Factors influencing urban greenspace use among a multi-ethnic community in the UK: The Chalkscapes Study.

Background: In the UK, there are disparities in the access and engagement of urban greenspaces, particularly among low-income, ethnically diverse communities. Determining how these communities interact with greenspaces and what factors influence their use will provide useful information for planners and local and national policy-makers to meet the needs of those in their local communities.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine how people who reside in an ethnically diverse community use and engage with urban greenspaces and aimed to assess the potential barriers and facilitators that influence use.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey conducted in an urban, deprived, ethnically diverse town in southeast England investigated greenspace usage, including frequency and types of activities, alongside the psycho-socio-ecological factors influencing use. The survey was shared online via Qualtrics and widely disseminated in the local community via bilingual fieldworkers and community networks. The sample comprised 906 participants (60.7% female; mean age 38 ±16.37 years).

Results: The findings revealed that older people, those with higher levels of deprivation and/or those from a minority ethnic background were all shown to be the lowest users of greenspaces. The types of activities and reasons for visiting greenspaces vary by socio-demographic characteristics, with physical capability, awareness, motivation, and perceived importance identified as the most significant predictors of greenspace use.

Conclusions: This study has, through this increased understanding, provided timely information to local and national governments across the UK on how the engagement of greenspaces may vary across ethnically diverse and socially deprived communities, which can be used to generate policy recommendations and tailor interventions to improve access.

Practical conclusions: This study has identified the most important predictors of greenspace use and potential targets for future intervention design. This will ensure that interventions are evidence-based and community-driven to ensure increased relevance and impact.

Funding: Chilterns Conservation Board (CCB)