The Barriers to Millennials Visiting Rouge Urban National Park

• Main Authors: Gillian Ramsay, Rachel Dodds, Daniela Furtado, Yana Mykhayletska, Anna Kirichenko, Mana Majedian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2017-05-01
• Series: Sustainability
• Subjects: urban national parks; millennials; distance decay theory; visitor motivations; Canada
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/6/904

Intensified urbanization has led to more populated cities and less green spaces which are vital to community health, wellbeing and conservation. Rouge Urban National Park in Toronto has recently become Canada’s first urban national park. This park is ideally suited to the millennial population, offering outdoor recreation and green space that this growing market generally desires. There is, however, a lack of research into visitor motivations to urban parks and more specifically millennial motivations. Findings from 280 quantitative surveys found three main barriers to visiting the Urban National Park: distance, transportation, and awareness. The lack of public transport combined with road congestion and fewer millennials owning cars creates issues with accessibility. Poor branding and knowledge through electronic media creates low awareness within a demographic market so tied to technology.