الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The accessibility of recreational opportunities in people’s daily life is one of the essential prerequisites for their well-being. It might be argued that leisure time and socioeconomic position have always been related. However, it is believed that spatial perception is the criterion that determines if architecture successfully conveys a specific message or fulfills a particular role within a particular setting. Although people react to the same reality, they will experience it differently depending on what the environment means. Perception is a highly creative process. Therefore, perceptual impacts will vary depending on the environment. These variations result from different personal backgrounds (knowledge, experience, culture, and physical). Additionally, compared to people with higher incomes, some research indicates that lower-income, less educated, and unemployed groups tend to engage in fewer physical and recreational activities. This could lead to discontent with the living conditions in low-income districts, and many related problems can be linked to the city’s inability to provide for its citizens’ most basic needs. In many modern residential communities, especially Third World nations, the neighborhood environment resembles a wasteland, resulting from modern cities’ clean public areas being viewed as secondary spaces that belong neither to the city nor the people. As a result, one is not invited to be or stay. This study focuses on three parks in Alexandria, frequently visited by users with diverse socio-economic backgrounds. It studies how people with different socio-economic backgrounds perceive the space they visit, how and why users modify their surrounding environment, and how they interact with it. The study concludes that many neighborhood park users are not actual neighborhood residents; they typically derive from a lower socio-economic background with minimal access to open spaces. Hence, it is essential first to know the actual users of the urban space to satisfy their needs and encourage their interaction and involvement. In addition, the study showed that users with different visit purposes might have a similar perception of the surrounding environment, although their socio-economic background is different. Finally, the study proposes that authorities consider focus groups that reflect users’ needs and aspirations. The discussion will help enhance parks by making them livable and suitable to the needs of their users.