GreenspacePerth

Thursday 8 September 2016

Spring is here!

It's a fantastic way to sample Western Australia's unique flora on a more manageable scale... Kings Park captures the brilliance of blooms drawn from all over the state within a walkable distance. Spring is an absolute riot of colour.

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I'm studying urban green space!

Hello! I'm a PhD student at the University of Western Australia and I'm researching how people use and experience urban green spaces (neighbourhood parks, reserves, sporting ovals, gardens etc.) in Perth.

Er, why?

Well, urban green space exists at the human/nature interface and contributes towards the sustainability and livability of cities. Many studies to date have shown that urban green space provides many health, wellbeing and environmental benefits. Less well understood are the nonmaterial benefits or ‘cultural ecosystem services’ provided by urban green space, including educational and recreational values, aesthetic experience and sense of place. My research explores cultural ecosystem services in the context of urban green space in Perth. Specifically, how important ‘small’ areas of urban green space are to the provision of cultural ecosystem services to urban dwellers; whether ‘natural’ areas of urban green space differ in the cultural ecosystem services they provide; whether participation in stewardship activities affects cultural ecosystem services, and how important cultural ecosystem services derived from urban green space are for motivating stewardship.

Why my research is important

My work will contribute to the growing body of urban ecological research.

Cultural ecosystem services remain relatively understudied owing to their ‘intangible’ nature and yet critically underpin how humans interact with nature. I hope to advance knowledge about cultural ecosystem services in general, and in the context of urban green space in particular. Given that urban green space is at the human/nature interface, and in the case of Perth, will increasingly be at a premium owing to the pressures of urbanisation, study findings may help to inform the management of existing urban green space and future planning.

Thursday 8 September 2016

Spring is here!

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