Going green: City parks and playgrounds popular with urban dwellers

Almost three-quarters of urban households visited green spaces in their areas most weeks for recreational purposes between June and September, according to a report from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The Household Environmental Behaviours - Visits to Nature Areas study shows people spent €46 million on their visits to nature spots during the thrid quarter of the year.

Some 60 per cent of people who visited a nature site travelled using private transport such as cars.

Walking was the most popular activity when they arrived, with 78 per cent of households taking a stroll during a recent visit.

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The CSO survey covered four main topics – environmental concerns; visits to nature areas; waste and recycling; and energy use – with the findings published to coincide with the Cop26 climate change summit taking place in Glasgow.

Urban green spaces were the most visited green/natural spaces during the period, with 32 per cent of households visiting most days and a further 34 per cent visiting most weeks.

The figure was highest for urban households with 74 per cent visiting most weeks. Fields, farms and countryside, and woodland or forest areas were each visited by 31 per cent of households most weeks.

Urban green spaces such as parks and playgrounds were most likely to have been visited most recently by households (31 per cent), followed by the beach, other coastline areas or the sea (26 per cent).

Up to 40 per cent of urban households,compared with 10 per cent of rural households, said their most recent visit was to an urban green space. Meanwhile, 29 per cent of rural households made their most recent visit to fields, farms or countryside, compared with 6 per cent of urban households.

Sixty per cent of households travelled by private transport on their most recent visit, with 35 per cent doing so on foot, bicycle or in a wheelchair.

Twenty-five per cent of rural households and 22 per cent of urban households travelled one kilometre or less, with 10 per cent of rural households and 13 per cent of urban households travelling over 50 kilometres.

Walking was the most popular activity, with 78 per cent reporting that this is what the did on their most recent trip. Second in popularity was appreciating scenery, according to 43 per cent, with picnicking/ eating/ drinking outside the third most popular activity as undertaken by 28 per cent, while 23 per cent reported playing with children as the activity.

Total expenditure by all households was €45.9 million, of which €22.3 million was spent on food and drink, and €12.3 million on motor fuel.