Relationship between the Demographic Characteristics of Park Users and Park Based User Activities: The Case of Stanley Park and Queen Elizabeth Park

The changing roles of urban parks to cover a wider range of functions have made the study of the park use and user characteristics necessary for the advancement of knowledge and contribution to policy decisions. This research examines the relationship between the demographic characteristics of park users and park based user activities. A survey was conducted to collect the requisite data for this research. A total of 374 and 351 park users were interviewed in Stanley Park and Queen Elizabeth Park respectively. The study showed that active park activities such as jogging and biking is mostly influenced by age and gender with the younger age group category dominating in these activities. On the other hand passive park activity such as enjoying scenery is mostly dominated by the adult population. The study further showed that most park users use Stanley Park and Queen Elizabeth Park for their recreational activities because of ecological benefits such as connection to nature, access to fresh air and aesthetics from the natural environment.