‘Relax underneath the trees and read a book’: exploring social sustainability in parks through the lens of young people

Urban environments have incorporated sustainable development into their planning by designing more green spaces. Access to urban green space is the key to the progress of urban sustainability, not only environmentally and ecologically but also socially. Research on social sustainability in parks can be achieved through the inclusive design of park settings that encourage diverse social activities. However, previous research rarely considers how park settings can foster social sustainability for young people. Within this context, this paper employs a qualitative research approach to explore young people’s preferences and engagement with parks through art-based and visual methods to understand how they interact with parks in the context of social sustainability. The visual survey, comprising 32 park scene photos, was administered to 192 youth (ages 9–17) in the Moreton Bay Region, Queensland, Australia. These photos captured four park features: play areas and playgrounds; informal and open areas; formal spaces and pathways; and sports spaces. The findings show that young people like park environments with a balance of physical activity, socialisation, and connection to natural areas. Playgrounds were selected for their active play areas, and open spaces were selected for their social and leisure possibilities. Formal pathways, particularly those connected to natural areas, were selected for their quiet and socialising potential, and sports areas, especially those with equipment, were less preferred due to their solitary nature. The findings highlight the importance of designing parks that promote social sustainability through fostering inclusivity and social cohesion. Such insights inform urban planning policies for making public spaces to meet diverse social needs and support social interactions.