Perceptions Of Green Space Research Articles

Capturing residents’ perceptions of green spaces in densifying urban landscapes - The potentials of mental mapping

Understanding residents’ perceptions of green-blue infrastructure (GBI) is critical to ensure continued access to its associated benefits in growing and densifying urban landscapes. Physical availability and accessibility of green spaces alone do not directly translate to actual appreciation and use. Residents’ sense of place can determine if benefits from GBI are realized and how landscape changes may be perceived. In this study, set in sub-urban Stockholm, Sweden, we applied a mixed-methods approach combining mental mapping with follow-up interviews to investigate how such methodology can improve our understanding of residents’ perception of the recreational use of GBI. For the mental mapping exercise, participants drew, freehand, a map of appreciated neighborhood places for recreational purposes. Our results clearly show that mental mapping provides relevant information on individual and collective perceptions of recreational GBI, linkages between green-blue and gray infrastructure elements, and recreational hot-spots of importance to the local inhabitants. The unguided approach to welding local knowledge with spatial expressions makes the method well suited to contribute to a better understanding of plural senses of place with regards to the recreational use of GBI in rapidly urbanizing landscapes and an enhanced capacity to recognise locally appreciated recreational spaces in planning and practical management.

What is the Perception of Brazilians Regarding Green Urban Spaces?

Urban green spaces are essential for the quality of life of people living in cities. These areas provide ecosystem services such as temperature reduction, improved air quality, and rainwater absorption, among others. The objective of this study is to identify Brazilians' perceptions of green spaces and the provision of ecosystem services. To that end, the literature was used to create an online questionnaire that was distributed to 511 people in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The snowball structure was used to collect data. A factorial analysis was performed on the collected data, in addition to the use of descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests for the treatment of the collected information. The findings revealed three factors in relation to green areas: i-The benefits of having parks in the urban area; ii- The impact of green spaces on human health; and iii- The problems caused by urban green spaces. The respondents' perception of the first factor is neutral; however, when it comes to the second factor, the participants agree on the importance of urban green spaces and the benefits they provide to human health.

From Antiquity to the Present: A Perpetually Evolving History of Green Spaces

The evolution of green spaces throughout history originated in the ancient world and extended through different eras. In this respect, this study aims to explore this historical evolution in detail, focusing on the temporal and geographical setting of the descriptions. This is made possible by a bibliographical search ensuring the fundamental elements and key references for analysing and understanding the changes in this green infrastructure across historical periods, despite the limited availability of information. As a result, ancient gardens were developed as spaces suitable for meditation, establishing the first harmonization between mankind and nature. The analysis continues with a particular focus on Renaissance gardens, marked by innovative aesthetics and a new interest in symmetry and order. The Baroque period is characterized by splendid and spectacular gardens, reflecting the scale of royal castles and palaces. The transition to landscape gardens reveals a more natural, romantic perspective, highlighting the natural perfection of the landscape. The study also looks at contemporary developments, where gardens are becoming multipurpose spaces that integrate ecological, artistic and wellness aspects. The history of green spaces has emerged as a rich and detailed chronicle, illustrating cultural, social and aesthetic developments over the centuries. This chronological journey highlights the influence of artistic perspectives and styles on the design and perception of green spaces, underlining their key role as a representation of the evolution of the human spirit and the human-nature interrelationship.

Comprehensive evaluation of urban greenspace ecological values marketability through the spatial relationship between housing price and ecosystem services

Urban greenspace provides a variety of ecosystem services. A reasonable evaluation of such services, both from an environmental and from an economic point of view, can deliver a more comprehensive and accurate assessment of urban greenspace value and might be helpful for possible future market transactions. There seems to be a spatial correlation between housing price and ecosystem services. The hedonic price model takes into account also the greenspace around the residences. This study proposed a methodological framework combining the emergy accounting method and statistical model, taking Beijing as a case study. The relationship between housing prices and ecosystem services is explored, and the different types of urban ecosystem service are evaluated, taking into account the heterogeneity of different size, distance and perception of greenspaces. Ecological thermodynamics was applied to the housing price characteristic model, accounting for the ecological value embedded in the housing price, and provided a theoretical basis for the ecological value monetization evaluation and urban ecological planning. The results show that the improvement of each unit of ecosystem services value measured by means of the emergy accounting method will increase the housing price by 806.28 yuan per square meter. Small and micro parks have a more positive impact on housing prices than medium and large parks; The positive impact of grassland on housing price is greater than that of woodland, wetland and shrubs; Carbon sequestration has the largest positive impact on housing prices of other kind of ecosystem services. The methodological framework proposed in this study is helpful to further explore the ecosystem services provided by urban greenspace. The quantitative pricing results of different ecosystem services can be used as reference for relevant ecological trading and compensation policies. Qualitative analysis of parks and different ecosystems can provide value for urban greenspace planning.

Greening plans as (re)presentation of the city: Toward an inclusive and gender-sensitive approach to urban greenspaces

Cities around the world are increasingly expanding their sustainability agendas and adopting urban green and blue infrastructure planning as a strategy to become more resilient, healthy and sustainable. However, the development of urban greening governance often lacks a holistic vision that considers social inequities within the planning, implementation and management of green and blue spaces. Further, gender inequities have been a specific dimension particularly overlooked in urban greening planning, despite gender concerns gaining increasing political relevance in recent years. In this research, we assessed the extento to which social and gender equity are being considered in urban greening plans and projects at the local level. We chose Barcelona (Spain) as main case study due to its pioneering role in implementing crosscutting equity and gender policies at the municipal level. Building on document analysis and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, we examined how social justice and gender are understood and operationalized in practice, from the design phase to implementation and maintenance of greening projects. Our findings suggest a shift in the role of urban greening which evolved from an ornamental role to a multifunctional vision of greening and is recently incorporating equity and inclusivity concerns. We identified three action areas of inclusive, gender-sensitive urban green planning practices: first, the incorporation of inclusivity and care as guiding visible values to recognize multiple needs of city residents; second, urban design for different uses and perceptions of greenspaces, particularly in relation to accessibility and autonomy; and third, the awareness and expertise from municipal staff vis-à-vis the consideration of social and gender equity in green planning and participatory approaches. Finally, we provide practical examples of the strategies that the City of Barcelona is implementing in each area and discuss some challenges and limitations, including what we identify as ad hoc intersectional greening.

Nature interactions and their associations with connection to nature and well‐being varies between different types of green spaces

Abstract Increasing urbanization leads to greater loss of interaction with nature over time in a process described as the extinction of experience. Urban green spaces are some of the most prominent sites where individuals can access and interact with nature in urban areas. There is currently a gap in research around how different types of urban green spaces influence nature interactions, their relationships with human well‐being, and what influences these relationships. Greater knowledge of these connections can aid in the design of green spaces that can increase human well‐being and mitigate the extinction of experience. We conducted a visitor survey in an urban nature site in Israel, which consists of both a garden and protected nature area dominated by natural Mediterranean vegetation. We aimed to understand how visitors interacted with nature at the site and how the interactions differed between the protected nature area and the garden. Both frequency of interactions and number of total interactions were measured. We also investigated the extent to which these interactions associated with nature relatedness (using the NRS scale), well‐being (using overall happiness and psychological well‐being) and the variables that influence nature interactions and well‐being outcomes. Visitors who visited the protected nature area were more likely to interact with nature than those who only visited the garden. Nature interactions were significantly associated with an individual's nature relatedness and their perception of whether the site functioned more similarly to an urban park or a protected nature area. Living nearby was associated with greater attachment to and identity with the site, but also lower frequency of nature interactions. Nature interactions were associated with measures of well‐being, including overall happiness, attachment, identity and reflection, but varied depending on well‐being measures. Interactions with nature, and their benefits, are not equal based on both actual opportunity for interaction and perceptions of green spaces. Incorporating user preferences of urban green spaces for more wild nature that individuals also perceive as wilder may allow for greater interaction. Developing urban nature sites that allow for greater interaction can promote human well‐being associated with interactions and combat extinction of experience. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Perceptions of greenspace and social determinants of health across the life course: The Life Course Sociodemographics and Neighborhood Questionnaire (LSNEQ).

We developed the Life Course Sociodemographics and Neighborhood Questionnaire (LSNEQ) to query older adults about perceived neighborhood greenspaces across the life course (i.e., distance to park, number of neighborhood parks/playgrounds, and neighborhood greenness) and about characteristics hypothesized to confound or moderate/mediate greenspace-health associations. Six perceived life course indices are derived from the LSNEQ: neighborhood socioeconomic status, neighborhood walking/biking, urbanicity, neighborhood amenities, neighborhood park access, and neighborhood greenness. Older adults from St. Louis, Missouri, and Sacramento, California, completed the LSNEQ in 2020-2021. The indices demonstrated borderline acceptable to good internal consistency (alpha=0.60-0.79) and good to excellent test-retest reliability (ICC=0.71-0.96) and detected different patterns of park access and neighborhood greenness by racialized group and location. Individuals with index scores indicating more neighborhood walking/biking and greater presence of neighborhood amenities over their life course were more likely to report neighborhood-based walking in older age. Overall, the LSNEQ is a reliable instrument to assess perceptions of life course social determinants of health including neighborhood greenspaces.

Does Green Space Signify on Students’ Academic Performance and Pro-environmental Behavior? An Empirical Study at a Pro-environmental University

Green Space has become a central awareness of higher educational institutions as it is expected to create a better atmosphere to study. This study aimed to examine the effects of students' perception of Green Space on their Academic Performance and pro-environmental behavior. It was a quantitative study; there were 705 students in the population and 256 student participants. The data were collected by distributing the questionnaire. After the questionnaire was tested for validity and reliability, the data were analyzed with SPSS version 21. The results showed that students’ perception of Green Space (X) had a positive but insignificant effect on Academic Performance(Y1). Furthermore, the Perception of Green Space (X) positively and significantly affected pro-environmental behavior (Y2). Therefore, it is recommended that higher education institutions improve their pro-environmental behavior by committing to Green Space. Then, educational institutions are concerned with other factors, such as the lecturers' competencies, interests, and passions, and the infrastructure to improve students’ Academic Performance.

“It's opened my eyes to what's out there”: How do nature-based interventions influence access to and perceptions of the natural environment?

The health and wellbeing benefits of engagement with the natural environment are well documented. Nature-based interventions (NBIs) can widen access, but little is known about how they affect independent use and perception of greenspace. This mixed methods study examines the longer-term influence of one NBI on woodland visits. 120 adults took part in a longitudinal questionnaire survey, and 20 participated in focus groups. An increase in independent woodland visits was found to continue to rise beyond the programme endpoint suggesting that NBIs can act as a turning point for engagement with nature, breaking down psychological, emotional and socio-cultural barriers.

Urbanites’ perceptions of green spaces and their roles in effective management: a survey-based study from Delhi, India

Urbanites’ perceptions of green spaces and their roles in effective management: a survey-based study from Delhi, India

The Role of the Campus Outdoor Environment on University Student Mental Health

Background and objective The mental health and wellness of university students has been a pressing concern in recent years in the US and is becoming an even larger issue due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Numerous studies have supported the idea that the natural environment can have a positive impact on mental health, but only a few studies focus on the role of university outdoor campus environments on student’s mental health. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the correlations between university student mental health and their campus’s outdoor environment. Methods An online survey was designed and distributed to students at Michigan State University, USA. Students were asked questions about their overall mental well-being, as well as questions about their environmental perceptions, outdoor activity, views to nature through windows and safety concerns regarding their outdoor campus environment. Results The major findings indicate a significant difference in mental health scores for windows in living quarters, where students with living quarter windows had better mental health scores (MHS) than students without living quarter windows. This study also found a marginally significant difference in MHS for students with classroom windows. Other results of this study include a significant difference in MHS for students’ perception of safety on campus, outdoor work time, and perception of greenspace on campus. Conclusion Future campus planner, landscape architects, university planners, and student counselors will use this study to determine what kinds of outdoor spaces should be created and used to improve the well-being of students.

The Human Perception of Green Spaces (GS) and the Research Pattern in the Last Decade: A Systematic Review

The growth of urbanization has reduced the availability of green spaces (GS) and the decrease in these spaces, as well as the difficulty in accessing them, has impacts on human physical and mental health, proven by research that deeply investigates this theme around the world. Thus, understanding the impacts of GS on human perception within the contemporary scenario is of fundamental importance, since the population has been subjected to a high level of stress generated by the high work demand, as well as the quarantine scenario imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Based on this, the present research aimed to investigate the implications of GS on self-reported well-b eing through the perceptions generated by these environments and for that, a systematic literature review (2010-2020) was carried out, based on selected pre-criteria, which were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively through meta-analysis. The results describe and discuss 14 implications of GS for human well-being and mental health, 7 demographic differences verified in the way of perceiving these environments and statistical dependencies in the research pattern of certain study variables in the last decade.

The Human Perception of Green Spaces (GS) and the Research Pattern in the Last Decade: A Systematic Review

The growth of urbanization has reduced the availability of green spaces (GS) and the decrease in these spaces, as well as the difficulty in accessing them, has impacts on human physical and mental health, proven by research that deeply investigates this theme around the world. Thus, understanding the impacts of GS on human perception within the contemporary scenario is of fundamental importance, since the population has been subjected to a high level of stress generated by the high work demand, as well as the quarantine scenario imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Based on this, the present research aimed to investigate the implications of GS on self-reported well-b eing through the perceptions generated by these environments and for that, a systematic literature review (2010-2020) was carried out, based on selected pre-criteria, which were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively through meta-analysis. The results describe and discuss 14 implications of GS for human well-being and mental health, 7 demographic differences verified in the way of perceiving these environments and statistical dependencies in the research pattern of certain study variables in the last decade.

Does visual contact with green space impact housing pricesʔ An integrated approach of machine learning and hedonic modeling based on the perception of green space

Green space, especially visual contact with greenery, is an important aspect of space quality assessment and has a significant impact on the premium of real estate. Due to the limitations in available data and technologies, existing hedonic studies mainly capture accessibility to green space (i.e., proximity), and how visual contact with green space (i.e., visibility) impacts housing prices is not well understood. This paper measures the intangible concept of visual contact with green space by taking advantage of street view images and community photos based on semantic segmentation. Then, based on hedonic model theory, a set of housing price determinants is selected. Finally, we construct two models, namely, random forest regression and geographically weighted regression models, to explore the capitalization effects of visual contact with green space on housing prices in Shenzhen, China. In our study, compared with indicators such as park accessibility and greening rate, variables of green visual contact are more important for housing prices. Moreover, the effects of visual contact with green space inside and outside the community display marked spatial variations. This work is a beneficial attempt to focus on the human scale for the actual demand of urban green planning. The findings of this paper add further knowledge to highlight the importance of visual contact with green space in street design and urban planning, which can enrich research on the amenity values of green space and the quality of public space theoretically and methodologically.

Exploratory Study of the Use and Perception of Green Spaces by the Inhabitants, the Case of Constantine

Exploratory Study of the Use and Perception of Green Spaces by the Inhabitants, the Case of Constantine

Perception and Attitudes of Residents Towards Green Spaces in Croatia – an Exploratory Study

Green spaces are important parts of urban infrastructure. COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown periods around the world have confirmed benefits that people derive from using green spaces for their physical and mental health. Green spaces need to meet the needs of users so that people can use them and benefit over time. It is important to consider users' perceptions and attitudes. User input proves beneficial in improving management practices. We investigated the differences in attitudes and perceptions of respondents from different large settlements in Croatia towards green spaces. Data on the use and perception of green spaces were collected in the first lockdown period in Europe and processed the part of the questionnaire on attitudes and perceptions towards green spaces. People have similar, mostly positive perceptions of green spaces regardless of the size of the settlement. Differences were found in the perception of disadvantages and needs related to the management of green spaces. This is the first study of the attitudes and perceptions on a large spatial scale in Croatia, so the results are exploratory and important. This study contributes to research on the social aspects of green spaces by investigating the influence of environmental context on perceptions and attitudes.

The role of green roofs in post COVID-19 confinement: An analysis of willingness to pay

Urban population is becoming less likely to contact with nature. Yet, green infrastructure, as green roofs, provide multiple ecosystem services, as promoting citizens physical and psychological well-being. With the Coronavirus 19 world pandemic public spaces, like parks and other recreational areas, were closed and most citizens were confined to their dwellings. In this context, the need for outdoor space in the housing environment became more necessary than ever. This study is based on a survey performed to citizens living in 35 different countries to identify their access and value given to existing green areas in the home environment during and after confinement, and their willingness to pay (WTP) for an accessible green roof. Results indicate that 68% of respondents missed having a garden during the confinement and the outdoor space value increased after the confinement. Most are willing to pay for a medium sized accessible green roof and their WTP increases if the green area is bigger. WTP for medium sized green roofs is higher in other countries than in Portugal but not significantly different for larger green roofs. To promote private investment in green roofs, citizens WTP should be considered when designing new urban green infrastructure incentive policies.

Window view and relaxation: Viewing green space from a high-rise estate improves urban dwellers’ wellbeing

The current challenges of urbanization and densification threaten the health of urban dwellers. Previous studies have shown that contact with; or perception of green spaces has beneficial impacts on human psychological wellbeing. However, residents and employees who live or work in high-rise buildings have little opportunity to access green spaces during working hours. We do not know whether viewing green space through a high-rise estate window can potentially contribute to the psychological wellbeing of urban dwellers. Thirty participants were randomly assigned to two offices, a window looking out onto urban space, or a window looking out onto green space from a wide-angle of the 21st floor of the Jin-Mao Tower. During visual stimulation, sensors took physiological measures of their stress levels by measuring Electroencephalography, heart rate variability, and skin conductance, while their psychological reactions were collected using Profile of Mood States and Semantic Differential Questionnaire. Results showed that compared with the urban space view; viewing green space through a high-rise window resulted in a significant increase in alpha wave power in the frontal and occipital lobes, a significant increase in parasympathetic activity; and a significant decrease in the skin conductance. Moreover; a significant increase in “comfortable”, “beautiful”, “attractive”, “relaxed”, and “cheerful’’ feelings, and a significant improvement in mood states. Window views can significantly lead to better mental health and psychological wellbeing for urban dwellers. The observed results highlight the significance of considering the window views in urban high-rise neighborhood planning and design.

Tree Canopy Cover Is Best Associated with Perceptions of Greenspace: A Short Communication.

A growing literature has supported a relationship between greenspace and health. Various greenspace metrics exist; some are based on subjective measures while others are based on an objective assessment of the landscape. While subjective measures may better reflect individual feelings about surrounding greenspace and the resulting positive benefits thereof, they are expensive and difficult to collect. In contrast, objective measures can be derived with relative ease, in a timely fashion, and for large regions and populations. While there have been some attempts to compare objective and subjective measures of greenspace, what is lacking is a comprehensive assessment of a wide range of greenspace metrics against subjective measures of greenspace. We performed such an assessment using a set of three objective greenspace metrics and a survey of residents in Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia. Our study supported existing findings in that overall, there is very little agreement between perceived and objective greenspace metrics. We also found that tree canopy in 10 min walking buffers around residences was the objective greenspace measure in best agreement with perceived greenspace.

Experts’ Perceptions on the Particulate Matter Reduction Effects of Green Open Space

With recent declines in air quality, the significance of urban green spaces and their ecological functions have rapidly increased, especially with regard to the reduction of particulate matter. Various investigations regarding particle reduction in urban green spaces have been conducted; however, specific guidelines to establish empirical data for green spaces and to inform related policies are still lacking. Thus, this study aims to categorize experts’ perceptions of green spaces through Q-methodology and to identify ways to form a consensus, establish policies in the design and construction process, ultimately aiming to enhance particle reduction effects in urban green spaces. As a result, experts’ perceptions were classified into three categories: ‘active support,’ ‘skeptical,’ and ‘passive support’ groups. Experts’ opinions on the particle reduction effects of urban green areas are overarchingly agreed upon; however, the priorities involved and methods used in augmenting green space integration require further analysis and mediation. Additionally, further empirical evidence should be accumulated on the particulate matter reduction effects of urban green areas, including the quantification of particle concentration reduction in urban green spaces and considerations for policy establishment in design and construction.