What do Auckland's ethnic groups think of Regional Parks?

ARC has commissioned research to get some answers to these questions about its Regional Park network:

- why are Asian, Maori and Pacific people under-represented as parks visitors?
- why is the level of satisfaction for these groups lower, than for others?
- what are the barriers for ethnic groups to visit regional parks?
- how can those barriers be reduced?

An online survey was carried out, and 1000 surveys were completed. There is heaps of info in this report, and it is all very interesting. Why I've written this blog is that I want to use it as a vehicle to share some of the pictures I took when I visited Curitiba, Brazil (at the end of this blog). This city has an extraordinary ethnic mix (Brazilians, Japanese, Ukrainians, Germans and Poles - to name the majorities), and the city has a fantastic policy of parks diversity. Anyway. I digress. back to the ARC's research....

In summary the report explains:

...all Asian, NZ Maori and Pacific peoples are less likely to visit a regional park (than NZ Europeans)...
... the main barrier stopping people that currently visit (local) parks, but not regional parks, is a general lack of knowledge about regional parks, and in particular, their locations and what to at them...
... the things that appeal were similar for all ethnicities for many features, with seeing natural features, going to the beach, picnicking with friends, visiting the Botanic Gardens and going on a nature or bush walk receiving similar ratings across all groups....
... features such as booking a picnic site for a large group of 50 or more, attending an event, having children's facilities, and visiting a working farm, were all more appealing to Asian, NZ Maori and pacific peoples compared to NZ Europeans...
...Furthermore for nearly all features and activities, Asian, NZ Maori and pacific peoples would rpefer to have facilities such as BBQs, picnic tables, and places to prepare food available at regional parks...
...across all features and activities, around 15% of people were preparwed to travel for less than 30 minutes to reach the park they wanted to visit, 40% were prepared to travel around 30 mins to 1 hours, 20% 1 hour to 1.5 hours, 10% over 1.5 hours, and 15% were prepared to travel as long as it took....
...overall Asian people were more likely to want to travel shorter distances (less than 30 minutes), whereas Maori and Pacific peoples were more likely to be prepared to travel for as long as it took to reach the park they wanted to visit...

Interesting. The survey also was used to show respondents images of regional parks and information about what can be done at them, and after seeing that information, respondents indicated they were keener to visit reghional parks.

The report's executive summary concludes with the following:

...There is also an opportunity to increase satisfaction with regional parks for Asian, NZ Maori and Pacific peoples by providing more facilities and, if not making food available, at least letting people know where the opportunities to purchase food are close to or on the way to a regional park...

This is an interesting finding. ARC is in the midst of debate and discussion about the provision of concessions for operators to function provding backbacker accommodation (eg Hillary Trail), and perhaps food. There is a debate about having a cafe at Arataki. Visitors are becoming more demanding. ARC needs to respond. The challenge will be ensuring there are wild and remote sections of regional parks which are free of development, but there will also need to be other areas where much higher levels of amenity need to be provided.

Family and cultural groups clearly value and need the space of a regional park to hold a family gathering, and the facilities to feed them. That's an interesting demand to meet.

So. What about Curitiba?

Well. Just like Auckland, Curitiba has a Botanical Gardens which is very well visited and famous...

This is Curitiba's Ukrainian Park. Buildings and gardens and parts of the park layout reflect Ukrainian Culture. A "park" away from "home". Everybody goes there of course, but it's especially special to the Ukrainian population who have a significant say about what happens in this park.

This is Curitiba's "Open University of the Environment", built in another of its great park areas. The materials used to build this structure are all recycled. It is a bit like Curitiba's Arataki Centre - but with an emphasis on natural education, with strong links to the city universities and other places for learning.

And this is an image from Curitiba's "Polish Memorial Park". I didn't actually visit this one, and I suspect it's in a smaller more urban setting then some of the other Curitiba Parks. Nevertheless - a special public park space for another significant ethnic group that make up Curitiba's cosmopolitan population.

This is Tangua Park. Tanguá Park is an example of urban space being re-utilized on an old complex of quarries.

The Wire Opera House is part of the Pedreiras Park, together with the Paulo Leminski Cultural Space, where the Passion of Christ was enacted, and hosted many other big events since 1989, and can hold, in the open air, 10 thousand people seated or 50 thousand standing. (From Wikipedia)

The German Woods. The wood has various features to celebrate and promote the German traditions. There are 38 thousand square meters of native forest, which was part of the old farm from the Schaffer family. The replica of an old wooden church, built in 1933 at the Seminário neighbourhood, with neo-gothic decorative elements, shelters a concert hall called Bach's Oratorium. Other attractions are the John and Mary path, which tells the Grimm brothers tale, a children's library, the Philosophers Tower, a wooden observatory allowing a panoramic view of the city and the Ocean Ridge, and the German Poetry Square, with a reproduction of the Casa Mila façade, a German building from the beginning of the last century, originally located in the city centre. (From Wikipedia)

Interesting what a bit of creativity can do.
I wonder how Curitiba's ethnic populations would respond to a survey about its parks?