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There is growing interest in understanding the benefits of parks and green space in financial terms, particularly from policymakers and decision–makers. Applying a financial value is an increasingly popular practice designed to communicate urban green space benefits to budget holders. This is pertinent for local governments who routinely struggle to secure funding for parks, given their non-statutory status around the world. To address this, it is perhaps inevitable that the application of a wide range of funding models to parks is being explored. However, there is little empirical evidence that users and residents share this sentiment. This paper aims to address this gap in knowledge by exploring how feasible and acceptable such income generation practices are for stakeholders directly involved in using and managing parks. We asked local residents, parks managers, community groups and academics in one northern English city how feasible and acceptable they considered different income generation practices if applied to their local parks. The findings show that overall, income generated by cafés and organised events were considered acceptable by residents but to a lesser extent by community groups and professionals. Voluntary donations, car parking and increased taxation were considered unacceptable by all stakeholders, while using the planning system to secure funding was considered acceptable. The findings suggest a variety of acceptable, context-specific income-generating practices which may help stakeholders to address pragmatically the current challenges of managing urban parks.
Jinvo Nam; Nicola Dempsey. Acceptability of income generation practices in 21st century urban park management: The case of city district parks. Journal of Environmental Management 2020, 264, 109948 .
AMA StyleJinvo Nam, Nicola Dempsey. Acceptability of income generation practices in 21st century urban park management: The case of city district parks. Journal of Environmental Management. 2020; 264 ():109948.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJinvo Nam; Nicola Dempsey. 2020. "Acceptability of income generation practices in 21st century urban park management: The case of city district parks." Journal of Environmental Management 264, no. : 109948.
There is a growing body of evidence that demonstrates the health and well-being benefits of urban green spaces. There is less evidence on the effect of the management of such spaces on our health and well-being. This paper attempts to address this gap in knowledge by calling on empirical evidence collected in the United Kingdom (UK) city of Sheffield. Interviews conducted with professionals and community groups involved in the management of six district parks are analysed using the place-keeping analytical framework. The results highlight the overriding importance of local and national policy regarding how they inform the availability of funding, which is increasingly dependent on partnerships, and governance arrangements to contribute to a park’s maintenance, which is monitored through evaluation. The findings show how policies without funding can jeopardise the effective management of parks and how the concept of making park management a statutory service might have more traction if we consider its contribution to people’s health.
Jinvo Nam; Nicola Dempsey. Place-Keeping for Health? Charting the Challenges for Urban Park Management in Practice. Sustainability 2019, 11, 4383 .
AMA StyleJinvo Nam, Nicola Dempsey. Place-Keeping for Health? Charting the Challenges for Urban Park Management in Practice. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (16):4383.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJinvo Nam; Nicola Dempsey. 2019. "Place-Keeping for Health? Charting the Challenges for Urban Park Management in Practice." Sustainability 11, no. 16: 4383.
Parks are well-visited sites of an urban nature in our cities where users can gain positive social and ecological benefits from vegetation including trees, grass, flowering plants and shrubs. However, ongoing financial public sector budget pressure is adversely affecting the management and quality of parks in the UK, resulting in changing vegetation and planting practices. It is not clear how such changes might affect park users, indicating scope for better understanding of how planting in urban parks is perceived. This paper addresses this gap in knowledge by exploring perceptions held by users who experience vegetation in parks and those involved in the decision-making about planting therein. It examines the feasibility and acceptability of three different planting practices according to different stakeholders in Sheffield, UK. This paper calls on empirical data collected via questionnaire surveys with residents around six district parks, and interviews and focus groups with community groups and professionals to gain an understanding of stakeholders’ perceptions. The paper illustrates different attitudes towards formal and naturalistic (informal) planting, exploring a prevalent shift towards low-maintenance practices in green space management. The findings suggest a range of influences on feasibility and acceptability of planting practices, including the local park context and stakeholder perceptions of public opinion.
Jinvo Nam; Nicola Dempsey. Understanding Stakeholder Perceptions of Acceptability and Feasibility of Formal and Informal Planting in Sheffield’s District Parks. Sustainability 2019, 11, 360 .
AMA StyleJinvo Nam, Nicola Dempsey. Understanding Stakeholder Perceptions of Acceptability and Feasibility of Formal and Informal Planting in Sheffield’s District Parks. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (2):360.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJinvo Nam; Nicola Dempsey. 2019. "Understanding Stakeholder Perceptions of Acceptability and Feasibility of Formal and Informal Planting in Sheffield’s District Parks." Sustainability 11, no. 2: 360.
Urbanisation brings with it increased pressure on land and land uses, particularly green spaces. There has been considerable interest in community food growing in green spaces as part of a wide trend for gardening in the UK, which has been found to bring social, health, and well-being benefits. Such activity tends to take place in community-managed gardens and allotments. In light of the context of austerity within which local authority parks departments currently operate, this study tested the acceptability and feasibility of parks as a potential urban setting for Community Food Growing (CFG) in Sheffield, UK. Employing a combination of resident questionnaires and interviews with community groups and professionals, the study results showed localised differences in the acceptability and feasibility of CFG. Residents’ propensity to want to get involved in CFG differed by age and household composition, which, if acted on across the city, could significantly change the demographic make-up of parks-based community groups in the city. Barriers to CFG in parks were described by community groups and park managers as security and vandalism, need for resources, and undue pressure on the local authority as land-owner. We discuss the emergent questions around who is best placed to manage urban parks, particularly when the public sector is subject to stringent austerity budget measures. The paper concludes with commentary and recommendations about the importance of governance arrangements if CFG is to be included as part of the activities supported and managed in urban parks.
Jinvo Nam; Nicola Dempsey. Community Food Growing in Parks? Assessing the Acceptability and Feasibility in Sheffield, UK. Sustainability 2018, 10, 2887 .
AMA StyleJinvo Nam, Nicola Dempsey. Community Food Growing in Parks? Assessing the Acceptability and Feasibility in Sheffield, UK. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (8):2887.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJinvo Nam; Nicola Dempsey. 2018. "Community Food Growing in Parks? Assessing the Acceptability and Feasibility in Sheffield, UK." Sustainability 10, no. 8: 2887.