Abstract
This study assessed the contributions of urban green spaces on mental health with joint consideration of people’s physiological and psychological responses. The psychological and physiological responses of participants aged between 22 and 28, who visited green spaces in a low-density area of Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China, were measured using Perceived Restorativeness Scale (PRS) methods and biometric wearable sensing devices, respectively. Results showed that exposure to green space led to significant changes in PRS, electrodermal activity (EDA), facial electromyography (EMG), respiration sensor (RESP), and photoplethysmography (PPG), while there is no significant impact on skin temperature (SKT). Additionally, psychological and physiological responses were highly consistent and correlated (R < 0.8). The results also indicated that green spaces with high plant species richness, a water landscape, bumpy ground, cultural landscape, and without roadways presented a high performance on stress recovery and attention restoration. At the same time, the influence of openness was negligible in the low-density area. The study provides planners and landscape designers with specific guidance for implementing urban green spaces to improve mental health in low-density residential areas.
Highlights
IntroductionThe world’s urban population has rapidly increased from 0.8 to 4.2 billion between
The world’s urban population has rapidly increased from 0.8 to 4.2 billion between1950 and 2018 and will continue to increase to an expected 5.7 billion in 2050 [1]
The results showed that the ranks of electrodermal activity (EDA), EMG, respiration sensor (RESP), and PPG are the same
Summary
The world’s urban population has rapidly increased from 0.8 to 4.2 billion between. 1950 and 2018 and will continue to increase to an expected 5.7 billion in 2050 [1]. The rapid urbanization and associated urban sprawl destroy or modify natural areas (e.g., forestry and grasslands) in the process of transformation to buildings and human infrastructure to accommodate the growing urban population [2]. Green spaces (e.g., parks, gardens, and green streetscapes) have widely been employed to improve the urban environment and mental health, as access to urban nature and going outdoors are associated with positive psychological well-being [4]. Two theoretical perspectives are especially relevant to the positive psychological effect of green space on well-being [5]. The Attention Restoration Theory (ART) emphasizes the perceptive response of humans to the natural world, aiming to understand how
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