The use flexibility of pocket parks is one of the essential factors that determine their service compatibility, efficiency, and attraction for park users in densely populated cities. To examine the factors that affect the use flexibility of pocket parks, we collected data on the periodic use of 74 pocket parks through a field survey in Nanjing and adopted the Shannon Wiener diversity index to quantitatively measure this variable. After using a multiple regression model series, we examined the internal and surrounding factors that affect the use flexibility of pocket parks on weekdays and weekends, respectively, and compared them with those that affect the use intensity of pocket parks. The results showed that paved ground and the mixed use of surrounding land promoted both use flexibility and intensity of pocket parks. Boundary buildings and surrounding residents only promoted their use flexibility, while tree canopies and exercising facilities only promoted the use intensity of pocket parks. A significant correlation (p < 0.05) was also found between the use flexibility and intensity on weekdays. These findings can contribute to future decisions regarding pocket park planning and design in Nanjing and similar cities.

Urban blue infrastructure (UBI) and urban green infrastructure (UGI) can be seen as an integrated system in which services and spatial layouts complement each other. However, given its complexity, it is difficult to integrate and optimize the layout of urban blue and green infrastructure (UBGI) in the built environment. This study develops a planning support tool for the layout integral optimization (PSTLIO) of UBGI. Using Hekou City in China as a case study, service demands and the supply of suitable land for UBGI development are assessed and mapped on geographic information system (GIS). The potential areas for UBGI development are delineated after mapping assessments of service demand and land supply and suitability. Following discussions on the exact means for PSTLIO to support the layout optimization of UBGI, a PSTLIO-based solution is developed to structure the UBGI link network and hub system, define the functions and service patterns of single UBGI components, and provide guidance for determining the scale of UBGI components. The results show that PSTLIO is able to provide a quantifiable base for decision-making in UBGI layout optimization.

Mini-parks are becoming a popular form of outdoor recreational space in densely populated areas, largely because their small size makes site selection easier than for ordinary parks. However, existing studies on mini-parks are limited because most of them rely on data collected through traditional surveys, which are severely restricted by space and time. In this study, we utilised Tencent user density data – a type of space–time synchronous data with high spatial resolution – to trace mini-park visitation in the main city of Yancheng, China, and we integrated data about land use, points of interest, transportation, demographics and housing prices to measure the parks’ surrounding features. We investigated how factors relating to the parks’ spatial and internal attributes, surrounding physical features and surrounding socio-economic features affected the number of park visits during the week versus during the weekend by establishing a series of multiple linear regression models. The results showed that higher resident population, more surrounding public toilets and larger open site promoted mini-park visits while distance to the city centre, surrounding large parks and main roads discouraged mini-park visits. This study also found that the effects of weekend visitation factors were more complex than those of weekday visitation factors. These findings can help urban green space planners and decision makers to efficiently allocate mini-parks to areas where they will be most effective.