Abstract:
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic at the end of 2019 rapidly caused a global
public health crisis in just a few months, which severely influenced the functioning of
society and economy. While the public health crisis caused by the epidemic has farreaching
consequences for the lifestyles of residents all over the world, access to urban
public green space has attracted attention as a healthy lifestyle during the epidemic.
This study takes the Baiyun Mountain Scenic Area in Guangzhou, China as the study
site, aiming to explore the change of use and perception of residents on the study UGS
during the epidemic.
An online questionnaire survey was conducted in Guangzhou, and a total of 245
samples were collected. The EXCEL and SPSS software were used to analyze impacts
of the lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic on the use and perception of the UGS
in this study. Significant correlations between UGS users’ visitations, self-assessed
mental health conditions and the pandemic were found, suggesting the potential risks
of lockdown in the epidemic on physical and mental health. Compared to other
respondents, it is also found that young people who were more likely to get depressed
during lockdown had more positive perception towards UGS and more recognized to
the importance of UGS to their daily life after lockdown. However, the results of the
relationships between the elements of UGS and residents’ willingness to visit the UGS
indicated the need for UGS to improve the sense of security and accessibility in the
post-epidemic time. The findings of this study highlighted the significance of providing
safe and accessible UGS in terms of public health in the pandemic. Finally, this study
pointed out the lessons municipal government can learn from as well as those deserve
reflection, such as the direction and objectives of UGS construction in the postepidemic
era, and the implications for UGS management in the future return of the
epidemic.