What is the Perception of Brazilians Regarding Green Urban Spaces?

Abstract

Urban green spaces are essential for the quality of life of people living in cities. These areas provide ecosystem services such as temperature reduction, improved air quality, and rainwater absorption, among others. The objective of this study is to identify Brazilians’ perceptions of green spaces and the provision of ecosystem services. To that end, the literature was used to create an online questionnaire that was distributed to 511 people in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The snowball structure was used to collect data. A factorial analysis was performed on the collected data, in addition to the use of descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests for the treatment of the collected information. The findings revealed three factors in relation to green areas: i-The benefits of having parks in the urban area; ii- The impact of green spaces on human health; and iii- The problems caused by urban green spaces. The respondents’ perception of the first factor is neutral; however, when it comes to the second factor, the participants agree on the importance of urban green spaces and the benefits they provide to human health. Furthermore, it was found that women's perception differs from men's; the literature believes that this difference can be explained by women having greater sensitivity to environmental issues than men.