The impact of familiarity, place attachment, distance and social capital on effective urban green space attendance

The numerous benefits linked to the presence of natural spaces in an urban environment are no longer to be demonstrated. However, in order to take advantage of all these benefits, these spaces must be used. This study focuses on the different variables that can influence the effective use of urban green space by citizens. The study was conducted as part of a pilot project to fight urban poverty in Seraing, Belgium. In this pilot area, three parks were studied. In order to understand what might influence area residents to attend these green spaces, a theoretical model was developed and tested. Based on the literature, we assume that the more familiar an individual is with the urban green space, the more attached he or she will be to it, which will result in an effective increase in space attendance. However, we assume that the link between familiarity and attachment is influenced by the individual's active involvement in neighborhood life (number of local groups individuals belong to, how many times/month they participate in each of these groups and how involve they are in the decision-making processes). We also assume that the link between attachment and actual use is influenced by the distance between the home and the space. Hypotheses were tested using linear mixed models, given that a single participant could evaluate more than one park. Our results show that, indeed, the more participants (N = 231) are familiar with the evaluated green space, the more they are attached to it, which leads to an increased attendance. Being involved in neighbourhood’s life by local groups memberships positively impacts the familiarity-attachment link.