Apropriação de equipamentos públicos de lazer por usuários de bicicleta: um olhar sobre o Parque Ecológico da Pampulha

Abstract

This study investigated the appropriation of the Pampulha Ecologic Park (PEP) by bicycle users. Forty-nine cyclists answered a form, which contained open and closed questions about their profile, appropriation and opinion regarding the bike use in the park, in Pampulha lake’s margins and in Belo Horizonte. The closed questions were analyzed through descriptive statistics, while the content analysis was used for the open ones. In general, the answers indicated a positive perception about the bike entry permission, the PEP and the Pampulha Lake surroundings structure. The results show that the liberation, besides being in line with the bike popularity in the site, can democratize the park entry for those who appropriate the public space through this instrument. However, the cyclists desire more structures changes in the city in order to improve the bicycle use, which indicates the park and the lake role in providing a safe place to cycle, once the lack of safety revealed to be an important barrier to cycle in Belo Horizonte.