| Abstract: | The urban black townships in South Africa differ from other deprived areas largely as a result of the circumstances under which they came into existence. The environmental preferences for recreation in these areas, hitherto uncharted territory, form the nucleus of this contribution. Comprehensive research has revealed the residents' specific environmental preferences for recreation. The most important aspect is the significance of the home as the recreational environment. Furthermore, evidence of the extensive utilization of informal recreational areas provides a new dimension to the inadequacy of the provision of facilities. The CHAID computer program, applied to certain demographic variables, was used to gain new insight into the factors that determine environmental preferences for recreation in deprived areas. The most significant of these appears to be the level of education, which could mean that a general increase in the level of education could result in an increased demand for recreational facilities. This analysis has revealed a number of important guidelines for planning. |
