Impacts of covid-19 on individuals’ behaviour & perception in public space: a case study of Colombo, Sri Lanka

Abstract

SARS‐CoV‐2 has become a global pandemic while impacting most sectors including public space (PS). In the citizens-view, PS have become unfamiliar places with distant social interactions in a pandemic. This study aimed to investigate the impacts of covid-19 on individuals’ behaviour & perception in PS. Limited studies attempted and different contexts find out the different results, make curiosity to apply it into the Sri Lankan context with case studies of Galle Face, Pettah Railway Station, World Trade Centre and Independent Square. Using semi-structured interviews carried out data among 27 participants. Public perception is measured using changes of experience, interest & their satisfaction level. Individual behaviour measured using Frequency of visiting place and time duration spent there. According to the results, 92.6% of respondents have a sufficient understanding of pandemic. Therefore, they adapt their behaviour to reduce the risk and protect themselves. Because even 62% of respondents answered that they feel more insecure in place than before the pandemic, 56.5% did not change their frequency of visiting the place. But 68% of respondents changed their spending time. Observations shows, people mostly use, move, and react in wide places without being crowded.