An Investigation into Student Perceptions of Green Spaces on Dalhousie’s Studley Campus

Abstract

Landscaping holds significant importance on university campuses and has traditionally aimed to enhance the visual appeal of environments. Green space, as it refers to natural areas and vegetation, as well as urban parks located on university campuses, plays a crucial role in creating a natural environment (Taylor & Hochuli, 2017). We investigated student perceptions of green space, specifically within the Studley campus of Dalhousie University. Our objectives included gauging whether students consider green space as an important aspect of their on-campus wellbeing and if they might feel more inclined to spend time on campus green spaces if improvements were made to these areas. By examining how green space is perceived and used, we aimed to ascertain a collective viewpoint among students regarding its significance. We used a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to gather data from undergraduate and graduate students on the Studley campus. Quantitatively, we used Likert scale questions and conducted Chi-square analyses to classify opinions regarding green space perception and utility. For qualitative insights, we distributed surveys to answer more open-ended questions on green space perception and utility. Additionally, we used ArcGIS and SketchUp as tools to further enhance our research findings. Overall, the integration of quantitative and qualitative methods, along with visualization tools, has allowed us to understand student perceptions of green space regarding the Studley campus of Dalhousie University.