Visiting Peri-Urban Forestlands and Mountains during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Empirical Analysis on Effects of Land Use and Awareness of Visitors

Abstract

This research analyzed the status of visiting peri-urban forestlands and mountains during the first COVID-19 emergency period in Japan using a large-scale online questionnaire-based survey. We identified and examined the factors that correlated with visits to such areas, including respondents’ social-economic attributes, environmental conditions (such as the land use patterns of their residential areas), and awareness of the functions of forestlands. The results suggest that environmental conditions are a major factor encouraging residents to visit peri-urban forestlands and mountains during the pandemic. Peri-urban areas with forestlands have such environmental conditions, and residents who visited peri-urban forestlands and mountains tended to live in peri-urban areas. Residents’ expectations regarding forest functions were also strong factors influencing them to visit those places. Those who visited forests and mountains expected these areas to have mental health and educational functions. Especially, female respondents tended to be aware of forestlands as spaces for mental and physical relaxation, and respondents who have one or more children tended to be aware of the educational functions of forests. These findings imply that policy should consider the role of environmental conditions, awareness, and expectations about the function of forests and mountains, and prior interactions with nature in encouraging residents to visit such places for their health during the pandemic. These factors could also play a role in addressing the social and environmental disparities that exist between residents of different socio-economic statuses regarding access to nature. In future research, the detailed relationships between residents’ environmental conditions and expectations/awareness of the functions of peri-urban forestlands and mountains need to be explored.