• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.35-44
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• 2016

Two primary tools to study park use are surveys and direct observation. Existing methods, however, are limited in terms of considerable costs in both time and money and the personal bias of respondents or observers. These limitations result in a lack of efficient, reliable, and affordable tools to investigate park use. This study explores the reliability and usability of unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs) to explore park use in urban parks in Busan metropolitan city. By comparing with a systematic observation tool, SOPARC(System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities), this study finds that the number of park users observed by two different techniques are highly correlated and not significantly different with each other. In addition, both methods show a high level of test-retest reliability. Comparing to existing methods, the UAV-using observation tool could cover larger target areas and is suitable to count park users in a more reliable and efficient way and map their use patterns, although it is weak in collecting detailed user information and surveying under poor conditions such as rain. Thus, the UAV method could complement direct observation. This study suggests practical implications of a UAV method to study park use.