Perception of Urban Green Spaces and Socioeconomic Differences in Bogotá: Analysis from Online Reviews

Abstract

There is extensive evidence of the benefits of urban green spaces in cities. However, international studies indicate differences in access to urban green spaces between high-income and low-income groups. In cities of the Global South, this issue is aggravated by higher urban densities and a widespread deficit of urban green spaces. 
In Bogotá, there is less availability of green spaces and ecosystem services for low-income groups, however, no difference has been observed in terms of quality. Accordingly, Google Maps user reviews were consulted to obtain data on the usage and perception of 636 parks throughout the city. Results indicate that the perception of quality is more closely related to social and environmental conditions than to quantitative indicators, and that the perceived quality is higher in high-income areas. Paradoxically, higher-income groups seem to use urban green spaces less and have different concerns compared to other groups. They focus more on security and the use by animals, whereas lower-income groups more frequently mention sports and use the urban green spaces more intensively, especially at night.