Urban parks as social infrastructure: behavioral pathways to social interaction in densifying cities.

Authors

Noman Sahito, Omar Almahdy, Muhammad Aamir Basheer, Amjad Ali, Zulfiqar Ali Lashari, Farrukh Baig

Published in

Frontiers in public health. Volume 14. Pages 1892114. Epub Sep 16, 2026.

Abstract

Urban parks are important public health and social infrastructure, yet evidence on how older adults' park-use intentions are associated with visitation and Social interaction remains limited, particularly in densely populated Global South cities. This study applied an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework to examine behavioral and contextual factors associated with park use and social interaction among older adults in Karachi, Pakistan.
A questionnaire survey was conducted among 576 residents aged 50 years and older. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to examine behavioral intentions, self-reported park-use behavior, social interaction in parks (SIP), and contextual antecedents of perceived behavioral control (PBC).
Attitude (β = 0.543, p < 0.001), subjective norms (β = 0.516, p < 0.001), and PBC (β = 0.306, p < 0.001) were positively associated with behavioral intention. Behavioral intention was positively associated with park-use behavior (β = 0.369, p < 0.001). Park-use behavior (β = 0.469, p < 0.001) and behavioral intentions (β = 0.372, p < 0.001) were positively associated with SIP. Government/community support (β = 0.445, p < 0.001) and facilities/accessibility (β = 0.308, p < 0.001) were positively associated with PBC. Park-use behavior significantly mediated the association between behavioral intention and SIP.
Older adults' park use and social interaction were associated with attitudes, social norms, perceived control, and supportive physical and governance conditions. The findings suggest that urban parks can function as age-supportive social infrastructure when accessible facilities are complemented by reliable maintenance, safety measures, community support, and initiatives encouraging regular park visitation and social engagement.

PMID:
42818684
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 01 Oct 2026.

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