Research on the impact of the urban park built environment on physical activity

Abstract Urban parks provide important places for the public to engage in physical activities. However, certain aspects of the built environment may affect residents’ physical activities in these parks, and these aspects may vary depending on the city context. Studies have not yet fully explored the...

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Main Authors: Zhixia Fan, Ying Lv, Li Guo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-08-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-13724-7
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author Zhixia Fan
Ying Lv
Li Guo
author_facet Zhixia Fan
Ying Lv
Li Guo
author_sort Zhixia Fan
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Urban parks provide important places for the public to engage in physical activities. However, certain aspects of the built environment may affect residents’ physical activities in these parks, and these aspects may vary depending on the city context. Studies have not yet fully explored the factors affecting physical activities in urban parks in Chengdu, China. Furthermore, an in-depth analysis and exploration of the causes behind how the park environment affects physical activity is lacking. This study focused on five urban parks in Chengdu City. Specifically, logistic regression was applied to questionnaire data to study how the built environment of the urban parks affects the duration and frequency of residents’ physical activities. The results indicated that the built environment of the five parks has a significant effect on both duration and frequency. Specifically, the primary factors affecting the duration of physical activities include sanitation maintenance, plant landscape, the presence of a playground, site facilities, lighting facilities, and public toilet facilities. The frequency of physical activities is significantly impacted by pathway maintenance, the playground, pathway width, pathway length, site facilities, and water quality management. The study also explored the causes of how the built environment affects physical activity, proposing several design strategies. These strategies include improving the quantity and quality of the park site and facilities, designing suitable roads, maintaining the environment, and providing an attractive landscape.
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spelling doaj-art-342ec30aa8f3489b98e54ebb8fa5193c2025-08-20T03:42:28ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-08-0115111110.1038/s41598-025-13724-7Research on the impact of the urban park built environment on physical activityZhixia Fan0Ying Lv1Li Guo2College of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural UniversityCollege of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural UniversityCollege of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural UniversityAbstract Urban parks provide important places for the public to engage in physical activities. However, certain aspects of the built environment may affect residents’ physical activities in these parks, and these aspects may vary depending on the city context. Studies have not yet fully explored the factors affecting physical activities in urban parks in Chengdu, China. Furthermore, an in-depth analysis and exploration of the causes behind how the park environment affects physical activity is lacking. This study focused on five urban parks in Chengdu City. Specifically, logistic regression was applied to questionnaire data to study how the built environment of the urban parks affects the duration and frequency of residents’ physical activities. The results indicated that the built environment of the five parks has a significant effect on both duration and frequency. Specifically, the primary factors affecting the duration of physical activities include sanitation maintenance, plant landscape, the presence of a playground, site facilities, lighting facilities, and public toilet facilities. The frequency of physical activities is significantly impacted by pathway maintenance, the playground, pathway width, pathway length, site facilities, and water quality management. The study also explored the causes of how the built environment affects physical activity, proposing several design strategies. These strategies include improving the quantity and quality of the park site and facilities, designing suitable roads, maintaining the environment, and providing an attractive landscape.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-13724-7Urban parkBuilt environmentPhysical activity
spellingShingle Zhixia Fan
Ying Lv
Li Guo
Research on the impact of the urban park built environment on physical activity
Scientific Reports
Urban park
Built environment
Physical activity
title Research on the impact of the urban park built environment on physical activity
title_full Research on the impact of the urban park built environment on physical activity
title_fullStr Research on the impact of the urban park built environment on physical activity
title_full_unstemmed Research on the impact of the urban park built environment on physical activity
title_short Research on the impact of the urban park built environment on physical activity
title_sort research on the impact of the urban park built environment on physical activity
topic Urban park
Built environment
Physical activity
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-13724-7
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