OA2300. Perceived well-being and safety in Urban Green Spaces: Case study from Crete

Abstract Background Urbanization has significantly changed the way people interact with nature and Urban Green Spaces (UGS) provide a vital opportunity for citizens to engage with the natural environment. Addressing citizens’ perceptions could enhance the effectiveness of greening strategies, a consideration of particular importance for islands in the Mediterranean basin given their unique characteristics. Methods A questionnaire survey was carried out with 703 residents of the Island of Crete, Greece. Results 87.8% of the participants consider UGS highly necessary for their wellbeing, 60% visit UGS for relaxation, almost 30% for sport activities (depending on the age, residence and parenthood, p < 0.01) and activities with children (depending on the age, level of education and parenthood, p < 0.01) and 26.8% for meeting with friends (depending on the age, p < 0.05 and parenthood, p < 0.01). Moreover, public UGS is considered more necessary for female participants (p < 0.01), under 35 years, living in an apartment in the city. Despite the necessity, residents consider by 78.7% UGS inadequate and by 93,4% inaccessible for people with mobility problems. In addition, according to participants’ perceptions public UGS on Crete have low risk of harassment or crime (almost 1%) and considered as a place that can enable contact with nature contributing to health and well-being only by 35.7%. Participants visiting green spaces less often than once a month (20% of all) stated that the main reason was time limitations (44.2%), followed by distance (23.3%), and health reasons mainly pertaining mobility (14.0%), furthermore obstacles such as poor UGS maintenance, and phobias were given by less than 10% of the participants who visit seldom green spaces. Conclusions The findings reveal that, on average, residents of Crete exhibit a not positive perception of local public UGS. These results provide a critical foundation for informing targeted interventions within existing UGS and guiding strategic planning for future developments. Key messages • Effective UGS interventions and planning must reflect citizens’ perceptions and needs, boosting accessibility, safety, and use, while ensuring these spaces remain inclusive and socially valued. • Public attitudes toward UGS shape their use and the benefits gained, including better physical health, psychological well-being, and enhanced social cohesion. Topic Citizens’ perceptions, Greening strategies, Well-being in Urban Environments.