Impacts of COVID-19 Lockdown on Use and Perception of Urban Green Spaces and Demographic Group Differences

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered unprecedented travel restrictions around the world and significantly altered people's daily behaviors. Although previous works have explored the changes in usage and perceptions of urban green spaces (UGS) before and through the pandemic lockdown, there are certain differences in conclusions for various regions, and demographic group differences are not figured out. Our study aimed to evaluate the impacts of the COVID-19 lockdown on the use and perception of urban green spaces in Xuzhou, China and identify the differences across groups through an online survey of 376 respondents. The descriptive statistical results showed that approximately half reduced UGS visits, and one third reported increased importance of UGS's health benefits, especially in mentality. During the lockdown, the city park and community park were the most common destinations and the well-maintained lawn was regarded as the most valued characteristic, followed by sports facilities and seating facilities. Walking was the most frequent means of travel, while public transport was the least common choice. The regression analysis suggested that age, marriage, living pattern and income have significant influences on usage and perception of UGS. The young and the unmarried were more likely to perceive increased social benefits by visiting UGS compared to before the pandemic. People living alone visited the private garden more frequently, and people from three-generation-families preferred green life streets. Richer people unusually spend more time in UGS, benefited more and had more potential to renew green activities. In addition, more perceived risks related to COVID-19 resulted in higher self-reported health benefits. Finally, the suggestions for encouraging UGS visits during the pandemic lockdown are discussed.