Research on the Mechanism of Public Participation in the Planning and Design of Urban Park Playground

Abstract

Over the recent years, citizens in Taiwan have proposed increasingly stringent demands and standards for urban park playgrounds. Thus, this study aimed to explore and discuss mechanisms for public participation in its planning and design procedures. Furthermore, this study proposed suggestions on mechanisms for public participation in the planning and design process by analyzing public recognition in each of the four phases of public participation. Moreover, questionnaires were distributed to experts and interviews were conducted among park users to gather the appropriate data. The research result showed that participatory design could effectively improve public recognition toward urban park playgrounds and earn confidence among citizens. However, it is noteworthy that the public favors social media communications over traditional forms. On the other hand, the public shows disapproval of a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Finally, the proposed suggestions and recommendations of this study are formulated based on the research findings.