Effects Of Urban Green Spaces Research Articles

A Survey of User’s Perception of Urban Parks in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State

Urban green spaces in cities have been attributed to both an ecologically sustainable environment and the well-being of urban residents, thereby improving their quality of life. The positive effects of urban green spaces on individuals, on the other hand, is usually dependent on the extent of these green spaces and their uses. The level of satisfaction with existing urban parks can be assessed based on parameters such as accessibility, safety, and relevant available facilities. The aim of this study is to examine user’s perception of urban parks in ibeju-lekki, Lagos state. The key objective of the study is to determine the design strategies implemented in the design of an urban park; access users’ perception based on the determined design strategies implemented in the selected urban parks. In this research, users of selected urban parks within ibeju-lekki were surveyed to properly investigate their perception of these urban parks in respect to already established survey criteria. Data was gathered through questionnaires, and users were randomly selected across the selected urban parks. The data gathered was analyzed using SPSS and content analysis, and the analyzed data was presented using tables and charts. From the study, it was found that users’ perception of urban parks usually affects their continual use, this is referring to the urban resident rate of patronage of the urban parks. Therefore, to improve resident rate of usage of urban parks, it is important to improve on the design strategies adopted in urban parks.

The Estimation of a Remote Sensing Model of Three-Dimensional Green Space Quantity and Research into Its Cooling Effect in Hohhot, China

With the continuous advancement of urbanization, the urban heat island effect has become increasingly prominent. Studying the cooling effect of urban green space can provide direction for improving the comfort of urban residents and reducing the harm caused by the urban heat island. In this paper, the band information was extracted from remote sensing images, and eight vegetation indices were calculated for Hohhot, such as normalized differential vegetation index (NDVI) and vegetation coverage (VC). The land surface temperature (LST) was calculated using the split-window algorithm, and the total 3D-GSQ, the three-dimensional green space quantity per unit area (3D-GSQP), and the single plant 3D-GSQ of different tree species were measured on the spot. The relationships between 3D-GSQP and eight vegetation indexes were processed by correlation analysis and regression analysis, and the remote sensing estimation model of 3D-GSQP was established. The correlation between 3D-GSQP and LST was established, and the cooling effect was analyzed in depth. The results indicate that: (1) The contributions to 3D-GSQ types of common tree in the built-up area of Hohhot are (from large to small): Salix babylonica, Populus hopeiensis, Gleditsia sinensis Lam, Salix matsudana, and Saphora japonica; and the 3D-GSQ of single types of shrubs are (from large to small): Amygdalus triloba, syringa oblata, Sorbaria sorbifolia, ligustrum lucidum, and Euonymus alatus. (2) The linear equation with the chlorophyll vegetation index (CVI) as the independent variable is suitable for the parameters of an inversion model for the 3D-GSQP (R2 = 0.72), and the regression model of the two is: 3D-GSQP = −30.412 + 35.842 × CVI. (3) The 3D-GSQP in the study area is mainly in the range of 0–15.78 m3/m2, and in such range it has an obvious negative relationship (R2 = −0.73) with LST to the level of 0.01 (unilateral). When the 3D-GSQP increases by 1 m3/m2, the LST decreases by 0.55 °C, and this result sufficiently indicates that the urban green has an obvious cooling effect. In the future, in order to improve the living environment of urban residents, in addition to considering the green space area, we should pay more attention to the requirements of the 3D-GSQP index.

Energy Conservation Optimization and Numerical Simulation of Urban Green Space Landscape Pattern

In order to alleviate the urban heat island effect, absorb harmful gases, reduce temperature, and increase humidity, a method of energy conservation optimization and numerical simulation of urban green space landscape pattern is proposed. Based on the theory of landscape ecology, green wedge, green belt, green road, park, and other types of green space with different ecological functions are designed in Shenyang, and an optimization scheme of urban green space network spatial structure of “four belts, three rings, seven wedges, and network connection” is formed. Combined with remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS) spatial analysis technology, the atmospheric environment effect under the influence of green space landscape optimization pattern in summer based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) numerical simulation technology is analyzed, and the corresponding optimization strategies of urban green space planning are put forward. The simulation results show that in the bottom wind speed field of 1.5 m, the area ratio of 0∼0.375 m/s wind speed is 15.87%, and the area ratio of 2.625∼3 m/s wind speed is 32.06%. In the bottom concentration field of 1.5 m, the spatial diffusion capacity of SO2 pollutants is enhanced, and the concentration of pollutants is relatively low. The area ratio of SO2 concentration is 10.06% in the range of 0.1292∼0.1551 mg/m3, and the area ratio of SO2 concentration is 68.08% in the range of 0∼0.05169 mg/m3. It is concluded that the spatial diffusion of wind speed, SO2, and temperature is closely related to the urban spatial layout. The optimal spatial layout of urban green space can effectively alleviate the urban heat island effect, promote the spatial diffusion of SO2, and better form the urban ventilation corridor. The research on atmospheric environmental effects of urban green space based on CFD can effectively simulate and evaluate the optimization measures and conceptual design of urban green space system planning, and also provide new ideas for the quantitative planning of urban green space system.

Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Public Recreational Activity in Urban Green Space under Summer Heat

The urbanization process has contributed to the deterioration of the urban thermal environment and increased the frequency of heat waves in summer that damage public health. Urban green space is the space for the public to escape the summer heat. The cooling effect of urban green space (UGS) can encourage outdoor activities and enhance public health. Analysis of when and how the public utilizes UGS under summer heat can serve as a guide for UGS improvements. In this study, the Hot Spring Park in Fuzhou City, China was utilized as a case study to examine the characteristics of the public recreational behaviors and their influencing factors under summer heat. Results showed the following observations: (1) Canopy density and turf coverage played key roles in regulating the thermal environment. (2) UGS can accommodate multiple summertime behaviors with considerable spatiotemporal variations. (3) In the hot summer, the frequency of recreational activities in UGS was negatively correlated with temperature. Dynamic behaviors were significantly impacted by temperature. Older and younger groups were less heat-tolerant. Based on this, we propose countermeasures and suggestions that are tailored to the needs of urban residents and their behavior characteristics for the planning and management of urban parks in the summer heat.

Spatial pattern of the green heat sink using patch- and network-based analysis: Implication for urban temperature alleviation

Despite the evidence on the cooling effects of urban green spaces (UGS), little is known about how they function as an interconnected network of cold green patches or a green heat sink (GHS) within an urban landscape. This study aimed to analyze the general spatial pattern and connectivity of GHSs using the pertinent indices and Circuitcape tool in an Iranian urban area between 2000 and 2020. Initially, normalized differentiation vegetation index (NDVI) and land surface temperature (LST) maps were derived. To construct a network, GHS was extracted by Getis Ord Gi* statistic and the cost map was built by reversing the NDVI. The results showed that UGS and GHSs shrunk by 17% and 31%, respectively, and became highly fragmented, demonstrating smaller sizes but increased in number, density, and shape complexity. According to the network analysis, the overall connectivity of GHSs decreased over time. Finally, five high-priority locations were identified to increase the connectedness of vegetation cover that might improve the thermal environment of the city. This research can direct urban planning towards enhancing a green space network to mitigate the urban temperature within the urban landscape .

The protective effect of green space on heat-related respiratory hospitalization among children under 5years of age in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Combined effects of global warming and rapid urbanization replace green spaces with urban facilities. Children in urban areas are at a higher risk of heat-related adverse health effects. Our study aimed to examine the protective effect of urban green space on heat-related respiratory hospitalization among children under 5years of age in Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. We estimated district-specific meteorological conditions from 2010 to 2014 by using a dynamic downscaling approach with a fine-resolution numerical climate model. The green space in each district was calculated using satellite data. The attributable fraction of heat-related respiratory hospitalization was estimated using a two-stage model, including a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) coupled with multivariate meta-analysis. The association between heat-related respiratory hospitalization and green spaces at the district level was explored using a linear regression model. The central districts were more crowded and hotter, with less green spaces than the outer districts. At temperatures > 34°C (extreme heat threshold), the hospitalizations in the central districts increased significantly; however, in the outer districts, the hospitalization rate was insignificant. On average, extreme heat attributed 0.33% to citywide hospitalization, 0.35% in the center, and 0.32% in the outer region. Every 1% increase in the green space fraction will reduce heat-related respiratory hospitalization risk by 3.8%. Heat significantly increased the risk of respiratory hospitalization among children under 5years in Hanoi, Vietnam. These findings are valuable for authorities to consider strategies to protect children's health against the effects of heat, including increasing green space.

Effect of Urban Green Space in the Hilly Environment on Physical Activity and Health Outcomes: Mediation Analysis on Multiple Greenery Measures

Background: Green spaces reduce the risk of multiple adverse health outcomes by encouraging physical activity. This study examined correlations between urban green space and residents’ health outcomes in hilly neighborhoods: if they are mediated by social cohesion, visual aesthetics, and safety. Methods: We used multiple green space indicators, including normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) extracted from satellite imagery, green view index (GVI) obtained from street view data using deep learning methods, park availability, and perceived level of greenery. Hilly terrain was assessed by the standard deviation of the elevation to represent variations in slope. Resident health outcomes were quantified by their psychological and physiological health as well as physical activity. Communities were grouped by quartiles of slopes. Then a mediation model was applied, controlling for socio-demographic factors. Results: Residents who perceived higher quality greenery experienced stronger social cohesion, spent more time on physical activity and had better mental health outcomes. The objective greenery indicators were not always associated with physical activity and might have a negative influence with certain terrain. Conclusions: Perceived green space offers an alternative explanation of the effects on physical activity and mental health in hilly neighborhoods. In some circumstances, geographical environment features should be accounted for to determine the association of green space and resident health outcomes.

Can multiple pathways link urban residential greenspace to subjective well-being among middle-aged and older Chinese adults?

In recent years, there is a growing interest in the benefits of green spaces on individuals’ subjective well-being in developed countries; however, few studies have examined the underlying mechanisms for these benefits and differentiated the cognitive from the emotional component of subjective well-being, especially in the rapidly urbanizing and ageing China. This study aims to disentangle bio-socio-behavioural pathways linking greenery surrounding residential spaces to subjective well-being among middle-aged and older adults in eight Chinese cities using data from the World Health Organisation’s Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (WHO-SAGE). We employ multilevel structural equation modelling to estimate the mediating roles of physical activity, air pollution, and neighbourhood social cohesion in the relationships between residential greenery and the tripartite components of subjective well-being (life satisfaction, positive affect and negative affect). Results indicate that residential greenery is positively associated with life satisfaction and is not significantly directly related to either positive or negative affect. Results further suggest that middle-aged and older adults living in greener neighbourhoods experience a higher level of life satisfaction due to the enhancement of neighbourhood social cohesion and the mitigation of air pollution, but not the encouragement of physical activity; however, alleviating air pollution enhances their life satisfaction through encouraging physical activity and facilitating social cohesion in serial mediation. Our findings provide a deeper insight into the salutogenic effect of urban green space for middle-aged and older adults and can aid the development of guidelines for enabling ageing in place through land-use planning and landscape architecture.

Environmental Effects from Pocket Park Design According to District Planning Patterns—Cases from Xi’an, China

Rapid urban expansion leads to the continuous deterioration of the urban thermal environment, which endangers the sustainable development of the city; meanwhile, countries all over the world are becoming increasingly interested in the mitigating effects of urban green spaces on heat islands. In this context, many studies show that pocket parks play an important role in optimizing the thermal environment of urban blocks, especially with the high-intensity development of urban blocks. Moreover, many cities in China have become mature, and it is difficult to open up large green areas. Therefore, to improve the urban thermal environment in summer, it is necessary to adapt to an efficient pocket-park design strategy in blocks. To consider the impact of block development intensity on the design strategy of pocket parks, three pocket parks in blocks with different floor-area ratios in the central area of Xi’an were selected as examples. This research compares the effects of tree density and green-space layout on the thermal environment in different floor-area ratio districts on a summer day using environmental simulation (ENVI-met). The results show that the design strategies of pocket parks in urban blocks with different development intensities are different. High tree density performs better from the perspective of improving the urban thermal environment. For the low and medium development intensity blocks, the effects of the open green space and closed green space are similar, while the open green space layout can significantly improve thermal comfort in high-intensity development blocks.

The Effect of Urban Green Spaces on Reduction of Particulate Matter Concentration.

In an urban scenario, one of the air pollutants most harmful to human health and environmental is the particulate matter (PM). Considering that urban green areas can contribute to mitigating the effects of PM, this work compares the concentration of PM2.5 in two closer locations in Rio de Janeiro, in order to verify how vegetation cover can actually improve air quality. One is the entrance to the Rebouças Tunnel (RT) and the other is the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden (RJBG). For this purpose, PM2.5 samples were taken from September 2017 to March 2018 using a Large Volume Sampler (LVS). The results reveal that RT has a higher concentration of PM2.5 in almost all samples. The RJBG obtains concentrations around 33% less than the other area, suggesting that the presence of urban green areas like the RJBG can reduce PM2.5 levels when compared to places with less vegetation cover, providing better air quality.

The Effects of Urban Green Space on Depressive Symptoms of Mid-Aged and Elderly Urban Residents in China: Evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

The aim of this study is to assess the impacts of urban green space on depressive symptoms among Chinese urban residents aged 45 and older. In total, 7397 urban respondents were included in this study. Each respondent participated in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study Wave 3 (2015). Environmental-level variables were retrieved from the National Bureau of Statistics database. Both unadjusted and adjusted methods were used in the multilevel regression analysis. Almost one-third of the sample population suffered from depressive symptoms (31.20%). The multilevel logistic regression model showed that green coverage ratio of city-built districts is negatively associated with the prevalence of depressive symptoms among urban mid-aged (OR = 0.79, p < 0.05) and elderly (OR = 0.75, p < 0.05) residents, and the public recreational green space helps to reduce elderly people’s depressive symptoms (OR = 0.77, p < 0.05). This study adds insights about the impact of green space and other environmental factors on depressive symptoms among mid-aged and elderly urban dwellers. It is important to provide enough and accessible overall urban green spaces; additionally, attention should also be paid to specific green space forms such as public recreational green space.

Effects of urban greenspace and socioeconomic factors on air conditioner use: A multilevel analysis in Beijing, China

High temperatures pose great threats to the health of urban populations. The use of air conditioners (AC) is an important adaptive means to reduce the morbidity and mortality of heat-related diseases. However, it remains unclear how exposure and sensitivity factors affect residents' AC use. This study aimed to answer this question through a case study in 78 residential areas in Beijing, China. We conducted over 7,000 structured interviews during June 20-August 5, 2017 to learn respondents' AC use, health conditions and socioeconomic status. We also used remote sensing data to obtain land surface temperature (LST) and proportion of greenspace in residential areas. We applied a multilevel logistic regression to assess the influences of these factors on probability of frequent AC use. The results showed mixed impacts from sensitivity factors on AC use. While respondents with chronic diseases were 14.7% more likely to use AC every day, probability of AC use decreased by 29.2% with the increase of age groups. Instead of economic cost, the main reason preventing respondents from using AC was “feeling uncomfortable” or consider it as “unhealthy”. At the scale of residential area, results did not find significant impact of LST on AC use, while proportion of greenspace posed a negative impact on probability of using AC every day even when LST was considered.

Effect of Urban Green Space in the Hilly Environment on Physical Activity and Health Outcomes: Mediation Analysis on Multiple Greenery Measures

Effect of Urban Green Space in the Hilly Environment on Physical Activity and Health Outcomes: Mediation Analysis on Multiple Greenery Measures

Does Pattern Matter? Exploring the Pathways and Effects of Urban Green Space on Promoting Life Satisfaction Through Reducing Air Pollution

Does Pattern Matter? Exploring the Pathways and Effects of Urban Green Space on Promoting Life Satisfaction Through Reducing Air Pollution

Effects of Urban Green Space on Cardiovascular and Respiratory Biomarkers in Chinese Adults: Panel Study Using Digital Tracking Devices.

BackgroundThe health benefits of urban green space have been widely reported in the literature; however, the biological mechanisms remain unexplored, and a causal relationship cannot be established between green space exposure and cardiorespiratory health.ObjectiveOur aim was to conduct a panel study using personal tracking devices to continuously collect individual exposure data from healthy Chinese adults aged 50 to 64 years living in Hong Kong.MethodsA panel of cardiorespiratory biomarkers was tested each week for a period of 5 consecutive weeks. Data on weekly exposure to green space, air pollution, and the physical activities of individual participants were collected by personal tracking devices. The effects of green space exposure measured by the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) at buffer zones of 100, 250, and 500 meters on a panel of cardiorespiratory biomarkers were estimated by a generalized linear mixed-effects model, with adjustment for confounding variables of sociodemographic characteristics, exposure to air pollutants and noise, exercise, and nutrient intake.ResultsA total of 39 participants (mean age 56.4 years, range 50-63 years) were recruited and followed up for 5 consecutive weeks. After adjustment for sex, income, occupation, physical activities, dietary intake, noise, and air pollution, significant negative associations with the NDVI for the 250-meter buffer zone were found in total cholesterol (–21.6% per IQR increase in NDVI, 95% CI –32.7% to –10.6%), low-density lipoprotein (–14.9%, 95% CI –23.4% to –6.4%), glucose (–11.2%, 95% CI –21.9% to –0.5%), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (–41.3%, 95% CI –81.7% to –0.9%). Similar effect estimates were found for the 100-meter and 250-meter buffer zones. After adjustment for multiple testing, the effect estimates of glucose and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were no longer significant.ConclusionsThe health benefits of green space can be found in some metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers. Further studies are warranted to establish the causal relationship between green space and cardiorespiratory health.

Differences in Airborne Particulate Matter Concentration in Urban Green Spaces with Different Spatial Structures in Xi’an, China

With the acceleration of urbanization and industrialization, air pollution is becoming one of the most serious problems in cities. Urban green spaces, as “green infrastructure”, are an important part of urban ecosystems for air purification. Therefore, 10 typical green spaces of urban parks in the city of Xi’an, China, were selected as study areas according to vegetation structure and species composition. Considering meteorological factors and time changes, the effects of the selected green spaces with different vegetation structures of different heights on the reduction in airborne particulate matter concentration were explored. The results showed that the following: (1) Temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and air pressure had significant correlation with the concentration of airborne particulate matter at the different heights, and the correlations were the same at 1.5 m and 5 m. (2) After heating in winter, the concentration of airborne particulate matter with different particle sizes increased significantly. The concentration of airborne particulate matter showed different trends throughout the day, and the small particles (PM1 and PM2.5) had a trend of “lower in the morning and evening, and higher at noon”, while the large particles (PM10 and TSP) gradually decreased over time. (3) In the selected green spaces with different vegetation structure types, the concentration of airborne particulate matter below the canopy (1.5 m) was generally higher than that in the middle of the canopy (5 m), but the effects of reducing the concentration of airborne particulate matter were consistent at the different heights. (4) The adsorption capacity of PM1 and PM2.5 concentration was strong in the partially closed broad-leaved one-layered forest (PBO), and poor in the partially closed broad-leaved multi-layered forest (PBM). Partially closed broad-leaved multi-layered forest (PBM) and partially closed coniferous and broad-leaved mixed multi-layered forest (PMM) also had strong dust-retention effect on PM10 and TSP, while closed broad-leaved one-layered forest (CBO) had a poor dust-retention effect. The results showed that the reduction effects of urban green spaces with different spatial structures on air particles were different, and were restricted by various environmental factors, which could provide a theoretical basis for the optimization of urban green space structure and the improvement of urban air quality.

Evaluating urban greening scenarios for urban heat mitigation: a spatially explicit approach.

Urban green infrastructure, especially trees, are widely regarded as one of the most effective ways to reduce urban temperatures in heatwaves and alleviate the adverse impacts of extreme heat events on human health and well-being. Nevertheless, urban planners and decision-makers are still lacking methods and tools to spatially evaluate the cooling effects of urban green spaces and exploit them to assess greening strategies at the urban agglomeration scale. This article introduces a novel spatially explicit approach to simulate urban greening scenarios by increasing the tree canopy cover in the existing urban fabric and evaluating their heat mitigation potential. The latter is achieved by applying the InVEST urban cooling model to the synthetic land use/land cover maps generated for the greening scenarios. A case study in the urban agglomeration of Lausanne, Switzerland, illustrates the development of tree canopy scenarios following distinct spatial distribution strategies. The spatial pattern of the tree canopy strongly influences the human exposure to the highest temperatures, and small increases in the abundance of tree canopy cover with the appropriate spatial configuration can have major impacts on human health and well-being. The proposed approach supports urban planning and the design of nature-based solutions to enhance climate resilience.

The Cooling Effect of Urban Green Spaces in Metacities: A Case Study of Beijing, China’s Capital

Urban green spaces have many vital ecosystem services such as air cleaning, noise reduction, and carbon sequestration. Amid these great benefits from urban green spaces, the cooling effects via shading and evapotranspiration can mitigate the urban heat island effect. The impact of urban green spaces (UGSs) on the urban thermal environment in Beijing was quantified as a case study of metacities using four metrics: Land surface temperature (LST), cooling intensity, cooling extent, and cooling lapse. Three hundred and sixteen urban green spaces were extracted within the 4th ring road of Beijing from SPOT 6 satellite imagery and retrieved LST from Landsat 8 remote sensing data. The results showed that the cooling intensity of green spaces was generally more prominent in the areas with denser human activities and higher LST in this metacity. Vegetation density is always the dominant driver for the cooling effect indicated by all of the metrics. Furthermore, the results showed that those dispersive green spaces smaller than 9 ha, which are closely linked to the health and well-being of citizens, can possess about 6 °C of cooling effect variability, suggesting a great potential of managing the layout of small UGSs. In addition, the water nearby could be introduced to couple with the green and blue space for the promotion of cooling and enhancement of thermal comfort for tourists and residents. As the severe urban heating threatens human health and well-being in metacities, our findings may provide solutions for the mitigation of both the urban heat island and global climate warming of the UGS area customized cooling service.

Urban Green Spaces and Public Health Outcomes: a systematic review of literature

Abstract Background As stressed by COVID-19 pandemic, urbanicity might represent a risk factor for chronic non-communicable diseases or generally impacting on healthy lifestyle, among them physical activity. Methods In light of this, we performed a systematic review aimed to explore the association between urban greenspaces and two important health indicators for both mental and physical health. In particular, our aims were to analyze the association between publicly accessible urban greenspaces exposure, and mental health outcomes (MH) and objectively-measured physical activity (PA). The review was conducted from 2000/01/01 to 2020/09/30 searching in two electronic databases: PubMed/Medline and Excerpta Medica dataBASE (EMBASE). Only articles in English were included. Results Out of 356, a total of 34 studies were included in our review, of which 19 assessed MH outcomes, the remaining dealt with PA. Only a few included studies found a non-effect or a negative effect on MH outcomes, whereas, all the others demonstrated a positive effect of urban greenspace and both MH and PA. However, our results stressed not only the importance of green space presence, but also the importance of maintenance, renovation, closeness to residential areas, the presence of interactive activities, and perceived security aspects. Conclusions To conclude, even some methodological limitations of the included studies, results are concordant in demonstrating that urban greenspaces show potentially beneficial effects on mental health and physical activity. Our results are significant for public health experts and policymakers involved in urban planning, community health promotion, and improvement of health and social equity. Key messages Urban green spaces are important factors, impacting on both physical and mental health. Policymakers involved in urban planning should pay more attention in urban green spaces.

The Relationships between Perceived Design Intensity, Preference, Restorativeness and Eye Movements in Designed Urban Green Space

Recent research has demonstrated that landscape design intensity impacts individuals’ landscape preferences, which may influence their eye movement. Due to the close relationship between restorativeness and landscape preference, we further explore the relationships between design intensity, preference, restorativeness and eye movements. Specifically, using manipulated images as stimuli for 200 students as participants, the effect of urban green space (UGS) design intensity on landscapes’ preference, restorativeness, and eye movement was examined. The results demonstrate that landscape design intensity could contribute to preference and restorativeness and that there is a significant positive relationship between design intensity and eye-tracking metrics, including dwell time percent, fixation percent, fixation count, and visited ranking. Additionally, preference was positively related to restorativeness, dwell time percent, fixation percent, and fixation count, and there is a significant positive relationship between restorativeness and fixation percent. We obtained the most feasible regression equations between design intensity and preference, restorativeness, and eye movement. These results provide a set of guidelines for improving UGS design to achieve its greatest restorative potential and shed new light on the use of eye-tracking technology in landscape perception studies.