Low Income and Mental Health:  Can urban parks be the solution for better health?

Hazreena Hussein; Syaidatul Azzreen Ishak; Catharine Ward Thompson; Jas Laile Suzana Jaafar

doi:10.21834/ebpj.v7i21.3720

Authors

Hazreena Hussein Centre for Sustainable Urban Planning and Real Estate, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia,
Syaidatul Azzreen Ishak Department of Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia,
Catharine Ward Thompson OPENspace, Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Jas Laile Suzana Jaafar Department of Educational Psychological & Counselling, Faculty of Education, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v7i21.3720

Keywords:

Urban Park, Low-income Community, Mental Health, Preliminary Study

Abstract

This study investigates park elements influencing the park visit frequency of low-income communities in an urban area, Kuala Lumpur. A set of survey questionnaires was distributed to identify participants' health history, the frequency of park visits and the park elements that pleasure low-income users during visits to Rimba Bukit Kerinchi Park in Pantai Dalam. The findings show the low-income community was unsatisfied with the park's safety. As a recommendation, additional planning guidance to planners and professional designers assists in accommodating a low-income-friendly park that supports healthy lifestyles.

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