Urban Parks Research Articles

A Multi Source Data-Based Method for Assessing Carbon Sequestration of Urban Parks from a Spatial–Temporal Perspective: A Case Study of Shanghai Century Park

As urbanization accelerates globally, urban areas have become major sources of greenhouse gas emissions. In this context, urban parks are crucial as significant components of carbon sinks. Using Shanghai Century Park as a case study, this study aims to develop an applicable and reliable workflow to accurately assess the carbon sequestration capacity of urban parks from a spatial–temporal perspective. Firstly, the random forest model is employed for biotope classification and mapping in the park based on multi-source data, including raw spectral bands, vegetation indices, and texture features. Subsequently, the Net Primary Productivity and biomass of different biotope types are calculated, enabling dynamic monitoring of the park’s carbon sequestration capacity from 2018 to 2023. Moreover, the study explores the main factors influencing changes in carbon sequestration capacity from the management perspective. The findings reveal: (1) The application of multi-source imagery data enhances the accuracy of biotope mapping, with winter imagery proving more precise in classification. (2) From 2018 to 2023, Century Park’s carbon sequestration capacity showed a fluctuating upward trend, with significant variations in the carbon sequestration abilities of different biotope types within the park. (3) Renovation and construction work related to biotope types significantly impacted the park’s carbon sequestration capacity. Finally, the study proposes optimization strategies focused on species selection and layout, planting density, and park management.

How leisure involvement impacts visitors’ perceived health benefits in urban forest parks: examining the moderating role of place attachment

Urban forest park leisure is a significant means for residents to achieve health and well-being, thus possessing high public health value. However, the relationship between visitors’ leisure involvement and perceived health benefits has not been clarified. This study introduced restorative experiences and positive emotions as mediators and place attachment as a psychological moderator, innovatively constructing a stimulus-organism-response-moderator (SORM) integrated model. This moderated mediation model aimed to examine the mechanism through which visitors’ leisure involvement influenced perceived health benefits. A field survey was conducted in Fuzhou National Forest Park in Fujian, China, resulting in the collection of 588 valid questionnaires. The results showed that visitors’ leisure involvement positively impacted restorative experiences and positive emotions. Restorative experiences and positive emotions completely mediated the indirect relationship between visitors’ leisure involvement and perceived health benefits. Place attachment enhanced the impact of restorative experiences on perceived health benefits, thereby positively moderating the mediation effect of restorative experiences. Place attachment also diminished the impact of positive emotions on perceived health benefits, thereby negatively moderating the mediation effect of positive emotions. Therefore, significant differences existed in the psychological processes involved in acquiring perceived health benefits among visitors with different levels of place attachment. Our findings might enrich the existing knowledge of place attachment and forest health benefits, providing valuable references for designing and optimizing urban forest parks.

Conceptual Design of an Urban Pocket Park Located in the Site of the Occurrence of a Nineteenth-Century Chapel Using Representatives of Local Xerothermic Vegetation

The 19th century neo-Gothic chapel located in the Stradom district of Czestochowa, Southern Poland and built at the intersection of the main streets is a recognizable landmark of great historical value. Unfortunately, the current condition of the surroundings depreciates the charm of such a chapel, and thus does not encourage people to admire it. Therefore, in order to expose such a valuable object, we planned to create a conceptual design of a pocket park around this cultural monument. When choosing the location of any park, it is recommended to know the needs of the local residents, so we conducted a survey regarding their wishes. When designing the area, we intended to use species representing the vegetation characteristic of the Krakow–Czestochowa Upland located in Southern Poland. At the same time, we used a material typical of the area, namely limestone. Design principles around the chapel were taken into account, separating the sacred and profane zones with the intention of giving this site a unique character and creating the first urban pocket park of this kind.

Characteristics of soil organic carbon fractions and influencing factors in different understory mosses in karst urban parks.

The impact of different vegetation types on soil organic carbon (SOC) is a key focus in global warming research. Bryophytes, commonly found in karst urban forests, significantly contribute to carbon accumulation in surface soil. However, the changes in soil organic carbon fractions under moss and the influencing factors remain unclear. To address this knowledge gap, the study examined the organic carbon content, soil physicochemical properties, and associated environmental factors in both moss-covered soil and bare soil under six different forest species within an urban park. The results showed that the SOC contents under moss cover in evergreen coniferous forest (127.28g/kg), bamboo forest (144.70g/kg), deciduous broad-leaved forest (87.63g/kg), and evergreen shrub (109.28g/kg) were significantly higher compared to bare soil. Moss cover also had a significant impact on soil readily oxidizable carbon (ROC), particulate organic carbon (POC), mineral-associated organic carbon (MOC), and heavy fraction organic carbon (HFOC) (P < 0.01). The soil under moss had a higher content of stable organic carbon fraction, which is conducive to the stability of the soil organic carbon pool. The interaction between moss cover and stand type had the most significant effect on soil organic carbon, especially in bamboo forests. Canopy density, moss biomass, and soil moisture were the main environmental factors affecting the content of soil organic carbon and its fractions, while soil organic carbon content was mainly affected by soil nitrogen and phosphorus. This study establishes a theoretical framework for investigating the carbon cycle in karst urban underforest ecosystems, offering a scientific basis for the management and preservation of urban green space ecosystems. Future studies should include bryophytes in the assessment of dynamic factors affecting the soil carbon pool under forest cover and further explore the function and ecological significance of bryophytes in understory ecosystems.

Trunk climbing among ground-dwelling European amphibians – first observation from Poland

Most European amphibian species are considered land-dwelling, associated with moving along the ground and as poor climbers. However, more recent research indicates that non-arboreal amphibians use nesting boxes and tree hollows in Central and Western Europe. This study describes the first observation of tree climbing by the common toad Bufo bufo (Linnaeus, 1758) and common frog Rana temporaria Linnaeus, 1758 in Poland. While conducting a night survey of newt mortality in the ‘Traszki Ratajskie’ protected area in an urban park in the city of Poznań, Poland, we detected the unexpected use of trees by two species of amphibians. In June 2020, we observed cases of Bufo bufo and Rana temporaria foraging on and using arboreal ambush sites. The toads were found at an average height of 124 cm above the ground, and the frogs at 35 cm, on the tree trunks and branches of two willows (Salix cfr. alba L.) and a dead silver birch specimen (Betula pendula L.). The willows had an extensive multi-stem structure, and exhibited signs of maturity and ageing (hollow-bearing trees with open cavities and crevices). This is the first observation of arboreal behaviour in B. bufo and R. temporaria in Poland. The climbing behaviour and use of tree sites were likely linked to the search for a humid shelter provided by the interior of the ageing trees, as well as to the foraging behaviour that we observed. Trees exhibiting signs of maturity usually have complex structures, and seem particularly important for amphibians during periods of drought, as both a suitable shelter and an area from which to ambush prey. We recommend focusing greater attention on the protection of mature, ageing trees, especially Salix spp. within a terrestrial buffer zone of at least 250 metres from ponds, as these are poorly researched components within amphibian habitats. This type of resource may be essential for long-term amphibian conservation due to site fidelity and the limited number of shelters in human-altered landscapes. The recently adopted EU Nature Restoration Law presents an opportunity to develop good practices in this area, particularly urban tree planting and habitat management.

Microbiomes of urban trees: unveiling contributions to atmospheric pollution mitigation

Urban trees are crucial in delivering essential ecosystem services, including air pollution mitigation. This service is influenced by plant associated microbiomes, which can degrade hydrocarbons, support tree health, and influence ecological processes. Yet, our understanding of tree microbiomes remains limited, thus affecting our ability to assess and quantify the ecosystem services provided by trees as complex systems. The main hypothesis of this work was that tree microbiomes concur to hydrocarbon biodegradation, and was tested through three case studies, which collectively investigated two tree micro-habitats (phyllosphere and tree cavity organic soil—TCOS) under various conditions representing diverse ecological scenarios, by applying different culture-based and molecular techniques and at different scales. The integration of all results provided a more comprehensive understanding of the role of microbiomes in urban trees. Firstly, bacterial strains isolated from the phyllosphere of Quercus ilex were characterized, indicating the presence of Plant-Growth Promoting bacteria and strains able to catabolize PAHs, particularly naphthalene and phenanthrene. Secondly, naphthalene biodegradation on artificially spiked Hedera helix leaves was quantified in greenhouse experiments on inoculated and untreated plants. The persistence of the inoculated strain and community structure of epiphytic bacteria were assessed by Illumina sequencing of V5–V6 hypervariable regions of 16S rRNA gene. Results showed that naphthalene degradation was initially faster on inoculated plants but later the degradation rates became similar, probably because bacterial populations with hydrocarbon-degrading abilities gradually developed also on non-inoculated plants. Finally, we explored bacterial and fungal biodiversity hosted by TCOS samples, collected from six large trees located in an urban park and belonging to different species. Microbial communities were characterized by Illumina sequencing of V5–V6 hypervariable regions of bacterial gene 16S rRNA and of fungal ITS1. Results indicated TCOS as a distinct substrate, whose microbiome is determined both by the host tree and by canopy environmental conditions and has a pronounced aerobic hydrocarbon degradation potential. Overall, a better assessment of biodiversity associated with trees and the subsequent provision of ecosystem services constitute a first step toward developing future new microbe-driven sustainable solutions, especially in terms of support for urban green planning and management policy.

Diameter Increment Estimations of Open-Grown Stone Pine (Pinus pinea L.) Trees in Urban Parks in Istanbul, Türkiye

Open-grown trees in cities can improve environmental conditions by providing sustainable ecosystem services. Reliable data are necessary for assessing the functions of urban trees. The diameter at breast height (DBH), diameter increment, and annual ring measurements are the main parameters in the development of reliable models. To model periodic mean diameter increments calculated for different time periods (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years), a total of 43 open-grown stone pines (Pinus pinea L.) of different diameter classes were sampled in several urban parks in Istanbul, Türkiye. The DBH was measured, and increment cores were extracted from each tree at 1.30 m stem height using an increment borer. Tree age at breast height was determined by counting annual rings, and periodic mean diameter increments were calculated for different periods based on the measured tree-ring widths. The periodic mean increments of different periods were related to the inside-bark diameter at breast height and tree age. Since there was no significant relationship between tree age and periodic mean increments for each period’s length, as shown in the correlation analysis, models used to estimate the periodic mean increments of inside-bark DBH were developed using the least squares regression and quantile regression (QR) techniques. As the period length increased, the estimation success of the diameter increment models increased while the mean absolute percentage error (MAE) values decreased from 40 to 32%. The best model was the one used for the last 25-year period with the quantile value q = 0.50 which estimated the diameter increment with an RMSE = 1.391 mm/year and MAE = 32.27%.

Unequal access to social, environmental and health amenities in US urban parks

Unequal access to social, environmental and health amenities in US urban parks

Advancing source apportionment of soil potentially toxic elements using a hybrid model: a case study in urban parks, Beijing, China.

Identifying the source-specific health risks of potentially toxic elements (PTE) in urban park soils is essential for human health protection. However, previous studies have mostly focused on the deterministic source-specific health risks, ignoring the health risk assessment from a probabilistic perspective. To fill this gap, we developed a hybrid model that incorporated machine learning (ML) interpretability into positive matrix factorization (PMF) and probability health risk assessment (PHRA) based on the Monte Carlo simulation. The results indicated that concentrations of soil PTEs except for Mn and Sb were significantly higher than their corresponding background values. Random forest (RF) was regarded as the best ML model to identify key drivers for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn, with R2 > 0.60, but was less effective for other soil PTEs (R2 < 0.49). Specifically, the contributions of the four potential pollutionsources were mixed sources, traffic emission, fuel combustion, and building materials, with contribution rate of 24.88%, 30.56%, 28.99%, and 15.56%, respectively. Fuel combustion contributed the most to non-carcinogenic for children (39.45%), male (43.84%), and female (43.76%), and the non-carcinogenic risk could be considered negligiblefor human. However, building materials was the major contributor to carcinogenic risk for children (36.1%), male (44.9%), and female (43.2%). The integration of the RF model with PMF and PHRA improved the accuracy of the results by identifying and quantifying the specific sources of each soil PTE using the relative importance analysis from the RF model. The results of this study assisted in providing efficient strategies for risk management and control of soil PTEs in Beijing parks.

The influence of visual and auditory environments in parks on visitors’ landscape preference, emotional state, and perceived restorativeness

Various auditory and visual factors influence people’s perception and restoration experiences in the spatial environments. However, few studies have treated these factors as a comprehensive system phenomenon to reveal their integrated effects. Therefore, a specific explanation of the primary pathways and factors that contribute to the main effects of park soundscapes and visual features and the resulting perceived restorativeness remains unclear. The study surveyed 861 visitors in five urban parks in China and collected audiovisual information. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the research explored the direct, indirect, and moderating effects of common audiovisual environments in parks on perceived restorativeness, emotional states, and preferences. The results indicate that most natural-related visual and auditory factors provide direct benefits for people’s perceived restorativeness, emotional state, and preference. Additionally, certain landscape features and types of sound sources, such as trees and water sounds, have indirect effects on activating restoration through preference and emotion mediation. The study also reveals the moderating effects of landscape features and sound source types on emotional and perceived restorativeness. Another noteworthy finding is the significant relationship between bird songs and the positive impact on perceived restorativeness, emotional state, and preference, which is closely related to acoustic quality indicators. These findings offer new insights for creating urban park spaces through visual and auditory interactions.

Social Sustainability in Urban Parks: Insights from Alaeddin Hill Park, Konya

Social Sustainability in Urban Parks: Insights from Alaeddin Hill Park, Konya

Space-for-time substitutions exaggerate urban bird-habitat ecological relationships.

North American bird abundance has declined by 29% over the last 50 years. These continental population dynamics interact with local landscape changes to affect local bird diversity. Mitigating local declines in cities is particularly significant because (a) such declines greatly impact human-bird relationships since most people live in cities and (b) cities provide levers to create bird-friendly habitat, such as managing yards and gardens, street trees, and urban parks. Yet, the potential for cities to modify habitats to mitigate broader bird declines remains unclear. Studies have been stymied by the difficulty of assembling mutidecadal habitat-bird population datasets. Instead, studies have substituted space for time (e.g. used habitat associations across space at one time point to project future species abundance due to changing land use), but this method may fail amidst nonstationary environments of the Anthropocene. Here, we test the validity of space-for-time substitutions for explaining changes in bird abundance in a North American city over the past two decades by examining the degree to which these changes are explainable by changes in local landcover at multiple spatial scales. Specifically, we use longitudinal urban bird surveys of Metro Vancouver, BC, Canada from 1997 and 2020; deep learning models of remote sensing data to classify contemporaneous landcover; out-of-sample prediction and boosted regression trees to identify multiple spatial scales of landcover that best explained bird abundance (i.e. optimal scale of effect for each species by each habitat); and Bayesian multispecies abundance models in Stan to determine relationships between changes in landcover and bird abundance. We found that total bird abundance declined by 26% over the last two decades. Landcover measured at both 50 m and optimal scales explained spatial variation in bird abundance, but only landcover at the optimal scale explained temporal changes, and only partially. These results suggest that space-for-time substitutions overemphasize habitat-bird ecological relationships, urban habitats only partially determine bird abundance, and measuring habitat at the appropriate scale is important for capturing the most relevant changes in landscapes.

Potential drivers of urban green space availability in Latin American cities

AbstractUrban green spaces play a critical role in regulating air temperature, reducing air pollution and enhancing people’s well being. Yet, existing data and research on potential drivers of urban green space availability in Latin America are limited. Here, focusing on 371 large cities in 11 countries in Latin America, we described the total and per capita variability of urban green space, its spatial configuration and green urban parks across the categories of cities’ natural, built and socioeconomic environments. We tested the relative importance of geographic (climate) versus city-level built environment (population, population density, street intersection density) and socioeconomic (city gross domestic product per capita, unemployment, education) drivers in explaining urban green space availability. We found a high level of heterogeneity in green space quantity across cities and across categories of cities’ environments. Relative to other city factors, climate zone had the largest influence in explaining the quantity of green space, whereas education, street intersection density and population density were the most important drivers of urban park availability. The significance of climate for green space availability, combined with the inequitable quantity of green space, indicates that cities have differing capacities to implement nature-based solutions for heat mitigation and health promotion.

Assessing Buffer Gradient Synergies: Comparing Objective and Subjective Evaluations of Urban Park Ecosystem Services in Century Park, Shanghai

Urban parks provide essential ecosystem services (ESs) that enhance human wellbeing. However, discrepancies often arise between objective assessments of these services and stakeholders’ subjective perceptions. This study addresses a research gap concerning the synergies and tradeoffs between objective evaluations and subjective perceptions of key ecosystem services across various spatial scales. We investigated six key ecosystem services in Century Park, Shanghai, across seven buffer radii (8–100 m). Objective data were obtained from park view images (PVIs) and spatial analysis, while subjective perceptions were gathered through a scoring survey of 33 stakeholders. The key finding is that a buffer radius of 35 m offers optimal synergy between objective and subjective assessments for most ESs, particularly in pollution mediation, temperature regulation, and cultural services. Professionals showed stronger alignment in regulatory services like pollution mediation and temperature regulation, while residents exhibited higher synergy in net primary production (NPP) beyond a 75 m radius. Notably, cultural services displayed nuanced differences, with professionals preferring simpler landscapes and residents demonstrating varied aesthetic preferences. These findings emphasize the importance of integrating objective data and human perceptions in urban green space planning and governance. By incorporating diverse stakeholders and identifying optimal buffer zones, planners and designers can effectively balance ESs with human experiences. This approach ultimately fosters more sustainable and wellbeing-centered urban environments.

Transforming urban air quality: Green infrastructure strategies for the urban centers of Ethiopia

Urban green infrastructure (GI) plays a crucial role in improving air quality by removing pollutants and reducing emissions from structures. However, in Ethiopia, inadequate GI planning, largely due to limited awareness among planners and policymakers, can undermine the benefits of GI and worsen urban air quality issues. In this study, we demonstrate how the GI strategy approach can enhance air quality and assess the negative impacts of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) emitted by certain tree species in Ethiopia, using Hawassa as a case study. We utilized a customized i-Tree Eco model to estimate annual pollutant removal and BVOC emissions and applied the Kriging method in ArcGIS to map their spatial distribution. In Hawassa, GI systems removed 274.2 t of pollutants annually, valued at $1.79 million, with SO2 being the most and CO the least removed pollutants. Air pollution removal was highest during the dry season (37.4%) compared to the long (29.7%) and short rainy seasons (32.9%). Conversely, trees emitted 35.78 t of BVOCs annually, with monoterpene and isoprene being nearly equal contributors. Eucalyptus genus, Casuarina equisetifolia, and Schinus molle species were the top BVOC emitters despite their low population percentages in the study area. While GI types such as urban parks and institutional compounds are effective at pollutant removal, they also exhibit higher BVOC emissions. Our findings highlight the need for optimized species selection, improved GI planning, and enhanced policy support to maximize GI effectiveness, providing valuable insights for planners and policymakers in integrating GI into urban spatial planning.

Connective Urban Greenway Route Planning: A Spatial Optimization Perspective

Urban greenways, as vital green infrastructures, offer a range of societal, environmental, and ecological benefits to city dwellers. However, planning their routes remains a complex task for urban planners. While most studies emphasize either maximizing the number of residents served or enhancing the environmental benefits along these greenways, the role of urban greenways in linking existing facilities like tourist attractions, urban parks, public transport stations, and other greenways has received less attention. This paper introduces an innovative spatial optimization model for the planning of connective urban greenway routes. The model aims to link these facilities while also maximizing the population’s access to the greenway. We developed a set of models applicable to different objectives of connecting existing facilities, such as maximizing the number of facilities to be covered, covering all facilities, and minimizing the distance between facilities and planned greenways. Bi-objective scenarios, including weighted and lexicographical models, are also presented. We delineated the MILP formulation of the proposed models. The paper includes simulation tests with empirical data from Lhasa, China, validating the model’s practicality and computational efficiency.

What is the “best” way to measure the relative location variables in the market value assessment? An econometric method applied to an Italian case study

The present research is dedicated to investigating the explanatory power of relative location variables in assessing and forecasting market values. Here, relative location refers to the spatial position (geographical context) of a building or property in relation to a given Point Of Interest (POI). Specifically, a methodological approach is proposed for identifying the most suitable quantification modality based on statistical performance and consistency with the market mechanisms of the specific reference context. For a case study in Northern Italy, we collected data on 615 residential properties and 2673 POIs, including cultural facilities, school and education institutions, commercial services, sports, entertainment, and leisure facilities, health and care services, public transport systems, urban parks, and green areas. The relative location between the collected properties and the POIs is assessed using an automated calculation procedure developed in the Python programming language, in conjunction with Geographic Information Software (GIS). This automatism allows the assessment of relative location in terms of different Units Of Measure (UOM), such as straight-line distance, travel time by car, travel time on foot, travel time by public transport, and the number of POIs in a 400 m/1 km ring buffer. Since 615 residential buildings and 2673 POIs were analysed, with their relative locations measured using six different UOMs, a database of 9'865'215 data was produced. Furthermore, for each category of POI, a feature importance analysis guides the selection of the best UOM, i.e., the most statistically significant one. Considering the chosen UOM, an optimised econometric technique is finally implemented to analyse the functional relationships between the market values of residential properties and the set of identified relative location variables.

Integrating Public Perception and Quantitative Metrics for Improved Urban Park Planning in Isfahan, Iran

This study delves into the intricate realm of public perception regarding urban parks, aiming to uncover key factors influencing this perception and offer insights for urban planning and park management in Isfahan City, Central Iran. A comprehensive survey was conducted across 63 urban parks, gathering subjective feedback from park visitors on park size, vegetation, and exposure to external disturbances. Objective metrics were the area of the park, the mean and stdev of the Sentinel-2 NDVI as measures of vegetation density and diversity, respectively, distance to other parks and the park perimeter-to-area ratio. Linear and non-linear regression analysis between subjective feedback and objective metrics revealed that satisfaction peaks in parks with sizes of 15 ha or more. Higher vegetation density maximizes satisfaction. Parks with simpler, more regular shapes tend to offer a greater sense of freedom from external disruptions. According to the Generalized Additive Model model (R2= 0.737, explained deviance = 77.1%), lush and healthy vegetation is often associated with attractive and inviting parks, especially in parks with simpler, more regular shapes that minimize the exposure to (noise and visual) disturbances. Such green and circular park designs can guide urban planners and managers in creating inviting and user-friendly parks, aligning with public expectations.

The Impact of Park Environmental Characteristics and Visitor Perceptions on Visitor Emotions from a Cross-Cultural Perspective

Assessing the perception of urban parks and understanding the relationship between environmental characteristics and conflicts in park usage are crucial for the design and management of urban parks. However, quantifying perceptions of parks in large spaces poses challenges, and different regional cultures also exhibit variations in park usage. Therefore, this study aims to explore from a cross-cultural perspective how the environmental characteristics and perceptions of parks affect visitors' emotions. This research collected online comment data from Weibo check-ins in Shanghai and tweets in London between 2022 and 2023. It applied natural language processing (NLP) technology using SnowNLP for sentiment semantic keyword extraction, identifying the sentiment index of each data entry to quantify visitors' sentiments towards urban parks in Shanghai and London. Simultaneously, street view panoramas were obtained for semantic segmentation using the SegNet model and ADE20K to quantify spatial perceptions as independent variables. On this basis, we used nonlinear regression models and MGWR models to explore the relationship between visitors' sentiment values in parks and the park environment. The results showed that walkability in Shanghai was found to more easily bring positive sentiments to visitors, while visitors in London paid more attention to imageability. Walkability, accessibility, and imageability are of the same importance in Shanghai and London, but the correlation and emphasis of visitor perceptions differ, indicating potential conflicts in park usage among different user groups in the two cities' urban parks. Overall, our study offers differentiated planning suggestions that can provide information for urban design decisions, ultimately contributing to the improvement of human well-being.

Identifying Cultural Perceptions by Nature Language Processing Method: Differences of Historical Gardens and Urban Parks in Suzhou, China

Identifying Cultural Perceptions by Nature Language Processing Method: Differences of Historical Gardens and Urban Parks in Suzhou, China