Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Many people choose to live in urban environments. Since everyday life in many cities is characterized by a high pace it is important that good recreational areas, with the possibility of recovery, are available to the population.
This paper is based on a case study of Växjö city park, which is the area surrounding the lake Växjösjön. The park and the lake are of great importance to the citizens. The lake Växjösjön has for a long time been affected by eutrophication, which has caused major problems as algal blooms and fish mortality. An extensive lake restoration was carried out in the 1990s in order to save the lake. Afterwards, extensive work with the design of the surrounding environment has been made.
Through a survey among the users of the park, I study how people use and perceive the environment around the lake. The aim is to identify the recreational and social values such an environment can offer the inhabitants of the city. I describe a walk around the lake to give an idea of how the city park is designed, and how the environment can provide the conditions for recreation and social activities.
The eight park characters, developed by Patrik Grahn have significance for the use of parks. These characters are presented briefly in this paper and applied to the survey to study whether some of them can be found in the park.
According to my appraisal, Växjö city park has several areas with characteristics matching the park characters. With several characters represented, the park creates possibilities to provide for the recreational needs of a greater number of people. Moreover, it contributes to the park being appreciated by many, and thus also creates
social values.