Park Design Research Articles

Urban Parks and Office Workers’ Health: Considering the Influence of Marital Status and Different Qualities of Urban Parks

This study addresses the impact of urban parks on the self-rated health of office workers under 40, a demographic experiencing significant increases in depressive symptoms during the pandemic. This study in Baise City, China, aims to fill this gap by exploring the relationships between landscape quality, leisure time spent in parks, place attachment, and self-rated health among 411 office workers aged 18 to 40. Structural equation modeling was used to assess these relationships, and multigroup analysis (MGA) in SmartPLS evaluated differences between subgroups. The findings reveal a strong link between urban park landscape quality and leisure time spent in parks, place attachment, and self-rated health. Although the old-fashioned park showed lower overall performance in the study variables compared to the modern park, it had a stronger relationship between landscape quality and place attachment. Leisure time spent in parks did not directly impact self-rated health but was mediated by place attachment. MGA results indicated that while leisure time in parks positively affected self-rated health for single participants, it had a negative effect for married participants. These results underscore the importance of tailoring urban park design and management to accommodate the varying needs of different demographics. This research provides new insights into enhancing office workers’ self-rated health through environmental design and supports the objectives of the Healthy China strategy and Sustainable Development Goal 11.

The Challenge of Work-Life Balance of Millennial Workers in Leisure Activity to Create Sustainable Environment Design of Urban Park in Bandung, Indonesia

The Challenge of Work-Life Balance of Millennial Workers in Leisure Activity to Create Sustainable Environment Design of Urban Park in Bandung, Indonesia

Diurnal contrast of urban park cooling effects in a “Furnace city” using multi-source geospatial data and optimal parameters-based geographical detector model

Urban parks serve as key nature-based solutions to alleviate the urban heat island phenomenon. Studies have examined park cooling effects (PCEs) from various perspectives. However, the diurnal impacts of environmental factors and their contributions to PCEs, specifically the cooling indicators that comprehensively characterize PCEs, are not well understood. To fill the gap, we constructed a new PCE index, park cooling composite index, based on principal components analysis and six cooling indicators. We selected 68 parks to explore the diurnal variations of PCEs in a “furnace city” using multi-source geospatial data and an optimal parameters-based geographical detector (OPGD) model. PCEs were not affected by park spatial distribution, and urban parks typically exhibited enhanced PCEs in daytime. Correlations between environmental factors and PCEs varied diurnally, with variations among PCEs. Park area and park perimeter were significantly correlated with all PCEs at nighttime. The OPGD revealed that the majority of the internal and external interactive factors of parks enhanced PCEs, regardless of the time. Additionally, balancing strategies for daytime and nighttime PCEs of different park types were developed. These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the daily variations in PCEs, aiding in the design and planning of parks to adapt to extreme heat.

Unravelling key environmental factors influencing urban park visits: Thermal comfort and air quality

Urban parks play a vital role in shaping physical and mental health. Walking and cycling to local urban parks have become increasingly popular since the COVID-19 pandemic, whereas the climate change and air pollution continue to spur health risks for outdoor activities. Existing literature have focused on measuring the impact of temperature on park attendance, mainly using incomplete or short-term park visit data from field investigations. However, there is a lack of research on how thermal comfort factors (e.g., heat and humidity) and air quality indices – individually and synergistically – enhance or reduce visits to urban parks, particularly with quality official daily park visit data spanning an entire year. In response to the research gap, this study conducted a comparative case study of two urban parks in Shanghai, covering descriptive, correlation, and regression analyses of how weather and air quality mediate daily park attendance from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021. This study identifies that temperature, humidity, and the ‘Heat Index’ combining heat and humidity are strong parameters influencing the number of park visits, while the impacts of air quality indices are mostly trivial. Urban humid heat, a weather condition becoming more frequent with the rise of extreme heat events in Shanghai's recent summers, received much less attention than the sheer degree of temperature, threatening healthy outdoor activities in parks. These findings provide timely and important implications for better urban park planning, design, and management for promoting outdoor activities while reducing health risks.

Perceived setting interdependencies: the hidden barrier to urban parks’ stress-alleviation potential

ABSTRACT Previous research suggests that perceived setting interdependencies (PSI) affect human-environment interactions, impacting restorative experiences in the leisure time settings. However, the relationship between the environmental elements of urban parks, PSI, and their effects on cognitive restoration remains unclear. This research examined the relationship between the PSI experienced by urban park users and their feelings of “being away” and “fascination,” particularly in the context of stress. The study analysed data from 435 park users in Bangkok using structural equation modelling. Findings indicated that park features, such as biodiversity and amenities, influenced PSI, impacting stress recovery. High PSI negatively influenced stress recovery, suggesting the detrimental effects of environmental overlap. Contrary to the attention restoration theory, being away negatively correlated with stress recovery, while fascination positively impacted being away and stress recovery. The study suggests that urban park designs should minimize PSI and include fascinating features to effectively facilitate psychological restoration and stress recovery.

Evaluation of Age-Appropriate Public Seats in Comprehensive Parks and Sustainable Design Strategies Based on the Kano-Importance–Performance Analysis Model

Evaluation of Age-Appropriate Public Seats in Comprehensive Parks and Sustainable Design Strategies Based on the Kano-Importance–Performance Analysis Model

Park Space, Movement and Equity: Support of Physical Activity per Square Foot by Park Features.

Given the finite space available for parks in most urban areas, understanding the impact of design and park amenities on park visitation and physical activity should be considered when remodeling or creating new parks. This study analyzed park use and engagement in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in specific park amenities across 198 parks in 27 US cities from the 2016 National Study of Neighborhood Parks based on each feature's square footage. The study also specifically measured use of park space by age group and gender. After mapping the parks, measuring the square feet of the most common amenities and controlling for factors like population density, neighborhood poverty levels, and park size, we found varied and inequitable use of amenities by age and gender, with men and boys having considerably greater use than women and girls. The findings suggest that park management and design should support more efficient, equitable, and beneficial use of public spaces.

Effects of Tree Leaf Color on Human Physical and Mental Recovery from a Looking-Up Perspective

Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of understory spaces and plants on human well-being, but most spatial research has focused on a horizontal perspective. Additionally, there is a lack of research on the effects of plant color on human recovery, especially with respect to color proportions. This study classifies the leaf colors of trees in autumn, which are observed from a looking-up perspective, into green, red, and yellow. On this basis, we created monochromatic, two-color, and three-color groups with varying color proportions to assess their recovery effects and preferences. A total of 30 participants participated in this experiment, and their physiological, psychological, and preference-related indicators were evaluated. The results revealed that the following. (1) The two-color groups had the greatest reduction effect on systolic blood pressure. Monochromatic groups were most effective at reducing diastolic blood pressure. The three-color groups had the greatest effect on lowering the pulse rate. (2) EEG responses varied by color type. (3) The three-color groups had the best recovery effects on the psychological measures. (4) The three-color groups were most favored by participants, with a red–yellow–green ratio of 0.2/0.4/0.4 being the most preferred. These findings demonstrate the differing recovery potentials of various leaf color proportions from a looking-up perspective. This study can provide valuable references for the planning and design of urban forest parks, supplementing the theoretical foundation and research framework for evaluating and creating environments that meet people’s restorative needs.

Economic evaluation of alternative urban park designs that conserve irrigation water

AbstractIncreasing the area of drought‐tolerant native vegetation in urban parks is a potential strategy to adapt to growing water scarcity under climate change. With a case study in Perth, Australia, we undertake benefit–cost analyses to understand the potential impacts of modifying urban park landscape designs away from conventions dominated by watered grass towards alternatives with more native vegetation. Considering the costs of establishing and maintaining alternative designs alone, we find that local governments can save money by reducing the extent of watered grass cover in parks. Incorporating nonmarket benefits into the analyses provides evidence of positive community net benefits from making changes to conventional park designs. We show that an alternative park design featuring a mix of 60% native vegetation and 40% watered grass delivers the highest net benefits for both new park development and retrofits to existing parks. These findings suggest it is time to rethink urban park design norms in Australia to better align landscaping choices with community preferences under a changing climate.

The Role and Functions of City Parks in the Adaptation Process of Refugees to the City: The Case of Ulubey Şehit Ömer Karaosmanoğlu Park

Today, migration mobility is experienced intensely all over the world. As refugees seek asylum in their countries of origin, the process of integration begins spontaneously, and urban parks, which are the most important part of the public space and provide the unity of the city dwellers, play an active role in this process. "How does the use of urban parks change with the unpredictable number of refugees all over the world and especially in Turkey and how does this situation find expression in Ankara?" is the starting point of the study, while "the fact that refugees are under difficult socio-cultural and economic conditions has led to the use of urban parks and negatively affected the use of parks by local people" is the hypothesis of the study. Within the scope of the study, Ulubey Şehit Ömer Karaosmanoğlu Park, located in Altındağ district of Ankara, which is one of the countries hosting the highest number of refugees in the world and has the highest Syrian population in Ankara, was selected as the sample area and the park usage tendencies of both refugees and local people, how they feel about using the park together and whether the park contributes to the adaptation process were examined through a face-to-face survey. According to the survey data; it has been determined that there is not a full harmonization between the refugees using Ulubey Şehit Ömer Karaosmanoğlu Park and the local people and refugee women have more difficulties in harmonization than refugee men. With this study, solution suggestions are presented to local governments at the point of planning and design of urban parks in countries hosting refugees.

Effects of different natural soundscapes on human psychophysiology in national forest park

Most of the current soundscape research content is limited to the discussion of the restoration effect of single-element soundscapes, but it is the combination of sounds that is common in outdoor activities, and there is no evidence that the restoration of natural soundscapes is better with multi-element combinations. In this study, the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in China was used as the research object, and the physiological indices of the subjects were collected through electroencephalogram signals, and the POMS short-form psychological scale was used to understand the subjective psychological responses of the subjects to the soundscape. The results showed that (1) The psychophysiological restorative ability of the natural soundscape of the National Forest Park was confirmed, and the subjects’ psychological and physiological indices changed significantly and positively after listening to each section of the natural soundscape (p = 0.001). (2) The restorative effect of the multi-natural sound combination was ranked first in the overall ranking of the five natural soundscapes, and the multi-natural sound combination did indeed provide better restorative effects than the single-element sounds. (3) Gender does not usually have a significant effect on the restoration effect, and only Windy Sound among the four single-element nature sound landscapes and one multi-element combination of nature sound landscapes showed a significant gender difference, so in general, the effect of gender on the restoration effect of nature sound landscapes is not significant. In terms of research methodology, this study used cluster analysis to cluster the five types of natural soundscapes according to psychological and physiological recovery ability, and used ridge regression to construct mathematical models of the psychological and physiological recovery of each of the four natural soundscapes. The study of human physiological and psychological recovery from different types of natural soundscapes in China’s national forest parks will provide a basis for soundscape planning, design, and policy formulation in national forest parks.

Explorations on cooling effect of small urban linear park design in low-rise, high-density district: The case of Gyeongui line forest park in Seoul

Various types of urban parks provide a nature-based solution for mitigating urban heat islands and the cooling effect of urban parks has been extensively studied. However, there is a scarcity of cases involving small linear parks based on quantifiable unit, despite the expectation of their high cooling efficiency due to their unique form and characteristics. This study examined the cooling effect of urban linear park (LP) in low-rise and high-density districts with the longest urban park case in Seoul, South Korea, Gyeongui Line Forest Park, focusing on the influential factors related to park design. Thermal condition simulations and field measurements, including evaluations of thermal comfort, were conducted both inside and outside the LP. Park extensions with increased tree coverage ratio exhibit a consistent decline in thermal variables, with reductions of up to 11.25°C for mean radiant temperature (MRT), and 5.84°C for physiological equivalent temperature (PET). Peak cooling intensities are observed during the hottest time of day at 12 °C for MRT, with parallel wind further enhancing the cooling effect. In addition, LP cooling effect related to adjacent street types was investigated and appeared to be more pronounced in narrower streets. Strategies such as adding tall trees along adjacent streets and connecting cold airflows from the park to a street tree corridor may help to strengthen LP’s cooling effect. While direct comparisons are limited, initial findings suggest that small urban linear parks under specific conditions have significant cooling potential, possibly comparable to or exceeding that of other similar-sized small urban parks, needing further investigation.

Perception study of urban green spaces in Singapore urban parks: Spatio-temporal evaluation and the relationship with land cover

In the current era of increasing urbanization, urban green spaces play a crucial role in enhancing human well-being. However, quantifying public perceptions from text data at spatio-temporal scales remains challenging, and the relationship between urban green space perception and spatial-physical attributes requires further exploration. This study systematically examines public perceptions of urban green spaces within Singapore's urban parks from 2018 to 2022. Utilizing Twitter data, it applies large language models to conduct textual content analysis related to urban green space. The findings reveal a positive trend, with individuals expressing favorable perceptions and satisfaction towards urban green spaces in Singapore. Specifically, this study demonstrates that people's perceptions of urban green spaces are influenced by vegetation density. Higher vegetation density heightens people's awareness of spatial presence, while shrub and grassland may lead to neglect of urban green spaces as individuals focus more on themselves. Additionally, due to the spatial heterogeneity of the area, there is no clear correlation between all land covers and public satisfaction with urban green spaces in Singapore. The results also indicate a significant decrease in public perception in 2020, followed by a subsequent recovery. This fluctuation is attributed to the substantial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting that external socio-political, economic, and public health events can impact public green space needs and spatial perceptions. In conclusion, this study contributes to the understanding of urban green spaces by effectively analyzing textual content extracted from social media data using large language models. The insights gained contribute valuable to the following discussions regarding the planning and design of urban green spaces and urban parks.

Designing Pocket Park at Dense Building Area with Micro Climate Approach

Pocket parks can create new public spaces without needing large-scale redevelopment, usually smaller than one hectare and created in densely developed urban areas. This research aims to improve the community's standard of living, creating a more comfortable environment for humans and the environment. This research focuses on the design of pocket parks in dense building areas with the concept of microclimate. Data is collected from field observations. The design results are expected to provide an understanding of the role of pocket parks in dense neighborhoods and guide future park planning and management.

Sustaining tranquility in small urban green parks: A modeling approach to identify noise pollution contributors

Noise pollution poses a significant environmental challenge in Iranian urban areas, particularly within Small Urban Green Parks (SUGPs). This study investigates the extent of noise pollution in SUGPs and identifies key contributors to elevated noise levels. A total of 94 SUGPs, with a mean area of 1.86 ± 0.99 hectares, were selected in Isfahan City, Central Iran, and subjected to 30-m Equivalent Sound Level (Lq30) measurements at their central locations. Explanatory variables were classified into two categories based on road density, traffic volume, proximity to roads, park vegetation, and physical characteristics. The relationship between noise levels and each explanatory variable was observed to be non-linear and polynomial (R2 < 0.334) in certain instances. Our modeling results using the Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP)-Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model (R2 = 0.936) indicate that average noise levels in these parks surpass international guidelines, averaging 65.97 ± 17.76 dB. Traffic volume and proximity to limited access roads were identified as primary factors influencing noise levels in SUGPs. It was observed that the design and layout of small urban parks may not effectively mitigate surrounding traffic noise, even with sufficient green barriers to absorb or block sound. Consequently, future efforts should prioritize strategic site selection for SUGPs to minimize exposure to major noise sources.

A study of size threshold for cooling effect in urban parks and their cooling accessibility and equity

Rapid urbanization has led to increasingly prominent urban heat island phenomena and social inequality. It is urgent to quantify the threshold area of urban parks from multiple perspectives to maximize the cooling effect and improve the equity of park cooling services. Using 33 urban parks in Harbin City as research objects, four indices, i.e., park cooling intensity (PCI), park cooling distance (PCD), park cooling area (PCA), and park cooling efficiency (PCE), were used to explore the park cooling effect and the threshold value of efficiency (TVoE) of the size. The OD (origin–destination) matrix model was constructed to assess the spatial accessibility from the community to the cooling range. The Gini coefficient was used to assess the equity of cooling range accessibility. The relative contribution of each influencing factor to the cooling indicator was quantified through regression modeling. The results showed that the average PCI was 3.27 ℃, the average PCD was 277 m, the average PCA was 115.35 ha, and the average PCE was 5.74. Gray space area was the dominant factor for PCI, PCD, and PCA (relative contributions of 100%, 31%, and 19%, respectively). Park area was the dominant factor for PCE (relative contribution of 28%). The TVoE of park sizes based on PCA and PCE were calculated as 82.37 ha and 2.56 ha, respectively. 39.2% and 94.01% of communities can reach cooling ranges within 15 min in walk mode and transit mode, respectively. Approximately 18% of neighborhood residents are experiencing severe inequities in cooling range accessibility. This study can guide park design that maximizes cooling effects, as well as inform city planners on more equitable allocation of urban park resources.

Research on Key Points of Design of Standard Plants in Modern Industrial Parks Under the Background of Promoting the Development of New Quality Productive Forces

With the progress of science and technology and the acceleration of industrialization, the modern industrial park is an important carrier of industrial development. The importance of its standard plant design has become increasingly prominent. With the development of new quality productive forces as the background, this research deeply discusses the key points of standard plant design in modern industrial parks. This paper uses literature review and case analysis to systematically analyze the important role of standard plant design in developing new quality productive forces in modern industrial parks and puts forward suggestions for optimizing design. It is found that the rationality, intelligence, and environmental protection of plant design are the key factors affecting the development of new quality productive forces. The paper summarizes the core points of modern industrial park standard plant design to provide a reference for the future development of related industries.

EXPLORING CREATIVE THINKING SKILL

This study aims to describe students' abilities with visual-spatial and logical-mathematical intelligence in solving contextual mathematical problems. This qualitative research involved two eighth-grade students from a junior high school, each with a background in logical-mathematical and visual-spatial intelligence. The task consisted of two questions that asked students to create two park designs and two alternative payment methods for the "Suroboyo Bus." These findings show both subjects’ complete fluency and flexibility indicators in creative thinking. Subjects exhibit the ability to generate diverse solution pathways and apply various problem-solving strategies. Furthermore, the creative thinking skills displayed by the subject contribute to their comprehensive understanding of mathematical concepts and foster deeper engagement with the subject. The analysis results show that students with logical-mathematical intelligence were able to solve the problems well and came up with various alternative answers that other students did not consider. Students with visual-spatial intelligence were able to solve the problems successfully but did not find ideas to search for alternative answers beyond what was already presented. These findings indicate that both students with visual-spatial and logical-mathematical intelligence were capable of solving the given contextual problems, although there is still room for improvement

Virtual ecological landscape design of theme parks based on entertainment robots and VR devices

Currently, the design of virtual ecological landscapes in theme parks has become an innovative form of entertainment. This study aims to explore how to construct virtual ecological landscapes in theme parks through entertainment robots and VR devices, in order to provide an interactive entertainment experience between tourists and nature. We have built an outdoor sensing system and collected environmental data through sensors. Implement motion control of entertainment robots through programming, enabling them to interact according to environmental changes. Then, through information control and feedback technology, interaction with tourists is achieved. Analyze the motion trajectory of robots to optimize their performance, use virtual reality technology for design and rendering, achieve interactive effects through VR development platforms, and optimize VR devices through controlled simulation technology to enhance the virtual experience of tourists. Finally, combining the principles of ecological landscape design with landscape design techniques, applying VR design technology to achieve the design of virtual ecological landscapes in theme parks, considering the layout and combination of natural elements, in order to create virtual landscapes that are similar to real ecology. Through the application of VR technology, tourists can experience the landscape changes under different seasons and weather conditions, increasing the fun and realism of interaction. The results indicate that the virtual ecological landscape design of the theme park has been achieved through the combination of entertainment robots and VR devices. Tourists can obtain an immersive entertainment experience through interaction with robots and the application of virtual reality technology. Through robot trajectory analysis and ecological landscape recognition technology, the landscape design effect is optimized.

Exploration of the Planning and Design of Intelligent Ecological Park Under the Background of Carbon Neutrality -- takes Chongqing Lijia Baiyun Lake Park Planning and Design as an example

Under the background of China s goal of achieving carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutralization by 2060, green space, as an indispensable role, plays a key role. As an important part of urban green space system, parks play a positive role in ecological protection, enrichment of citizens life, beautification of the environment and carbon neutralization. Looking at China s park design, the ecological greening part occupies a very important position. However, with the rapid development of China s science and technology, science and technology are constantly integrating into our life. As a characteristic mountain city, Chongqing s urban park construction is developing rapidly, and Lijia has become one of the most changeable areas in Chongqing and a highland for the concentration and Realization of various policies, From Lijia Town, Lijia high-end business gathering area, Lijia international business tourism city, and Lijia smart city proposed at the smart Expo, the planning has been continuously upgraded to realize the three-level jump of regional value. The main task of this study is to explore how Baiyun Lake Park, which occupies the core position of Chongqing Science and technology center Lijia business gathering area, perfectly integrates people, ecology and intelligent technology, and even how to build it into a window representing the development level of Chongqing and the image quality of Liangjiang New Area, and what exploration has been made in the relationship between carbon neutralization and the park, The purpose is to provide some guidance and reference for the smart ecological park under the background of carbon neutralization.