Visitor mood, restorativeness and connectedness to nature across four unmanaged urban outdoor swimming sites of varying naturalness

Abstract

Direct exposure to urban natural and semi-natural blue spaces has a range of health and well-being benefits. While previous research has compared the health benefits of different types of blue spaces, including coastal areas and lakes, far less is known about the impacts of more subtle differences across similar types of setting that vary in quality. To address this gap, this study compared the health benefits of four unmanaged public outdoor swimming sites in Vienna varying in levels of naturalness, by asking visitors (n = 425) about their visit-related satisfaction, self-reported change in mood, actual mood, perceived restorativeness and nature connectedness. Results showed that respondents perceived all sites as restorative and visits as enhancing mood. All outcomes were most positive for the most natural swimming site. Self-reported change in mood and perceived restorativeness predicted actual mood but not level of exposure and connectedness to nature, even for the most natural site. Implications for research and urban blue-green space planning are presented.