path of the formation of Katowice as a modern green city), mathematical and statistical for calculating the green index of the provision of the population with green infrastructure and methods of systematization and generalization. Results. Katowice is a city in southern Poland, which was formed in the middle of the 19th century as a result of the development of the coal industry in the Silesian region. It now has an area of 164.73 km2 and a population of 290 thousand people. In order to level the negative consequences of the industrial depletion of urban landscapes in the city, the development of green infrastructure has been introduced, which currently makes up 42% of the city's area, which is not evenly distributed. It has been established that green infrastructure has a significant positive impact on the quality of life of residents of urbanized areas of the city of Katowice. Among the districts, Podlasie stands out - more than 300 m2/person. Murky and Paderevsky-Mukhovets - more than 250 m2/person. Shopenice-Burovets, and Brynow - Os. Zgrzebnska - more than 100 m2/person and Domb, Zarzeche and Dombruvka Mala - from 50 to 100 m2/person. These areas have a sufficient level of provision of green infrastructure for the population according to WHO norms (50 m2). But Zavodze, Zelenska and Os districts. Tysenklech (ZI less than 10 m2/person) need to take measures to increase the provision of green infrastructure to the population. Conclusions. On the basis of the calculation of the Green Index, areas that meet greening standards and areas that require the use of the latest green infrastructure development technologies (installation of vertical gardens and greening of roofs, etc.) are determined.

The study of the small mammal communities state in the city’s forest parks and park and in the forest, depending on changes in phytocenoses under the influence of recreation, was carried out. These studies have shown that the lower layers of phytocenoses of the forest communities belonging to pine stand characteristic of the South taiga district of the Trans-Urals foothill forest province (Kolesnikov et al., 1973) have been noticeably changed of the urban area. First of all, we observed a low renewable capacity of the main forest-forming species of the sites and the appearance of new species in the undergrowth, which are not important for forest-forming processes, but are signs of transformation of the lower layers of phytocenosis. The degree of regression digression in all urban sites was medium or weak. In the control it was very weak or absent. In forest parks and park both the extension of the shrub species composition due to synanthropic species and the increase in their number are of greater importance. The undergrowth in them is represented by raspberries (Rubus idaeus L.), tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica L.), three-lobed viburnum (Viburnum opulus L.), mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia L.), bird cherry (Prunus padus L.), goat willow (Salix caprea L.), elderberry (Sambucus racemosa L.), round-leaved irga (Amelanchier ovalis Medik.), dogwood (Cotoneaster Medik.), rosehip (Rosa acicularis Lindl.), hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha L.). The undergrowth species composition of the control is much poorer than in urban localities: it contains: bird cherry, goat willow, dog rose, green broom (Chamaecytisus ruthenicus (Fisch. ex Wol.) Klask.), mountain ash. The development of undergrowth is an influence on the growing conditions of grass-shrub species and the development of moss cover with the creation of a regime of favorability for some vegetation groups and suppression of others. Although there is a high similarity in the floral composition of the lower tiers between the forest parks, they differ in the composition of the dominant species. Changes in the lower levels of phytocenoses naturally had an impact on other components of the ecosystem, in particular, on communities of small mammals. In the urban sites appreciable share in the communities is made up of species absent from the forest: Ural field mouse (Apodemus uralensis Pallas, 1811) and striped field mouse (A. agrarius Pallas, 1771), which (during the years of depression in the surrounding forests) make up 60 % to 98 % of the community in the forest parks and parks. Comparison of the degree of similarity of the characteristics of the lower layers of phytocenoses and the characteristics of micromammal communities showed their high correspondence.

Context and background: Urban green areas are critical in generating community social, economic, environmental, and health advantages. However, clear and reliable data on the spatial extent, distribution, accessibility, and attractiveness of green spaces and parks in the three African cities (Addis Ababa, Kumasi, and Musanze) are severely lacking. As a result, the study sought to map and appraise the distribution of existing green spaces and parks, as well as investigate their attractiveness and physical and economical accessibility to various communities. Goal and objectives: The study aimed to know the distribution and status of existing green spaces, investigate the physical and financial accessibility of recreational parks to different communities in Ad-dis Ababa (Ethiopia), Kumasi (Ghana) and Musanze (Rwanda) cities. Methodology: Green spaces were mapped using satellite imagers (Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8). A structural plan and Google Earth Pro were used to digitize parks. A questionnaire, focus group discussions, Key Informant Interviews (KII), an in-depth desk study, and field observations were used to collect aspatial data. ArcGIS 10.8.2 and SPSS 26 software were used to analyze the data. Results: The findings demonstrate that existing green spaces and parks are unevenly dispersed across cities, making it difficult for some visitors and communities to use them physically. Some of the parks were difficult to enter due to high entrance prices. Green area per capita in Addis Ababa, Kumasi, and Musanze is 9.7 m2, 13.6 m2, and 7.5 m2, respectively. This suggests that Musanze city does not meet the World Health Organization's required green space per capita (9 m2/person). Poor collaboration, a deficient land management system, encroachment, a lack of community participation, and the conversion of green spaces to commercial and residential uses all impede the management and extension of green spaces and parks. Even while some parks were accessible to vulnerable populations, no explicit effort was made to promote inclusivity in the design or provision of auxiliary services.

This article explores the level of community involvement, benefits, and threats to ecotourism in The Gambia, specifically focusing on the Pirang Forest Park. The study finds that the community actively participates in the planning and management of the park, with birdwatching being a major attraction. Ecotourism has contributed to community development by creating livelihood opportunities and employment. However, the park faces challenges such as illegal activities, tree felling, and coastal erosion. Recommendations for effective management and promotion of the park include introducing flagship animals, providing basic amenities, and seeking financial aid for conservation efforts. The article also provides information on the development of ecotourism in The Gambia and includes tables listing community involvement, reasons for ecotourism visits, benefits of ecotourism, threats to the park, and lists of flora and fauna found in the park. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Geographical Sciences / Coğrafi Bilimler Dergisi is the property of Cografi Bilimler Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the city of Erzurum, located in a cold climate region, it is important for pedestrian walkways and parks to be usable all year round. Haydar Aliyev Street, located on the city's new development axis, serves as both a pedestrian route and a park. Meteorological data was collected hourly throughout 2021 using a Vantage Pro 2 Plus device installed at a height of 1.5 m in the study area. The scenarios were analyzed using the ENVI-met BIO+ Science Software, with August (summer) and January (winter) identified as the hottest and coldest months, respectively. Sky View Factor (SVF) analysis was conducted using fisheye lens photos taken from different points in the area. Four different landscape design scenarios were created for the study area, consisting of plants, water surfaces, soil, and grass. It was found that the temperature decreased by an average of 0.2°C in the summer scenario when the number of plants was increased by 20%. Furthermore, it was determined that the deciduous tree scenario provided better thermal comfort compared to the treeless soil scenario for a pedestrianfriendly park during the winter months. The inactive water scenario for summer and winter was found to increase wind speed by a maximum of 1.3 m s-1 . The study concluded that different landscape design scenarios had an impact on outdoor thermal comfort and that further research was needed in this area. Such studies highlight the need for multidisciplinary teamwork to create healthy, sustainable, and livable urban environments in designing thermal-comfortable spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rationality of the spatial distribution of parks plays an important role in measuring cities' livability levels, promoting residents' physical and mental health, and promoting social interaction. However, with the continuous progress of urbanization and the rapid growth of the population, the contradiction between the supply of parks and the demand of people has become increasingly prominent. Moreover, the balance of the park layout did not receive enough attention when the urban population and residential spaces underwent dynamic transformations. This study analyzed the spatial and temporal evolution pattern of park accessibility in downtown Guangzhou in 2010 and 2020 using the Gaussian-based two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) and hot-spot analysis methods. The results show that:1) From 2010 to 2020, the average accessibility of parks in downtown Guangzhou increased. The communities with reduced park accessibility are areas with significant population increases, such as central Tianhe, eastern Haizhu, parts of Baiyun, and southern Liwan. The communities with improved park accessibility are mainly key urban development areas, such as Huangpu and Baiyun. Park accessibility has also improved in the depopulated old town within the Ring Highway. With the expansion of the travel range, the blind area of park supply is significantly reduced, and "seeing the park in 15 minutes" is realized under the bus travel mode. 2) Between 2010 and 2020, there was a spatial clustering phenomenon in the accessibility of parks under three travel modes. The impact of travel modes on the spatial clustering degree of park accessibility is obvious, and the change of spatial autocorrelation caused by time evolution is weak. With the improvement of travel range, the hot-spot and the cold-spot areas gradually expand, and the spatial agglomeration characteristics become more obvious. The hot-spot areas are mainly located in the old urban areas along the Pearl River and the Ring Highway, while the cold-spot areas are mainly located in Liwan and the outer urban areas outside the Ring Highway. 3) Under the guidance of the urban planning policy and the government, the orderly construction of parks and population flow comprehensively form the fair and unfair areas of the park's spatial distribution. The park's spatial distribution unfair area is the key area of the park's future planning, construction, and quality optimization. From the spatial and temporal dimensions, the research results complement the impact of the travel mode and urbanization process on the accessibility of parks. It makes up for the deficiency of the previous studies, which are mostly horizontal to some extent. It also helps to provide guidance and suggestions for the planning and layout of parks and policymaking in cities with the same type of high-density population.