Factors Influencing Social Interaction in Recreational Parks in Residential Neighborhoods: A Case Study of the Dammam Metropolitan Area, Saudi Arabia
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Social interaction is crucial for social sustainability and quality of life. This research focuses on recreational parks in residential neighborhoods in Dammam Metropolitan Area (DMA) to enhance social interaction. The study is designed to identify and prioritize factors affecting the social interaction in the recreational parks in the residential neighborhoods in Dammam Metropolitan Area (DMA). All factors are extracted from literature studies relevant to the social interaction among individuals in the recreational parks. This study follows the methodology of expert-based questionnaire to weigh each factor according to the scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree regarding the extracted factors that may influence the social interaction in the recreational parks. The findings emphasized the importance of demographic characteristics of the neighborhood residents, physical characteristics of the recreational parks and social sustainability characteristics in influencing the social interaction among neighborhood residents in the recreational parks in DMA. The analysis of the demographic characteristics showed that the age group of the neighborhood residents is the most effectiveness factor on social interaction in the recreational parks in DMA with score (4.53). Secondly, the analysis of the physical characteristics of the recreational parks showed that the periodic maintenance of the recreational park is the most effective factor on social interaction in DMA with score (4.79). Thirdly, the analysis of social sustainability characteristics showed that safety and security is the most effectiveness factor on social interaction in the recreational parks in DMA with score (4.74). Finally, this study concluded with some recommendations to address the probable factors that may influence the social interaction in the recreational parks in the Saudi contexts, particularly in DMA.