Assessment of Recreational Activities and Greening of Urban-Parks in Kharkiv

Abstract

Urban-parks, as sports and gaming locations, are a new type of landscape facilities in Ukraine, the first of which were created in Kharkiv. The three urban-parks in Kharkiv have been studied: Molodizhnyi, Saltivskyi and urban-park on Yuriyeva Bulevard. Recreational studies and plant inventories have been conducted to determine the popularity of the parks in 2021. The recreation surveys considered two indicators: the degree of recreation and the length of time visitors spent in the park. Field surveys were conducted in August and October. Saltivskyi urban-park was the most visited, and Molodizhnyi park was the least visited. The presence of playgrounds for pre-school children and children with disabilities makes Saltivskyy more attractive. The calculation of the average length of stay of the visitors on the territory showed that the visitors spend from 1,3 h/day to 1,77 h/day in the urban-parks. It is possible to identify shortcomings in the design of urban parks and make suggestions for their improvement based on the results of recreational load and greenery inventory assessment in urban-parks. The inventory showed that the area of green spaces in the urban-parks has decreased as a result of reconstruction. The level of greenery in Saltivskyi and Molodizhnyi urban parks is rather low and does not meet national regulatory requirements. There are 28 plant taxa of 11 families used in landscaping of the urban-parks, the greatest diversity in Molodizhnyi has been observed. It is necessary to optimize the existing assortment of plants. Some of them are not in a good sanitary condition, which has a negative impact on the overall decorative appearance of the plants and the parks in general.