Women and the elderly in Chicago's public parks

Abstract

An observational study of 13 public parks revealed systematic differences in leisure and recreation activities between men and women and among elderly people and those in other age groups. Both women and the elderly were underrepresented among public park users. Women were more likely to make use of the public park during the afternoon and early evening hours and were most often observed in small family groups; their activities reflected traditional gender and family roles. Elderly people made regular and intensive use of specific areas within individual parks, especially in the morning hours when there were a smaller number of people present. Although most studies of leisure and recreation activity have relied on household samples and survey data, the results presented here underscore the importance of incorporating observational data for a more complete understanding of the nature and importance of (a) urban recreation activity among population subgroups such as women and the elderly and (b) the social interaction between these people and other user groups.