TY - JOUR
T1 - "It gets you away from everyday life"
T2 - Local woodlands and community use - What makes a difference?
AU - Thompson, Catharine Ward
AU - Aspinall, Peter
AU - Bell, Simon
AU - Findlay, Catherine
PY - 2005/1
Y1 - 2005/1
N2 - This paper explores who uses woodlands near their homes, why they visit, what benefits they believe they obtain and what makes the difference between them choosing to visit or not. In the research, supported by the Forestry Commission, a multi-method, user-led approach was used, based on focus groups, questionnaire surveys and on-site observation in relation to five different communities in the central belt of Scotland. The conclusions demonstrate the overriding importance of childhood woodland visits as predictors of adult patterns of use. Proximity of woodlands is important for regular woodland users and freedom from rubbish is the physical quality people care most about. The physical qualities that make a difference as to whether people visit woodlands or not include directional signs, good information boards, variety of trees and tidiness of appearance. Perceptions of woodlands differ according to age and sex but are predominantly positive across all groups sampled: most people feel at peace in a woodland. © 2005 Landscape Research Group Ltd.
AB - This paper explores who uses woodlands near their homes, why they visit, what benefits they believe they obtain and what makes the difference between them choosing to visit or not. In the research, supported by the Forestry Commission, a multi-method, user-led approach was used, based on focus groups, questionnaire surveys and on-site observation in relation to five different communities in the central belt of Scotland. The conclusions demonstrate the overriding importance of childhood woodland visits as predictors of adult patterns of use. Proximity of woodlands is important for regular woodland users and freedom from rubbish is the physical quality people care most about. The physical qualities that make a difference as to whether people visit woodlands or not include directional signs, good information boards, variety of trees and tidiness of appearance. Perceptions of woodlands differ according to age and sex but are predominantly positive across all groups sampled: most people feel at peace in a woodland. © 2005 Landscape Research Group Ltd.
KW - Central Scotland
KW - Children
KW - Community woodlands
KW - Environmental perception
KW - Nature
KW - Open space
KW - Social forestry
KW - Urban woodlands
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=15044357935&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/0142639042000324794
DO - 10.1080/0142639042000324794
M3 - Article
SN - 1469-9710
VL - 30
SP - 109
EP - 146
JO - Landscape Research
JF - Landscape Research
IS - 1
ER -