Complement and Enhancement of Functions of Urban Parks by Opening Nurseries’ Facilities to Park Users in Urban Parks

Abstract

：In recent years, a few nurseries have been established in the urban parks under the National Strategic Special Zone System. It is necessary that such nurseries devise methods to avoid impairing the functions of urban parks. In this study, I assumed that opening nurseries' facilities to park users help to improve the public use of parks. I conducted questionnaire and interview surveys on 16 nurseries and a few related local governments involved in establishing the nurseries to ascertain the facilities offered to the public, issues or contrivances faced, and so on. The result showed that opening nurseries' facilities to park users included providing park users' resting space, space for physical exercise, space for social exchanges, and shelter. The nurseries' public service facilities such as "toilets" and "suckling rooms" are used by the public visiting the park. However, several nurseries face safety issues related to children who visit them and also related to their staff when nurseries are made open to the public.