When Is a Park More Than a Park? Rethinking the Role of Parks as "Shared Space" in Post-Conflict Belfast

Mell, Ian ORCID: 0000-0002-0544-0836, Sturzaker, John, Correia, Alice, Gearey, Mary, Blair, Neale, Lang, Luciana and O'Sullivan, Fearghus (2022) When Is a Park More Than a Park? Rethinking the Role of Parks as "Shared Space" in Post-Conflict Belfast. LAND, 11 (10). p. 1611.

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Abstract

<jats:p>With the signing of the Belfast Agreement, Belfast (Northern Ireland, UK) entered a new phase of urban development. Moving away from notions of division, Belfast City Council envisaged an inclusive and accessible city. Over a 20-year period, there have been significant changes in Belfast’s physical, socio-cultural, and political structure, reframing the city as a post-conflict space. However, there has been limited analysis of the role of parks in this process. This paper examines perceptions of parks, asking whether the promotion of a “shared spaces” policy aligns with local use. Through a mixed-methods approach, park users were surveyed to reflect on the meanings of parks in the city. We argue that although residual interpretations associated with historical socio-cultural divisions remain, parks are predominately multi-community amenities. The analysis illustrates that although destination parks attract greater patronage, there is visible clustering around ‘anchor’ sites at the local scale, especially in neighbourhoods with significant Catholic or Protestant identities.</jats:p>

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	behaviour, community planning, parks, perceptions, public space
Divisions:	Faculty of Science and Engineering > School of Environmental Sciences
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	09 Mar 2023 11:21
Last Modified:	17 Mar 2024 15:36
DOI:	10.3390/land11101611
Open Access URL:	https://doi.org/10.3390/land11101611
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3168910