Safe, seen, and included: Understanding ethnic minority experiences of parks in a changing Polish City

Access to urban green space is a crucial determinant of urban quality of life, yet patterns of accessibility remain socially uneven. This qualitative study explores how ethnic minority residents in Wrocław, Poland, perceive and access urban parks. Sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants from South Asian, Middle Eastern, African, and East Asian backgrounds. Thematic analysis constructed four themes: safety and exclusion, park infrastructure and amenity provision, cultural and embodied barriers to comfort, and the emotional and social dimensions of belonging. Safety and discrimination emerged as the most consistently reported concerns, with experiences varying significantly according to the intersection of ethnicity, gender, and visible religious identity. Hijab-wearing women reported a compounded sense of exclusion, arising from being simultaneously marked as ethnic, religious, and gendered others within a predominantly white, secular public space. Limited access to free and clean toilet facilities, cultural unfamiliarity with public drinking norms, and the absence of inclusive programming further restricted park use and reinforced a sense of not belonging. Despite these barriers, participants consistently valued parks for their natural beauty and restorative benefits. Distance was never raised as a barrier; instead, participants' accounts indicate that social and cultural barriers, rather than physical distance, shape ethnic minority residents' use and non-use of green space. Specific recommendations are offered for safety improvements, amenity provision, and culturally sensitive programming to support Wrocław's growing ethnic minority communities.