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NEGATIVE PERCEPTIONS People's perceptions are the key to understanding how open spaces are regarded and used by neighborhoods. The actual quality of a park is not as important as the perceived quality, which is informed by a myriad of factors, including: * Design and location (Click to read about how design and location factors influence perceptions) * Physical conditions (Click to read about how physical conditions influence perceptions) * Programming (Click to read about how programming influences perceptions) * Perceptions can also be affected by the sociodemographic variables, and the experiences and social norms of potential park users. A study by Westover (1985) focused on these particular factors and what role they may play in different feelings about park safety. She hypothesized that fear of, and responses to, crime in parks may be related to individuals' gender, age, race, income, and education; their direct experiences with crime in parks; their familiarity with a park setting; their perceptions of other park visitors and their goodwill; and their beliefs about crime in parks relative to other public spaces. She found that of the sociodemographic variables, only gender showed a strong association with perceptions of risk and consequent behavior alteration - women were significantly more likely than men to feel unsafe in parks and therefore avoid them. Although perceptions undoubtedly stem from reality to a large extent, it is the perception of a park's condition that will actually alter behavior towards it. For example, people may stop using a decrepit, trash-strewn park not only because they feel that it is ugly and unpleasant, but also because they feel that the poor physical state signals the potential for criminal activities. It may not matter whether or not the park is actually dangerous - the perception that it might be is enough to inhibit people from using it. In this respect, perceptions can fuel a self-fulfilling prophecy - if people discontinue their visits to a park due to a negative opinion, this lack of use can exacerbate the neglect and abuse the park is experiencing. Resources/links: |
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