Urban Parks as Drivers of Tourism Under the Back-to-Local Scheme. A Safety Perspective

Abstract

Urban parks are an integral part of the set of public spaces for recreation and nature in cities. Recently, they have also become part of the tourist offer of a destination. An urban park is a representation, not only of urban identity, but also of society itself; thus, its adequate management should be structured to integrate into its design and conformation the perception of a safe place, free of accident risks for tourists and local visitors. The objective of this work was to study the patterns of use of the Parque Central Park in Juarez, México, in order to understand what is the conformation of the activities that prevail in the park, as well as their active or passive nature. A survey (n = 388) was conducted during the periods of summer and winter. The questionary included items referring to the perception of insecurity and risk of accidents. The results showed that users come to the park from different states of the republic, that its use is predominantly passive, although it varies according to the period, and that the feeling of safety is very high. A general discussion and the conclusions derived from the study are presented.