Towards a Liveable and Sustainable Urban Recreational Park: A Study of Users' Perception and Preferences

The provision of recreational parks is aimed at ensuring a liveable, sustainable and natural environment for the urban populace. But there is an important aspect of the users’ preference for, and perception of these public facilities. This study looked into the liveable and sustainable state of a recreational park in Akure, Nigeria, in relation to its use. The method of study was through the analysis of literature on urban recreational parks, a case study, and the use of structured questionnaires to generate responses from the stakeholders. The study discovered that the design, sustainability, liveability and patronage of an urban park are a function of several factors. The study observed these factors to be: activity provided in the park, the natural environment, maintenance, accessibility and sense of territoriality of the users. The paper recommended among others, an in-depth study of users’ needs, demands, satisfaction and preference for recreational spaces by the planners and designers, and a maintenance and management program incorporated into the proposal for the design, redevelopment or renovation of the parks. The paper concluded that although these factors vary from place to place, the more we understand why people prefer to go to certain places, the more effective we will be as designers, landscape architects, and managers of liveable and sustainable environments. Keywords: liveability, maintenance, sustainability, urban area, recreational parks