On the relation between visual quality and landscape characteristics: a case study application to the waterfront linear parks in Shenyang, China

Abstract

In recent years, Chinese cities have begun to pay attention to their rivers, and a large number of waterfront linear parks have been built in the riverside areas, so that the public can easily enjoy their landscape and entertainment functions. In this study, the visual quality of the waterfront trails and the greenbelt trails in the Waterfront linear Park around the Hunhe river in Shenyang was evaluated the basis of the Scenic Beauty Estimation Method and Semantic Differential Method, and the principal components of the landscape characteristics were extracted and a regression model of the visual quality and the landscape characteristics was established. Results show that the natural feature and the formal feature have a positive influence on the visual quality in waterfront linear parks, and the man-made feature has a negative impact on the visual quality. The six landscape characteristics are Sense of seclusion, ecology, intactness, uniqueness, unity and vitality, which are the main factors which affect the visual quality. This study puts forward improvement measures for the waterfront trails and the greenbelt trails, and the results can be applied to the planning, construction, and management of waterfront linear parks.