Demographic and spatial variables associated with spending time in nature during COVID-19 lockdowns

Lily M van Eeden; Lachlan Francis; Zoe E Squires; Fern Hames; Sarah A Bekessy; Liam Smith; Melissa Hatty

doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2023.127895

Demographic and spatial variables associated with spending time in nature during COVID-19 lockdowns

Urban For Urban Green. 2023 Apr:82:127895. doi: 10.1016/j.ufug.2023.127895. Epub 2023 Mar 5.

Authors

Lily M van Eeden^{1

2

3}, Lachlan Francis¹, Zoe E Squires¹, Fern Hames¹, Sarah A Bekessy², Liam Smith³, Melissa Hatty³

Affiliations

¹ Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, 123 Brown Street, Heidelberg 3084, Victoria, Australia.
² ICON Science Research Group, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia.
³ BehaviourWorks Australia, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria, Australia.

Abstract

To stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (COVID-19) governments around the world implemented lockdowns restricting public travel. In the Australian state of Victoria, this included limiting permitted reasons for leaving home and restricting movements to within a 5 km radius of one's home. In 2020, we conducted a state-wide survey (N = 1024) of Victorians that coincided with a lockdown. We asked respondents where they had spent time in nature and how they perceived lockdowns affected the amount of time they spent in nature. We then considered demographic and spatial predictors of spending more or less time in nature. Women, younger people, and those living in areas with higher socio-economic status were likely to report spending more time in nature. Closer proximity of residents to parks and waterways and higher proportional area of native vegetation within a 1-km radius were also associated with more time in nature. Understanding how different groups were affected by restrictions on access to nature can help improve government management of crises like pandemics, including through urban planning for green space, supporting improved individual and societal resilience. We discuss the implications of our findings for improving access to nature during lockdowns as well as opportunities for a post-pandemic relationship with nature, particularly in urban settings.

Keywords: Connection with nature; Green space; Nature-based solutions; Urban greening.