Kentuckians\u27 Perception of the Environment and Use of Outdoor Public Spaces

Understanding how people perceive the environment and built public outdoor spaces is valuable in determining the direction of future development in the state. Further, understanding the emotions relating to the environment, both the natural and built public environments is instrumental in guiding future planning. This project aimed to understand Kentuckians’ perception of the environment and their use of public outdoor spaces such as parks, farmer markets, bike lanes, and walking paths through the use of a digital survey. Respondents to this survey are Kentuckians over the age of 18. The digital survey was split into four sections. The first section focused on ascertaining the basic demographics of respondents. The second section focused on respondents’ perceptions of the environment. The third section looked at respondents’ perception of public spaces, and the final section looked at respondents’ use of public spaces. These responses were analyzed to determine how Kentuckians perceive the environment around them, the public spaces built for them, and their access to and use of public spaces. This information can be used in future urban and rural planning across Kentucky