Environmental perception of users of places used for physical activity and leisure in the city of Fortaleza (CE, Brazil)

Abstract

Fortaleza is a city with a high population density, many vertical constructions and intense car traffic, which contributes to atmospheric pollution, noise pollution and thermal discomfort. The lack of information causes a large part of the population to have habits that can harm their physical and mental health. The objective of this study is to evaluate the environmental perception of the users of the areas used for the practice of physical activity and leisure in the city of Fortaleza regarding the environmental quality. For this, 420 interviews were applied in 7 public areas of the city to collect data on regulars and their opinions about the studied places. Thus, it was observed that the environmental perception of users is good, that is, most of these people can perceive the environmental damage that occurs in an urban center and, consequently, the quality of the environment in which they are inserted. It could also be verified that among the socioeconomic variables, the “education level” is the one that best correlates with the degree of environmental interest of the users of the studied places. In addition, it was observed that the best public areas, in terms of environmental quality, are in the “noble” neighborhoods of the city.