Does COVID-19 Affect the Accessibility of Outdoor Sports Venues? A Case Study in Nanchang, China

Min Huang, Daohong Gong, Hui Lin, Bisong Hu, Jiehong Chen (), Changjiang Xiao, Jin Luo, Shuhua Qi and Orhan Altan
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Min Huang: School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China
Daohong Gong: School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China
Hui Lin: School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China
Bisong Hu: School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China
Jiehong Chen: Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research (Ministry of Education), Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China
Changjiang Xiao: College of Surveying and Geo-Informatics, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Jin Luo: School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China
Shuhua Qi: School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China
Orhan Altan: Department of Geomatics, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul 36626, Turkey

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-22

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has been a great challenge to society, the economy, and population health. It has become a significant public health event and social problem. Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on the accessibility of outdoor sports venues is crucial for people’s health. Based on spatial theory, the quantitative and qualitative analyses of outdoor sports venues’ spatial distribution and accessibility were conducted, and the epidemic’s impact on them was analyzed. The results show that: (1) The existing outdoor sports venues in Nanchang show a distribution pattern of “sparse in the north and south, and strong aggregation in the middle”. (2) As a result of the epidemic, the center of the standard deviation ellipse in outdoor sports sites shifted to the southeast, while the number of open venues decreased by 68%. (3) Before COVID-19, the entire study area could achieve full coverage by driving for 17 min, riding for 70 min, or walking for 119 min. After COVID-19, the time increased to 29, 109, and 193 min, respectively. (4) Under the high-risk scenario of COVID-19, the average walking time for people to reach outdoor sports venues increased from 6.2 min to 14.0 min in the study area, with an increase of 126%. Finally, according to the findings of this study, recommendations were made on how government departments could build or re-open outdoor sports venues during and after this epidemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; outdoor sports venues; spatial distribution; accessibility; GIS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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