Barriers to Accessibility to Urban Green Spaces in Bristol, UK

Urban green spaces represent the closest opportunity for urban residents to connect to the natural environment. They provide spaces for physical activities, relieve stress, and research has shown that being in nature is well connected to promoting well-being and mitigating many diseases. Therefore, it can be claimed that the greener spaces available to a community, the healthier that community is. But we must stop and consider a few questions. Are all green spaces created equal? And will one green space attract as many visitors as another? And do all people in the UK have the same accessibility to UGS? Research has shown many disparities in UGS accessibility regarding provision, size, and quality. Unfortunately, studies in the UK have shown that the lower the socioeconomic status of an area is, the less accessibility its residents have to UGS. Simultaneously, data from previous studies has shown that there are certain groups of people who access UGS as little as once a year. So, are the barriers to accessibility merely physical barriers? The reviewed research in this study shows otherwise, provision of UGS close to home does not guarantee the residents it serves to be frequent users. Previous research and statistics in the UK show that groups of ethnic minorities, do not engage with nature as much as other community groups, even when the green spaces are accessible. This paper is a part of a research that focuses on the accessibility of ethnic minorities communities to UGS in Bristol. A very diverse city with an abundance of green spaces to investigate the barriers that are prohibiting these community groups from using these green spaces. This paper will report the results of a public survey on park use in Bristol.