Title
Is self-reported park proximity associated with perceived social disorder? Findings from eleven cities in Latin America
Date Issued
01 March 2022
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
CRÓNICAS, Centro de Excelencia en Enfermedades Crónicas
Publisher(s)
Elsevier B.V.
Abstract
Parks and greenspaces can enhance personal health in various ways, including among others, through psychological restoration and improved well-being. However, under certain circumstances, parks may also have adverse effects by providing isolated and hidden spaces for non-normative and crime-related activities. This study uses a survey conducted by the Development Bank of Latin America in a cross-sectional representative sample of 7,110 respondents in eleven Latin-American cities. We examine associations between self-reported park proximity with perceived social disorder (drug use/sales, gangs, prostitution and assault and/or crime), and whether these associations are modified by neighborhood characteristics (informal neighborhoods, poor street-lighting, abandoned buildings, illegal dumping). High self-reported park proximity was associated with lower perceptions of social disorder, but these associations were no longer significant following adjustment for neighborhood characteristics. Significant interactions were observed between park proximity and neighborhood characteristics suggesting that the likelihood of perceiving social disorder increases with high park proximity in informal neighborhoods and in the presence of certain neighborhood characteristics, such as poor street-lighting, abandoned buildings, and illegal dumping in residential streets. The differential associations between reported park proximity and perceived social disorder in different living environments highlight the importance of supportive social and physical infrastructure to maximize the restorative benefits of parks in all urban areas.
Volume
219
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
PolÃticas de salud, Servicios de salud
GeografÃa social, GeografÃa económica
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85121209707
Source
Landscape and Urban Planning
ISSN of the container
01692046
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción CientÃfica
Scopus