Design and uses of green areas in urban environments on the basis of evaluations of people’s experience : a study of Hammarby sjöstad, Stockholm, Sweden

Sammanfattning: In the era of rapid urbanization, we are facing a lot of challenges to maintain the natural balance of our living environment. Green space plays a vital role in keeping this natural balance; It is an essential element in urban planning. Thus, providing sustainable and effective green areas for users in an urban area is challenging for planners. This study investigates urban green spaces' design and how residents experience and use their nearby green areas; investigating the residents' experiences because they are the primary users and successful effective planning mainly depends on the users. Specifically, it explores the gap between planning and local needs (that has not been taken into consideration). The result can be used as a background for further development for planning strategy. To do this study, I have chosen the green areas of Hammarby Sjöstad, Stockholm. This area has been designed and developed to achieve certain specific 'environmental goals' laid down during its planning, and the main objective of this study is to investigate the overall operational goals and performance of green spaces of this area. For the research, a questionnaire survey has been done ( online survey and by post).To examine residents' experiences within the green areas ( five specific green areas ) "Meerci™" method has been applied. The results help to understand the green spaces' present condition and the lack of planning management for the green area. These findings help to provide a further guideline to develop the green areas of Hammarby Sjöstad, which will work as a green space strategic plan.