Open AccessUrban Park And Forest Participation And Landscape Preference: A Comparison Between Blacks And Whites In Philadelphia And Atlanta, U.S.
Author(s) -
William F. Elmendorf,
Fern K. Willits,
Vinod Sasidharan,
Geoffrey Godbey
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
arboriculture and urban forestry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.222
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 2155-0778
pISSN - 1935-5297
DOI - 10.48044/jauf.2005.041
Subject(s) - atlanta , metropolitan area , geography , preference , ethnic group , variance (accounting) , telephone survey , socioeconomics , demography , sociology , archaeology , anthropology , economics , microeconomics , business , accounting , marketing
Previous research has documented the existence of differences in the attitudes and behaviors of Blacks and Whites in American society toward urban parks and forest areas. However, many of these studies were carried out a decade or more ago and/or most focused on specific parks or localized areas. Data from a recent survey of residents in two metropolitan areas in the eastern United States allowed for updating of this research record. Using analysis of variance and covariance, consideration was given to racial differences between Blacks and Whites, regional differences between cities, and the effects of various socio-demographic characteristics on residents' park preferences and participation. Racial differences were similar to those reported by previous researchers, and these differences did not vary markedly between the two metropolitan study sites. These distinctions, combined with racial differences in subjects' expressed willingness to volunteer time to develop/maintain local park settings, suggest the importance of understanding the differing perspectives and actions of multi-ethnic user groups in urban park and forest management and maintenance.