DIFFERENCE IN PERCEPTION OF URBAN GREEN SPACES BETWEEN DANCHI AND APARTMENT RESIDENTS IN TOKIWADAIRA, MATSUDO CITY, JAPAN (Perbedaan dalam Persepsi Ruang Hijau Perkotaan di antara Penghuni Kompleks Rumah Susun dan Apartemen di Tokiwadaira, Kota Matsudo, Jepang)

Abstract In Japan, where most of the population now comprises elderly people, various social problems have emerged, including lack of workers, inadequate care for elderly people, lower birthrate, the abandonment of local areas, and lack of community. In highly populated urban areas, city planners propose sustainable landscape planning but sometimes ignore the public, eliminating their sense of place. This study aimed to clarify the differences in green space perception between residents of danchi and apartments in Tokiwadaira, Matsudo, to learn what residents’ attributes may influence their perceptions, and to formulate factors of recognition and awareness of urban green spaces. The research was conducted in three stages: a recognition and awareness survey, analysis, and interpretation. A Mann-Whitney U test and Welch’s t test were applied to examine significant differences in perception level; a Chi-square test was applied to examine the relationship between residents’ attributes and volunteering activity; finally, factor analysis was applied to characterize residents’ recognition and awareness of nature and green spaces. The results demonstrated three significant differences regarding the benefits of green spaces between danchi and apartment residents, and five significant differences in their interest in green spaces. The attributes influencing danchi residents’ perceptions were gender and age, while those influencing apartment residents were age, existence of children, employment status, length of stay, and existence of green spaces. The three factors accounting for residents’ interest in green spaces and nature were: high recognition and awareness, moderate recognition and awareness, and low recognition and awareness. The results may prove useful as guidance for specific local governments in relation to urban green space planning and design. Abstrak Di Jepang di mana sebagian besar penduduknya terdiri atas orang lanjut usia, berbagai masalah sosial telah terjadi, seperti kurangnya tenaga kerja, perawatan bagi orang lanjut usia yang rendah, kelahiran anak-anak yang rendah, terabaikannya daerah setempat, dan kurangnya komunitas. Di daerah perkotaan yang berpenduduk padat, perencana kota mengusulkan perencanaan lanskap berkelanjutan, tetapi terkadang mengabaikan publik dan menghilangkan makna tempat mereka. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memperjelas perbedaan persepsi ruang hijau antara penghuni di kompleks rumah susun semi publik dan apartemen di Toki