Contribution of Public Parks to Physical Activity in Gated

Community in Medan, Indonesia

Ina Triesna Budiani

, Sirodjuzilam

, Sumono

, D. N. Aulia

Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan 20155, North Sumatra, Indonesia

Keywords: Public parks, physical activity, gated community

Abstract: Public Parks may have an important role to play in facilitating physical activity. They provide places for

individuals to walk or jog and many have specific facilities for sports, exercise, recreation, and other

vigorous activities. Parks provide places for people to experience nature, engage in physical activity,

interaction recreations and relax. The study indicates that the public parks in Gated Community in Medan.

Sample cases include public parks in the Cemara Asri of Medan, Indonesia. Methods are observation to

document the number, gender, ethnicity, age and activity level of parks users 3 times per day, 7 days per

week. We also interviewed 350 park users. The literature reviews on physical activity in public parks

deliberately excluded qualitative findings. These studies relied mainly on semi-structured interviews with

individuals or in focus groups.

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

Public park support physical activity through their

accessibility; their provisions to facilitate active

pursuits; their capacity to provide opportunities to a

wide range of users. Parks offer a unique setting

within the urban landscape, providing opportunities

for physical activity, enjoyment of nature, social

interactions and escape (Hayward and Weitzer,

1984). Public park improve our physical and

psychological health, strengthen our communities,

and make gated community in cities more attractive

places to live and work.

Public park also produce important social and

community development benefits, They make inner-

city neighbourhood more livable, they offer

recreational opportunities for at-risk youth, low-

income children and low-income families and they

provide places in low-income neighbourhood where

people can feel a sense of community. Access to

public parks and recreational facilities has been

strongly linked to reductions in crime and in

particular to reduced juvenile delinquency.

Participation in these opportunities is likely to

help explain how parks contribute to improving

health and wellbeing of users (Sugiyama et al.,

2008; Payne et al., 2005; McCormack et al., 2010).

Public park users are more likely to achieve

recommended levels of physical activity compared

with non-users (Giles-Corti et al., 2005; Deshpande

et al., 2005; McCormack et al., 2010). Fredric

Olmstead, the “father” or Urban Parks, thought

parks should be built as places where city resident or

gated community could experience the beauty of

nature, breathe fresh air and have a place for

receptive recreation as well as exertive activities.

Public park are also places where people can

socialize with friends and neighbourhood. Public

park can play a role in facilitating physical activity.

Information on who uses public park and what they

do there can eluciadate the current and potential

contribution of parks to physical activity.

In studies of Gated Community in Medan found that

walking was associated with access to attractive,

large, public open space and respondent uses

recreational facilities located near their homes more

than facilities located elsewhere.

1.2 The Objective

Many studies confirm all benefits of public parks in

gated community, such as physical activity, facilities

recreationality, health, social interaction, and

economic value. The objectives of the study is to

identity contribution public park to activity physical

206

Triesna Budiani, I., Sirodjuzilam, ., Sumono, . and Aulia, D.

Contribution of Public Parks to Physical Activity in Gated Community in Medan, Indonesia.

DOI: 10.5220/0009900300002480

In Proceedings of the International Conference on Natural Resources and Sustainable Development (ICNRSD 2018), pages 206-210

ISBN: 978-989-758-543-2

of the gated community in Medan as the indicator of

the successful of the place. The study aim is to get

explaination of how the public park in a gated

community gives a quality of life contribution to the

public life In Medan. Studies Objectively examined

what activity occurs in public park. To what extent

do public parks play a role in reducing sedentary

behavior and what characteristics of parks are most

important for physical activity?

1.3 Public Park in Gated Community

The gated community rises from a culture of fear of

the middle up income urban people to many criminal

threats. The condition then forces a segregated

community (Boyers and Manzy, 2006).Public Park

or public open space in a gated community is one of

the facilities for resident for their social interaction

needs (Aulia and Ismail, 2013). When the

community outside the gate can access the public

services, it becomes a privately-owned public space.

The privatized public park or public space can be a

mall, café, sports facility and theme park (Nasuiton

and Zahrah, 2011).

1.4 Benefits of Public Parks and Park

Use

Public park facilities and services offer various

opportunities to fulfill individual, social, economic,

and environmental benefits. Some of these

opportunities benefits an entire community, not just

public parks users. The focus of this study is on the

health benefits that are obtained via physical activity

in parks, others important benefits of park use (such

as physiological, social, economic and

environmental benefits) must also be acknowledged.

2 METHODS

The location of the study is public park in Medan;

namely: Cemara Asri. The parameter is determining

the life of public park needs both the physical data a

visual survey to record the element of the physical

activity and activities occur, access point, the

circulation path, outdoor setting, parking lot, street

furnitures, the street vendors and observes recorded

all activities in the setting and behavioural mapping

method. The perception data through an interview

that based on a questionnaires; consist of a question

about socio-economic background, frequency visits,

namely, access, comfort, uses and activity. The

respondent where people that were doing their

activities in public park and chosen randomly in the

access point of the public park. We also interviewed

350 park users. Observations were conducted in all

target areas during 1 hour time periods beginning at

8.00- 11.00 AM, 12.30-15.00 PM, and 15.30-

17.00PM. Surveys conducted face to face interviews

with park users and neighborhood community only

persons over 15-70 years of age were eligible.

Study selection to be considered for this review,

studies must have:

a. Reported using at least one qualitative research

method

b. Examined urban parks either exclusively or in

addition to other recreational settings

c. Examined public park use or park based physical

activity behavior in any form

(sports,walking,exercise and playground use).

3 RESULT AND DISCUSSION

3.1 Respondent Characteristic

3.2 Park Facilities and Activities

CemaraAsri, Medan

Sex Male (55%)

Female (45%)

Age 15-20 (18%)

21-35 (25%)

36-50 ( 34,5%)

51-70 (22,5%)

Vehicle ownership Walking (15%)

Car (22%)

Motorcycle (43%)

Public Trans

ort

(

30%

)

Montly Expenses < 5 juta IDR (65%)

uta IDR

(

35%

)

Distance from

home

<1 km (20%)

>1 km (80%)

Activity Sitting/Picnicking 50%

Playing/Playground 35%

Sport 15%

Public

park

Facilities Activities

Public Park

Planters

Seating

Vegetations

Vendors stand

Stable

Playgrounds

Jogging track

Landscaped

Picnic areas

Walking

Sitting

Recreation

Interaction

Sport

Playing

Talking

sport

Contribution of Public Parks to Physical Activity in Gated Community in Medan, Indonesia

207

Public park in Cemara Asri have recreation center

for 3 picnic areas, 2 park had running tracks. Public

parks provided programming, such as after-school

events for children and adolescents, daytime

children programs such as basketball or playing

ball/softball fields, 20-35 vendors stand and many

planters for landscape area.

3.3 Observed Public Park Use

We observed an average of 350 persons.More males

were seen in public park than females (55% vs 45%)

and they outnumbered females in all public park

areas except playgrounds and the track, where the

numbers were about equal. Fewer than 15-20 (18%)

were children; 21-35 (25%) teenagers and young

people; 36-50 ( 34,5%) adolescent and 51-70

(22,5%) were adults. The most common coded were

sitting or picnicking (50%), followed by sporting

(15%) and using the playground (35%). There were

many time periods during which park areas went

unused. Most facilities were less used in the

mornings, with the exception of the track.

Self-reported Park Use:

The Interviews, ublic park users and residents living

within a 1-5 mile radius of the public park.The

response rate was 55% among public park users and

45% among residents. More public park than

neighbourhood residents visiting the public park per

week (75% vs 25%), was sitting (60% vs 40%).

Walking (75% vs 25%),Playground (55% vs

45%),Sport (15% vs 75%).Provide more public park

events and fairs (45%),and improve landscaping

(50%.)

Perceptions of Safety and Park Staff

Performance:

Users of Public park said they felt safe in the public

park, but this varied considerably by public

park.Nearly user (80%) living near the public

park.When asked what public park features they

ICNRSD 2018 - International Conference on Natural Resources and Sustainable Development

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would like to see improved,20% identified concerns

about safety in their top 5 request.

3.4 Attributes Associated with Public

Park and Physical Activity

3.4.1 Features

Several features of public parks positively and

negatively influenced park use, although the

importance of these features differed according to

the characteristic of the study samples. Children and

adolescent indicated that access to a variety of

facilities in public park that supported active and

passive recreational activities including those for

structured and unstructured activities were

important. Facilities that supported children play

such as playground areas. Public park contain a wide

variety of features that lend themselves to different

types of usage. Future studies can then access

relationships between certain types of activity and

specific features. Some of the major park

characteristics that may influence park use are the

physical components, or on-site characteristic, of a

park. These park features include facilities,

programs and diversity. Facilities refer to the

physical facilities that are available to users, such as

vendors stand, planters, picnic chair and table or

security lighting, etc.

3.4.2 Conditions

Public Parks users are likely to visit where the

features are maintaind on a regular basis and shun

those places containing elements that are in

disrepair. Another important aspect of the condition

of parks is the safety of the equipment. Several

studies have highlighted the inadequacies of

playground equipment that have led to injury and

even death. The condition of play equipment is

likely to factor into parents decisions to let children

play in certain parks when properties are poorly

maintained. A message is sent that there is a

breakdown in accepted civil behavior. In particular,

characteristic of playing surfaces or cleanliness

within parks were regularly identified as important

among adults and children alike.

3.4.3 Accessibility

Access is defined as the ability of people to get to

and navigate within a public park. Four (4)

categories of access are considered here: availability,

equitable access, individual access and within public

park access. Good quality public park may not be

present in sufficient numbers in cities to be

accessible to all people. Access within a public park

refers to the ability of people to move around easily

inside the boundaries of public park. Perceived

access should also be considered given that

perceptions of inaccessibility may inhibit public

park activity behaviours. Generally, having more

public park within walking distance was positively

associated with park use, while the necessity of

driving to reach a public park often deterred use.

Access to public transportation was also identified as

an enabler of physical activity for some.

3.4.4 Aesthetics

Positive attributes of public parks also included the

presence of tree and bushes, gardens, grass, flowers,

natural settings and water features. Air quality and

the presence of distinctive smells in public park

contributed to public park aesthetics. Those spaces

are very important. It is good to spend time out in

fresh air when you are studying and have a break

from it. The category of aesthetics incorporates the

perceived attractiveness and appeal of the various

design elements of a park. Having something

beautiful or interesting to look at while exercising or

visiting a park can be a powerfull motivator of

physical activity. Aesthetics also considers how the

physical features of a public park are laid out. Some

design characteristics are amenable to change over

time, while others are fixed at the initial public park

planning stages. Some important design issues

include the size of public park, its lay out

landscaping, the balance between sun and shade,

topography, ease of access, visual appeal and others

aesthetic features such as ponds or sculptures.

3.4.5 Safety

Specific public park attributes identified as

influencing safety from crime included the presence

of lighting, presence of law enforcement, increased

security and surveillance, presence of homeless and

drug users/dealers and the presence of secluded

paths and areas. Park attributes related to safety from

injury included the presence of glass, syringes,

rocks, debris, heavy traffic and others users of

paths.The physical attributes of public park seemed

to be inextricable from perceptions of them as either

safe or unsafe.

3.4.6 Sociability

Social and physical environments appear to inform

one another in ways that influence public park-based

Contribution of Public Parks to Physical Activity in Gated Community in Medan, Indonesia

209

physical activity.The direction of influence may be

negative and positive.

4 CONCLUSION

Public park a critical role in facilitating physical

activity in minority communities, not only by

providing facilities,supervisedactivities,but also by

providing destinations to which people can walk-

even though they may be sedentary after arriving

there.This research found that public park inside a

gated community could stimulate public life.This

research too has proposed a conceptual model to

guide thinking and suggest hypotheses about

relationships between public park benefits, public

park use and physical activity level, as well as the

antecedents/correlate of public park use.

Effective collaboration between public park

professionals, park and recreation planners,

sociologist, psychologist, economist, urban planners,

architects, landscapers and public safety officers is

needed to design feasible interventions and enhance

public park based physical activity levels.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to give appreciation to those

involved in this study all promotor and co-promotor

Urban Planning, University of Sumatera Utara,

individual, groups and another related body. Thanks

the CemaraA sri Medan for their assistance with

quisionaires development and data collections.

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