Assessing Appropriation of Space in Urban Green Spaces: Three Case Studies in Downtown Shanghai

This study investigated patterns of activities in urban green spaces (UGSs) in downtown Shanghai. UGSs are essential public infrastructure, contributing to urban sustainability, quality of life, and social cohesion. Although widely studied, there is a gap in the literature regarding Chinese UGSs when the object of study is the nature the activities. In this sense, we aimed to investigate the activities from the perspective of appropriation of the space, considered here as different from the use of space. This study addressed this by analyzing user demographics, frequency, and spatial activity patterns to assess how these activities could be classified and scored according to a varying levels of appropriation. Through a mixed-methods design based on non-participant observation and behavior mapping, the study was conducted across three comprehensive parks in Shanghai, divided into nine observation zones. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, IBM SPSS, and qualitative coding, revealing, as the main findings, sixty distinct activity types, a soft to moderate level of appropriation, and notable variations in demographic presence and temporal trends. This research underscores the effectiveness of observational methods, validates appropriation as an analytical category, and emphasizes the importance of structured classification systems for improving the understanding of UGSs’ socio-spatial performance and their societal role.