“Socialise with Friends or Family while Enjoying the Scenery”: Biophilic Approach to Youth Social Engagement

Previous studies demonstrate parks are primary places for active and passive recreation and can provide opportunities for young people to participate in activities that include socialising with others. The inclusion of natural elements such as trees, green areas, and water features could enrich the experiences of visitors, encourage a range of recreational activities and strengthen community bonds. Within this context, there is a need to better understand how nature-based park settings can foster social engagement within neighbourhoods. This study will explore different forms of youth social engagement, with a specific focus on activities occurring within natural features of neighbourhood parks, to address the research question: how does the biophilic approach to park design influence youth social engagement?
This study informs a regenerative approach to urban and regional planning by introducing a qualitative approach in terms of social engagement. Within this context, the data were collected by using a youth-friendly visual method (photo elicitation approach) with 192 youth aged 9–17 years from the Moreton Bay Region (MBR) of South-East Queensland, Australia. This research found that parks with trees, rocks, gardens, wooded areas, and water bodies allow the engagement in diverse forms of passive and active social activities such as sitting, talking, and playing. Based on these findings, we suggest the creation of small natural areas, known as “pocket forests,” in parks with trees, rocks, gardens, wooded areas, and water bodies as a potential way to engage youth socially within their neighbourhood spaces. This chapter presents strategies to assist decision-makers with planning more green urban settings as a nature-based solution to foster more youth social engagement.