Towards More Resilient City: Improving Public Health by Increasing the Usage of Urban Green Open Space - a Case Study of New Belgrade

Abstract

The modern lifestyle has generated major stress-related issues that are seriously affecting public health in cities. Alongside the current pandemia treats, public health became one of the crucial elements of city resilience. The usage of open green space in urban, residential areas can be beneficial for citizens' overall physical and psychological health and well-being. Although there is a trend of improving green infrastructure and usage in post-socialist housing districts, there are different types and patterns of open space usage. This paper aims to identify these differences in order to provide innovative suggestions for increasing the use of open green space in residential areas. The methodology was consisted out of theoretical and observational techniques, including a survey of 120 participants. New Belgarde was selected as a case study, with a comparation analysis done on two distinctive open green spaces in this area, combining expert observation and semi-structured interviews. Results provided essential insights into connections between spatial characteristics, user satisfaction, and usage regarding open green space in New Belgrade. Thus, this paper could present a knowledge base for developing guidelines on improving the urban design of different open public spaces that could empower their usage and, therefore, influence citizens' healthier lifestyles in residential neighborhoods.