Seasonal influences on preferences for urban blue-green spaces: Integrating land surface temperature into the assessment of cultural ecosystem service value

Abstract

Rapid urbanization has triggered conflicts between blue–green space and other city infrastructure, challenging urban planning efforts to improve city residents' well-being. Cultural ecosystem services (CESs) improve mental and physical wellness by offering access to blue–green space via aesthetic or recreational experiences, but these offerings fluctuate; seasonal differences and contributing factors are unclear. We divided urban green space representation into Changfeng Park (CF) in the city core district, Miracle Park (QJ) in the nearby suburb, and Wusong Paotaiwan Wetland Park (WPW) in the far suburb. We combined social media data regarding CESs with the SolVES model and innovatively considered land surface temperature (LST) as an environmental factor affecting CESs. The study demonstrated that (1) seasonal changes significantly influence CES provision in WPW and QJ via landscape dynamics and landscape-related cultural activities. In the more universally designed CF Park, CES seasonal variations were smaller. (2) LST affected CES experiences at both spatial and temporal scales, with higher degrees of influence in summer and in the WPW, potentially due to Shanghai's seasonal high temperatures and humidity and unique landscape features, respectively. (3) These findings can help create seasonally-adaptable blue–green areas that satisfy the demands of urban residents.