An analysis of attributes affecting urban open space design and their environmental implications

This paper analyses the factors influencing the design of urban open space from the users’ perspective. A questionnaire survey has been carried out in Hong Kong to identify the importance of each design attribute with the aid of the analytic hierarchy process. The results show that microclimate is the most important criteria. Planting and sunlight rank the highest in the sub‐criteria indicating that natural environment is the most treasured by the users of urban open spaces. Accessibility is also one of the important criteria. Hard landscape, on the contrary, ranks the least. The findings imply that urban open space cannot be considered in isolation, but an urban integration approach is required.