Creating Inclusive Public Parks: Identifying Park Features That Encourage Elderly Visitation in Bangkok, Thailand

Authors

  • Pornraht Pongprasert

    Department of Real Estate Business, Thammasat Business School, Thammasat University, Bangkok 10200, Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v7i6.8283
Received: 31 December 2024 | Revised: 12 March 2025 | Accepted: 14 March 2025 | Published Online: 5 June 2025

Abstract

This study aims to examine the factors influencing the use of public parks among the elderly in Bangkok, Thailand, amidst shifting demographics. As of mid-2024, seniors aged 60 and older accounted for 20.70% of Thailand's total population. With an annual growth rate of 4.89%, the country is steadily advancing toward becoming a super-aged society. The elderly population increasingly seeks not only senior-friendly housing but also accessible and inclusive public parks or spaces. Parks play a vital role in promoting the health, well-being, and social engagement of elderly individuals. This research explores the relationship between public park use and various independent variables, including public use behavior characteristics and factors associated with the use of public spaces. These factors are categorized into accessibility attributes, diversity attributes, seating arrangement attributes, temperature and weather attributes, aesthetic attributes, safety attributes, and social interaction attributes. Data were collected from 299 respondents, who were asked to rate 25 questions on a 5-point Likert scale, addressing aspects related to their preferences and choices for using public parks. A binary logistic regression analysis was employed to identify the factors impacting elderly individuals’ use of public parks in Bangkok. The results indicate that public park use behavior characteristics, along with accessibility, diversity, seating arrangements, aesthetics, safety, and social interaction attributes, significantly influence the use of public parks by elderly individuals. These findings provide valuable insights for public policymakers and park designers, offering recommendations on how to design and develop public parks that better cater to the needs of Bangkok’s aging population.

Keywords:

Public Park Usage; Park Features; Built Environment; Older Adults; Bangkok

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How to Cite

Pongprasert, P. (2025). Creating Inclusive Public Parks: Identifying Park Features That Encourage Elderly Visitation in Bangkok, Thailand. Journal of Environmental & Earth Sciences, 7(6), 138–147. https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v7i6.8283

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 6 (June 2025): In Progress

Article Type

Article

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Copyright © 2025 Pornraht Pongprasert

Creative Commons License

This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.

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