Have Residents Changed Their Perceptions and Use of Community Park Green Space During the Covid-19 Pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the community and made it more difficult for residents to travel long distances. However, community parks’ green spaces can provide health benefits to city residents at a local level. This study used a face-to-face approach to distribute questionnaires in 15 community parks in downtown Hangzhou and determine how often residents visited community parks and what their perceptions and use of and need for the community parks were during the winter wave of the pandemic (December 2021). Additionally, we explored whether there was a correlation between residents’ perceptions of community parks during the pandemic and other external factors. This pandemic has further strengthened residents’ attachment to community parks and made them aware of their importance. Residents were more accepting of the existence of community parks than they were before the pandemic, saw them as helpful to their physical and mental health, and developed a stronger sense of dependence on them. To ensure that community parks provide residents with more comprehensive services during the pandemic period, government departments should strengthen the management of community parks, provide residents with a safe and clean activity environment, increase the amount of open activity space, and reduce the risk of infection.