Shifting perceptions of green and blue spaces during the <scp>COVID</scp>‐19 pandemic in gentrifying neighbourhoods: Experiences of inclusion and exclusion by women and non‐binary residents

Abstract The COVID‐19 outbreak triggered a combined health, social and economic crisis, imposing multiple restrictions that altered the use and perception of public green and blue spaces (PGBS). In this article, we explored how the different stages of the COVID‐19 pandemic restrictions affected the use and perceptions of public greenspaces and seafront in gentrifying neighbourhoods, focusing specifically on women and non‐binary residents. We conducted a comparative analysis of two densely populated neighbourhoods in Barcelona, Spain, employing a participatory mixed‐methods approach including surveys, focus groups, participatory walks and semi‐structured interviews. We collected the perceptions from women and non‐binary residents for the pre‐pandemic period, the lockdown period and the period during the post‐lockdown gradual ease of restrictions. Our findings reveal that during the COVID‐19 lockdown, the use of neighbourhood PGBS was maintained or intensified, highlighting the existing deficit in the denser areas of the city. However, post‐lockdown, use patterns changed, with differences based on neighbourhood characteristics and gentrification pressures. This suggests that while COVID‐19 seemed to temporarily impact how people used PGBS, these changes were rapidly reversed once mobility restrictions were lifted. During and after the pandemic, PGBS facilitated informal care networks and community cohesion that helped residents endure the impacts of the pandemic, but the return of gentrification and touristification pressures disrupted these networks, heightening feelings of displacement and exclusion among women and non‐binary residents. The research underscores the dual role of PGBS as both essential community spaces and sites of exclusion, emphasizing the need for inclusive and just green planning strategies. Policy implications . Urban planning must prioritize the quality and accessibility of PGBS with a gender‐sensitive approach and address broader issues of gentrification and touristification to protect vulnerable populations. An environmentally just greening approach should consider proximity, safety, accessibility and design to facilitate the use of PGBS by socially vulnerable groups. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.