In recent years, people's living space in mega cities such as Beijing and Shanghai in China has been increasingly compacted by surrounding high-rise structures. As the process of urbanization has accelerated, urban green space is being squeezed. Therefore, the conflict between people and land is deteriorating, and urban residents' desire for outdoor activity space cannot be satisfied. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly vital to accelerate the upgrading of urban public open space and related supporting development. However, the establishment of large-scale green areas and parks is impractical in densely populated cities. Therefore, the emergence of small public areas such as pocket parks and microgreen spaces can meet part of people's needs for green spaces. Pocket parks are small, micro-urban open spaces that are easy to access. It offers people chances and locations to connect with nature and recreate. The establishment of pocket parks can help strengthen the urban park system, allowing pocket parks to play an important role in the revitalization of high-density cities and historic urban districts.

This dissertation is divided into three key research questions, and by answering these questions, we can get a better understanding of pocket parks, especially in a modern megacity like Beijing. Three questions include (1) ‘what is a pocket park’ (Paper 1); (2) ‘what is the status of pocket parks in central Beijing?’ (Paper 2); and (3) ‘how do residents use and what activities do they perform in the pocket parks in the six city districts of Beijing?’ (Paper 3). The studies include literature reviews from both English and Chinese papers related to pocket parks; an assessment study following a structured evaluation model for park quality; and a systematic observational study using the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) form.

The main results of this research show that the term ’pocket park’ entered the Chinese scholarly circles at a relatively late time (the first paper about pocket parks in China was published in 2007), compared to American and European countries (where the first pocket park paper appeared in 1967). However, it has increasingly developed in recent years. The status of pocket parks in Beijing is relatively good, with a clean environment and good management. The use of pocket parks varied depending on the sex and age of the visitor. The flow rate of pocket parks showed an ‘M’ shape according to different times in a day, which means pocket parks experienced a high flow rate in the morning and afternoon period, and low flow rate in the early morning, noon and evening periods. Pocket parks, as part of urban green spaces, symbolize the ongoing evolution of landscape planning and design principles, as well as a future potential for associated scholarships and practice. This thesis adds detailed knowledge to the global and local professional understanding of the pocket parks by identifying the existing research gaps and also summarizing and comparing the definitions and research trends of pocket parks from a western and Chinese point of view. Moreover, this thesis provides novel empiric insights through the investigation and evaluation of the status of 29 pocket parks in central Beijing (Xicheng district and Dongcheng district) and the observation of 6,873 residents’ use and activities in a sample of 12 pocket parks in the six central urban districts of Beijing.