The use and appreciation of botanical gardens as urban green spaces in South Africa |
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| Authors: | Catherine D Ward Caitlin M Parker Charlie M Shackleton |
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| Institution: | 1. School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia;2. School of Geography, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom;3. Clean Air and Urban Landscapes Hub, National Environmental Science Programme, School of Earth Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia;4. School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia;1. Department of Environmental Science, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa;2. Department of Rural Development Sociology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands;3. University of Fort Hare, Alice, South Africa;1. University of Lodz, Faculty of Economics and Sociology, Rewolucji 1905r. no. 39, 90-214 Lodz, Poland;2. AGH University of Science and Technology, Department of Environmental Management and Protection, Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland;3. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Geography, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Germany;4. Technische Universität Braunschweig, Landscape Ecology and Environmental Systems Analysis, Institute of Geoecology, Langer Kamp 19c, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany |
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| Abstract: | There are few formal studies on the contribution of botanical gardens as urban green spaces, particularly within developing countries. Therefore, this paper reports on an assessment of the use and appreciation of botanical gardens as urban green spaces in South Africa. Users and staff were surveyed in six national botanical gardens. The gardens provided numerous benefits in terms of conservation, education and recreation. However, the people using the gardens were not demographically representative of the general population of the surrounding city or town. Generally, most of the visitors were middle- to old-aged, well-educated professionals with medium to high incomes. Most were white and English was their home language. There was an even gender representation. Most visited only a few times per year. The majority of users visited the gardens for recreation and psychological reasons rather than educational ones. However, the staff of each garden placed emphasis on education in the gardens and amongst surrounding schools. Most visitors appreciated the conservation dimensions of botanical gardens, and felt that there was insufficient public green space in their town or city. Understanding how people perceive and use the botanical gardens of South Africa is important to inform future research and strategies regarding the conservation of urban green space within a developing country. |
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