Almost half of NSW residents are using public spaces more than ever before, according to survey results from the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE).
Group Deputy Secretary of Place, Design and Public Space at the DPIE, Alex O’Mara said around 4,000 people were surveyed by the Department from May-August 2020 and November 2020-March 2021, with 45 per cent of respondents reporting that they had increased their use of parks and public spaces.
“The Survey results confirm public spaces are vital to the health and wellbeing of people, and to our post- COVID economic and wellbeing recovery,” Ms O’Mara said.
“As a community, we’re adapting to the new normal, using public spaces to walk and cycle more, connect with each other, and support ourselves and our loved ones as we navigate the impacts of the pandemic,” she said.
“Local parks, walking tracks, beaches and foreshores were the most popular locations for those surveyed.”
Ms O’Mara said more people were also discovering public spaces through the digital services provided by museums, libraries and galleries.
“More than two-thirds of those surveyed (69 per cent) said they’d found new online resources or services, such as a digital library or museum, or a public space they didn’t know about before the pandemic,” she said.
“The Survey also showed significantly more people are now walking and cycling, with almost half of respondents (49 per cent) reporting they are cycling more often than before the pandemic.”
The Group Deputy Secretary said that, even as restrictions eased, the Survey found people’s love for public spaces remained strong.
Ms O’Mara said other key findings of the Survey included that people wanted easy-to-access, high-quality public space; more people felt less safe in public spaces, especially because of crowding; people were socialising more in public spaces into the second year of the pandemic; and people’s use of local high streets had increased.
The DPIE’s 29-page Survey Report Public spaces during COVID-19: Adapting to the new normal can be accessed at this PS News link.
