Urban Green Areas – their functions under a changing lifestyle of ...

Figure 4.12: Change in vehicle ownerships per 1000 inhabitants of selected cities (1980-
2000). Source: Hanoi TUPWS 2004 cited in HUNG (2006:38).
Even the usage share of public buses (21 %), which are the cheapest and safest means of
transportation in Hanoi, is higher than the usage of bicycles (21 %) to get to the parks.
Most people, however, go to parks on foot (39 %), (see figure 4.13). This fits with the
results of LAN (2009: 33). She stated that a reasonable distance to visit a park for urban
people in Vietnam is less than one kilometer. Indeed, other studies also define this radius,
e.g. “[a] half-mile walk is well within a reasonable distance for most people” (SMT
2011: n.p.).
Due to the Vietnamese “motorbike dependence” (HUNG 2006), many visitors arriving on
motorbikes might also live near to the parks.
Moreover, this result corresponds with
on foot
the fact that most people come from home
to visit the parks. Thus it can be stated
5%
1%
by bike
that parks are mostly used by people from
the surrounding area, the neighbourhood!
21%
39%
by motorbike
by bus
23%
11%
by private car/
taxi
others
Figure 4.13: How do you get here? (%)
(own survey, 2010- 2011)
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