Environmental Aesthetics Research Articles

Путь эстетика в искусстве (К юбилею Е.Н. Устюговой)

<span lang="EN-US">The article is dedicated to E. N. Ustyugova, a famous Russian scientist, specialist in the field of aesthetics and philosophy of culture. The article indicates the main areas of research by E. N. Ustyugova, including: the </span><span lang="EN-US">history of aesthetics, </span><span lang="EN-US">the history of artistic styles, the art and aesthetics of the Russian avant-garde, environmental aesthetics, ethical and aesthetic problems of modern urbanism, the city as a unity of the ecology of nature and the ecology of culture, etc. It is noted that E. N. Ustyugova is a constant organizer and participant of such significant scientific events </span><span lang="EN-US">as the Russian Aesthetic Congress, </span><span lang="EN-US">the scientific conference “Kaganov Readings” (Institute of Philosophy of St. Petersburg State University), the international scientific conference “Polylogue and synthesis of arts: history and modernity, theory and practice” (St. Petersburg State Conservatory named after N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov), scientific and practical seminar “Current Aesthetics” (Institute of Philosophy of St. Petersburg State University) and many others. The article is based on impressions from the author’s personal acquaintance with Professor E. N. Ustyugova in the period from 2009 to the present.</span>

Demand-side effects of urban green spaces: How attractiveness helps overcome subjective barriers to health behaviours

The contribution of Urban Green Spaces (UGSs) to public health is a critical topic. Existing research predominantly examines the relationship between enhanced UGSs characteristics — such as availability, accessibility, and usability — and residents’ health, highlighting how these attributes can mitigate objective barriers to health behaviours in UGSs from a supply-side perspective. However, few studies have explored the demand-side effects of UGSs, particularly in how potential visitors overcome subjective barriers to health behaviours. This study hypothesizes that Perceived UGSs Quality (PUGSQ), including attractive qualities like environmental aesthetics and open space publicness, promotes health behaviours in UGSs (HB_UGS) by enhancing residents’ self-efficacy in overcoming subjective barriers (OBSE). An online cross-sectional study was conducted in China in 2020, employing covariance structure analysis to examine the mediating role of OBSE between PUGSQ and HB_UGS. The findings indicate that augmenting PUGSQ bolsters potential visitors’ belief in their ability to overcome subjective barriers to visiting UGSs or participating in activities therein, thereby promoting sustained and regular health behaviours. The mediation model is applicable across varying activity intensities and whether activities are undertaken alone or in groups. OBSE demonstrates a partial mediating effect in the low-activity-intensity group, and full mediating effects in the medium-high-activity-intensity group, the lone activity group and the collective activity group. These results suggest that, in addition to the well-documented passive role of UGSs in health promotion from a supply-side perspective — which predominantly engages visitors’ willpower resources — UGSs can also assume a more active role from a demand-side perspective. This active role involves mobilizing visitors’ desire resources and potentially lessening the strain on their willpower resources, thus offering a more nuanced understanding of UGS’s influence on health behaviours. The position of UGSs in health promotion thus rises from ‘just nice to have’ to ‘essential to have’.

The Garden State: Conceptualizing Nineteenth-century Latin American Environmental Discourse on Nature/Nation's Transformation

Abstract: Imagining Spanish America as Eden and sublime force, colonial environmental aesthetics inaugurated American disponibilité , figuring environment in the colonial matrix of power as the non-place outside of European time and space. The image of the garden evoked by this aesthetics corresponded to the desired, secular transformation of environment, which delimited the location of a colonial vegetal-human relations of extraction. I contend that in the transition period from colony to republic, cultural, political, and scientific discourse used the image and language of the garden to reestablish claims over territory by shifting from the Edenic to georgic mode. I offer the Garden State as a (neo)imperial environmental aesthetic to lay bare the politics and poetics of place-making and its entanglements—through agriculture and horticulture—as part of a response to the rise of liberal agro-economic policy and the proliferation of the plantation model in the work of naturalists, politicians, Neo-classical, and Romantic writers. By placing ecocriticism, environmental history, and plant studies into conversation with garden theory through this framework, I argue we can better attend to the concentric material and literary gardens and garden-like formations tied to plantation logic and the ordered cultivation and civilization of space and human-vegetal relations in Latin America's nineteenth century.

Harmonizing Aesthetics and Psychological Well-being: An Indepth Exploration of the Integrative Impact of Dysport in Cosmetic Procedures

This research delves into the intricate interplay between aesthetic intelligence, aesthetic sensitivity, and psychological well-being within the framework of positive psychology, with a particular emphasis on the integrative impact of Dysport in cosmetic procedures. By recognizing the significant influence of environmental aesthetics on individual health and well-being, this study seeks to illuminate the relationship between aesthetic intelligence and psychological well-being while considering the role of Dysport in cosmetic procedures. Employing a correlational research design, structural equation modeling was utilized as the methodological approach. The research cohort comprised all students enrolled at Bu-Ali Sina University during the academic year 2018-2019. Employing cluster sampling, 384 students were selected based on the recommended sample size for structural equation modeling. The instruments included the Ryff Well-being Scale, the Aesthetic Intelligence Scale developed by Rashid et al., and Abdulsalami's Aesthetic Sensitivity Scale. Findings revealed significant direct impacts of both aesthetic intelligence and aesthetic sensitivity on psychological well-being. Moreover, aesthetic intelligence demonstrated a direct and significant effect on aesthetic sensitivity. Exploration of indirect relationships indicated that aesthetic intelligence, mediated by aesthetic sensitivity, significantly influenced psychological well-being. These findings underscore the importance of individuals' awareness and appreciation of environmental beauty, including the role of Dysport in cosmetic procedures, in positively contributing to psychological well-being.

Investigation into Spatially and Environmentally Aesthetic Dovecote Designs: A Case Study from the Xinjiang Region on the Silk Road

Globally, the dove is acknowledged as a peace representative and emblem. The Silk Road is noted for its vibrant pigeon culture, particularly in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, a bustling hub of Chinese pigeon culture and industry. This research offers a systematic examination of the cultural and aesthetic features of pigeon coops in rural landscapes, utilizing China’s Xinjiang region as a representative sample. The study’s findings suggest that in Uyghur traditional villages when constructing pigeon coops, emphasis should be placed on their locational visibility and harmony with residential structures. The functional elements of the planning layout include the transition from traditional to modern dovecotes, exploitation of natural conditions, and effective arrangement and optimization of layout. For modern dovecote construction in Uyghur residential buildings, three factors should be considered: the environmental aesthetics of building materials, the use of innovative construction methods, and the safeguarding of significant cultural heritage. Conclusively, traditional Uyghur villages are endowed with abundant cultural heritage, which should be taken into account when designing the layout of pigeon coops for aesthetic considerations.

Waste management in subsidized housing in Palangka Raya city based on SNI 3242:2008

The decision of the Low Income Community (MBR) to designate the location of subsidized housing provides an opportunity for housing development. However, this new development has led to environmental problems, in particular inadequate disposal of household waste. The locations of social housing, which are mostly on the outskirts of the city and far from landfills (TPS), mean that MBRs tend to dispose of their waste indiscriminately. The impact on the environment is evident in the pollution of water. In addition, the socio-economic aspects of the community are disrupted, ranging from the emergence of unpleasant odors to the disruption of environmental esthetics. Urban waste management in Indonesia always adheres to the technical operating procedures outlined in SNI 19-2454-2002. In this study, waste management in subsidized housing in Palangka Raya City is investigated based on SNI 3242:2008 through qualitative and descriptive analysis. The results of the analysis show that waste management in subsidized housing requires a collective role and commitment to implement the 3Rs concept (reduce, reuse and recycle). It also requires the support of the City Government, both in terms of waste infrastructure and awareness campaigns that emphasize the importance of environmental protection through proper waste management.

Harmonizing Aesthetics and Psychological Well-being: An Indepth Exploration of the Integrative Impact of Dysport in Cosmetic Procedures

This research endeavors to delve into the intricate interplay between aesthetic intelligence, aesthetic sensitivity, and psychological well-being within the framework of positive psychology. Recognizing the profound influence of environmental aesthetics on individuals' health and well-being, this study aims to illuminate the relationship between aesthetic intelligence and psychological well-being, with aesthetic sensitivity acting as a mediating factor. Employing a correlational research design, structural equation modeling was applied as the methodological approach. The research cohort comprised all students enrolled at Bu-Ali Sina University during the academic year 2018-2019. Employing cluster sampling, 384 students were selected based on the recommended sample size for structural equation modeling. The instruments employed in this study included the Ryff Wellbeing Scale (2), the Aesthetic Intelligence Scale developed by Rashid et al. (2017), and Abdulsalami's (2013) Aesthetic Sensitivity Scale. The findings derived from structural equations analysis revealed that both aesthetic intelligence and aesthetic sensitivity exerted a significant direct impact on psychological well-being. Furthermore, aesthetic intelligence demonstrated a direct and significant effect on aesthetic sensitivity. The exploration of indirect relationships indicated that aesthetic intelligence, acting through the mediation of aesthetic sensitivity, significantly influenced psychological well-being. Considering these outcomes, it can be inferred that individuals' awareness and appreciation of environmental beauty positively contribute to their psychological well-being. Consequently, the development of educational programs aimed at enhancing aesthetic capabilities in individuals holds the potential to elevate overall well-being.

Environmental Aesthetics as a Structural Part of Environmental Philosophy

Environmental Aesthetics as a Structural Part of Environmental Philosophy

Unveiling the essence: Constructs of memorable wellness tourism experiences

Existing studies on memorable tourism experiences (MTE) focus primarily on diverse niche tourism forms, although there is a dearth of evidence and studies on MTE in wellness tourism. The present research seeks to fill knowledge and empirical gaps in the field of wellness tourism and address theoretical inconsistencies by examining the key constructs that constitute memorable wellness tourism experiences (MWTE). An exploratory qualitative investigation was conducted to identify specific dimensions of MWTE. Data were gathered from international primary wellness tourists, selected through criterion-based snowball sampling, during October – December 2022, employing semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was performed based on grounded theory approach, using NVivo software for data analysis. Findings revealed ten dimensions; professionalism, meaningfulness, environmental aesthetics, refreshment, hedonism, hospitality, involvement, novelty, value for money, and authenticity with respective indicators (40). Opposing prior studies, study outcomes acknowledged professionalism and value for money as crucial MWTE determinants while revealing a new and intriguing determinant: environmental aesthetics. Identifying MWTE constructs fosters more in-depth insights into the aspects that constitute and reinforce wellness travel experiences. This profound knowledge may establish evidence-based decisions, policies, and practises that strengthen wellness tourists’ overall well-being and contentment.

An Analysis of New Medias Appreciation of Ugliness Anti-Performance and Anti-Authority in Postmodern Contexts

In the era of information virtualization, entertainment expression has become the ideological tendency of public discourse. Under the dual drive of technical support and market interests, the appreciation of ugliness has been transformed into individual alienation and emotional behaviour, rebelling against the traditional concept of beauty in cognition and forming a popular and spreading trend of network with grotesqueness, ugliness, and specialisation as symbols. This paper will combine psychological and sociological theories, take the popularity of Nikocado Avocado on YouTube as an example, explore the root causes of the proliferation of ugliness appreciation in todays new media, and further propose ways to purify the social aesthetic environment. Through this study, it was found that the essential reasons are as follows: First, the anti-authority and anti-elite cultural atmosphere formed in the post-modern context makes people more willing to deconstruct beautiful things and oppose traditional mainstream aesthetics; Second, personal jealousy produces subconscious confrontation against beautiful things; third, in order to attract the flow brought by new media and satisfy economic interests, ugliness is performed. To solve this problem, the government needs to play an important role in the media and strengthen the auditing of Internet content. At the same time, relevant departments should disseminate correct aesthetic concepts in society and strengthen the aesthetic education of teenagers.

Aesthetic emotions in a mixed reality gastrosonic experience: an exploratory study

ABSTRACTWe examine the emergence of aesthetic emotions in an exploratory study on a mixed reality (MR) gastrosonic experience. Participants in an art-science event completed the AESTHEMOS questionnaire on aesthetic emotions and the Multimodal Presence Scale, reporting a wide spectrum of prototypical, pleasant and epistemic emotions. Food enjoyment was correlated with the prototypical aesthetic emotions of fascination and enchantment and feelings of self-presence were correlated with the prototypical emotions of being moved/in awe. Crossmodally matched food was highly congruent with music and visuals. Our findings suggest the relevance of studying environmental aesthetics in the context of these novel eating situations.

Misperception of drivers of risk alters willingness to adapt in the case of sargassum influxes in West Africa

Since 2011, large influxes of a brown macroalgae (pelagic sargassum seaweed) have proliferated across the Tropical Atlantic basin, its dispersal and seasonality theorized to be driven by localized and large scale winds and currents, in combination with changes in the Atlantic Meridional Mode and ocean upwelling. These influxes seasonally affect coastal populations across the breadth of the Tropical Atlantic (from central America to West Africa), causing damage to: economies, marine-based and non-marine coastal livelihoods, social functioning, health, ecology, and the aesthetics of the local environment. We use the ongoing sargassum influx in West Africa as a case study of adaptation to an emergent (and compound) risk in progress that also contributes to the empirical gap in sargassum adaptation research in West Africa. The research, in four sites in the Western Region of Ghana employs data from 16 focus group discussions, six key informant interviews, and participant observation. We finds that due to a series of coincidences, participant communities perceive that sargassum influxes were seeded by and then annually driven by oil and gas exploration in Western Ghana. This is in contrast to scientific research that indicates that pelagic sargassum was initially seeded in the tropical Atlantic basin (from the Sargasso Sea) in 2010 following an anomalous weather event in winter 2009–2010. Following Rogers’ Protection Motivation Theory, we explore the sources of information and the processing of that information to understand the divergence between scientific and community perceptions of the physical drivers. We find that community perceptions of oil and gas company responsibility for causing the sargassum problem leads the communities to perceive that the oil and gas companies should be responsible for the clean-up activities. Communities are further constrained by a perceived lack of capacity to act. Solutions to address this adaptation impasse could involve the government working with communities and the oil and gas industry to clarify the actual drivers of sargassum. Such guidance may open opportunities for the government and industry to work with communities to address misperceptions of the scientific nature of the influxes. Collaborative approaches, while addressing extant tensions, may also change the narrative about the problem, support affected communities to engage with adaptive measures, including re-use opportunities, and enhance community capacity to act. As a present-day emergent risk, pelagic sargassum provides an unusual yet contemporary empirical study of real-time adaptation and the central role of perceptions in shaping proactive adaptation and seeking exploitable opportunities from new environmental risks.

Quantifying the impact of municipal solid waste litter using environmental status index in urban areas

The municipal solid waste litter (MSWL) generation has been a growing concern for urban areas. It causes unpleasant aesthetic environment and health hazardous for pedestrian and residents living nearby. Although several studies related to the impact of littering on beaches and water bodies have been reported, there is insufficient information on MSWL in the urban settings. Therefore, the study was aimed to access the present status of MSWL generation and its management scheme in Nagpur, a tier two city of India. The characterization of MSWL and environmental assessment for five different categories of street was carried out using common weighted (CW) method. An environmental status index (ESI) model was developed to evaluate the existing scenario of MSWL management in urban settings. The MSWL generation rate varied from 1.5 to 4.6 kg per 100 m. The average MSWL generation rate from shopping street (SS), market street (MKS), major street (MS), residential and commercial streets (RCS), open spaces (OS) and hilly terrains streets (HTS) was found to be 62, 82, 53, 47, 78 and 42 kg/month, respectively. The ESI score for SS, MKS, MS, OS and HTS was found to be 382, 448.5, 301, 773.5 and 404, respectively. Further, the collected MSWL data set was analyzed using exploratory data analysis (EDA) to group similar data points together based on their attributes. The application of cluster (K) algorithm was found to be efficient to identify areas or regions with higher MSWL generation rate.

FEATURES PERCEPTION OF THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT

A quality external environment is important for human health and comfort. And if each person draws up an individual space according to his abilities, desires and tastes, then the aesthetics of the urban public environment should satisfy, if not all, then at least the majority of city residents. This article discusses and analyzes the components that make up a person's perception of the urban environment. It is proposed to divide this environment into internal, external and internal public, the approach to which in the design and modernization is radically different.

Peningkatan Inovasi Superlizer Menggunakan Biokatalisator EM4 untuk Mempercepat Pertumbuhan Tanaman Cabai

Based on data obtained from BPS (Central Statistics Agency) in 2012 the number of farmers is 48% of the total workforce in Indonesia of around 49.8 million people (Alexandratos and Bruinsma 2012 p: 24). This situation is not enough to make Indonesia a prosperous and developed country. This is due to the low level of productivity of agricultural products because it is not supported by the use of good and environmentally friendly fertilizers. Farmers still often use chemical fertilizers which are capable of speeding up the planting period, but on the other hand in the long run it will actually have a risky negative impact. According to BPS dataon fisheries, shrimp production in Indonesia can reach 200,000 tons per year. The shrimp shell contains protein (25% - 40%), chitin (15% - 20%), and calcium carbonate (45% - 50%). The quality of shrimp shell waste based on nutrient content and nutrients is quite good and suitablefor use as liquid fertilizer, but until now this waste has not been used optimally, causing environmental pollution, especially odors and bad environmental aesthetics. The purpose of this study was to determine the process of making liquid organic fertilizer from shrimp shell waste (SUPERLIZER) and the effect of SUPERLIZER on the growth of chili plants. The method used in this study was to use 5 sample experiments with a comparison of the composition of shrimp shells and EM4 bacteria, namely (A) 200gram:100ml, (B) 300gram:100ml, (C) 400gram:100ml, (D) 500gram:100ml, (E) ) 600gram:100ml also used chemical fertilizer and water control which was tested for 10 days. The best results were obtained for sample (E) witha ratio of 600gram:100ml which gave a 5 cm increase in length compared to chemical fertilizers which only gave a 2.8 cm increase in length.
 
 Keywords: shrimp shells; liquid organic fertilizer; EM4 bacteria;

Waste and its masquerades: On the production of urban natures in Kochi, India

Waste management has been a focal point in ethnographic research, yet its aesthetic and ideological facets in shaping ‘urban nature’ have been largely overlooked. The article delves into a comparative study of two parks in Kochi, a South Indian city, examining the intersection of environmental aesthetics, infrastructural visibility, and the conceptualization of urban nature. Through this juxtaposition, the study elucidates how divergent waste management strategies reflect broader ideologies concerning urban environments and their role in urban development initiatives. The article posits that waste and its management are not peripheral elements in the urban experience of nature; rather, they are integral components that shape it.

An Investigation of Atmospheric Design Attributes in Light Food and Beverage Space Amidst Loneliness Economy Trend

In the loneliness economy era, the atmospheric design of light food and beverage spaces is particularly significant in meeting the multifaceted demands of urban consumers. Thus, we investigated how the atmospheric design of such spaces responds to and fulfills consumers’ multidimensional evaluations, encompassing their psychological, emotional, and social needs. The findings underscored the significant appeal of “emotional healing” and “emotional companionship” to consumers. The factor analysis result delineated two major dimensions, “emotion and space” and “environmental aesthetics”, reflecting that consumers, besides seeking emotional satisfaction, placed a high value on the cultural and aesthetic experience of the space. Through the Kano model and regression analysis, “emotional healing” and “independent space” were confirmed as pivotal factors in the atmospheric design of light food and beverage spaces. To cater to the innermost needs of urban consumers, in the atmospheric design of such spaces, dimensions including psychological, emotional, and environmental aesthetics must be strategically integrated.

FEATURES OF ARCHITECTURAL AND PLANNING ORGANIZATION AND LAND USE OF CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL CENTRES IN SMALL TOWNS

The article analyses the features of the formation of a cultural and educational centre. It is determined that in order to strengthen the economic potential of the city or town, it is necessary to establish and develop related components that will facilitate investments into the main economic function of the city or town and increase its attractiveness and efficiency. These are the related components that can be formed in a cultural and educational centre. The components, which are successfully established and developed in the cultural and educational centre, and related to the main town-forming function are able to significantly affect the further development of the said function, and, accordingly, the entire settlement. The use of land in settlements always involves a combination of land ownership interests, both private, municipal and state. In these conditions, land ownership is closely related to the need to locate a certain type of activity in a certain place for the most efficient use of the land plot. The article provides examples of cultural and educational centres in Ukraine, where the main town-forming function of a settlement is represented and developed. Such an example is the complex of cultural and educational centres in Opyshnia, a centre of pottery art. Today, the village has several exhibition areas united by a conditional tourist route: ceramics museums, a cultural and educational centre with exhibition, shopping, recreational areas and small-scale production, and museums-estates of famous potters. The existence of a cultural and educational complex in Opyshnia significantly increases the town’s tourist potential. A successful example of domestic experience is the Museum of Easter Egg Painting and the National Museum of Hutsulshchyna and Pokuttia Folk Art in the city of Kolomyia of Ivano-Frankivsk region. A similar approach to further development with the formation of cultural and educational complexes of public buildings with hotel, exhibition, trade, recreational, and educational zones is offered in the city of Kostopil, where the Ukrainian Sawmills Company operates its woodworking plant. The article determines that the problem of researching functional planning and architectural and compositional solutions for cultural and educational centres in small towns is relevant for the formation of an aesthetic environment, for the activation of cultural, spiritual, scientific and educational needs.

Impact of Advertisements on Public Spaces and Environmental Aesthetics: Insights from Indonesia

Impact of Advertisements on Public Spaces and Environmental Aesthetics: Insights from Indonesia

Urban Environmental Imaginaries and Aesthetic Sensibilities in Mumbai, India

Urban environmental aesthetics form a cornerstone in neoliberal development discourse in Mumbai, India. Formulated primarily on visual metrics, such as those of green lawns and modern architecture, these aesthetic sensibilities set up the horizon of what is seeable and sayable, serving to legitimize planning schemes while obscuring their social and environmental harms. This is evident in the city’s elite Hiranandani Gardens township, a project heavily contested on legal, humanistic, and environmental grounds. Beginning from “waste,” or spaces and perspectives that lack value in dominant discourses, I analyze how the production of developmentalist “value” relies on environmental aesthetics as well as the limits of such formulations. By way of three frames—empty buildings, an abandoned quarry, and remembered wilderness—I illustrate power structures that facilitate the conversion of waste into value, the contradictions and limits in dominant sustainability discourses, and the messy terrain of contestations that they face. The article contributes to critical development scholarship by emphasizing the significance of aesthetics in unveiling power relations entrained in the making of urban landscapes. I also extend creative engagements in geography by incorporating sensory engagements beyond the visual to interrupt dominant aesthetic sensibilities and open critical and creative ways of knowing urban nature.