Examining the Coexistence of People's Satisfaction and Ecological Quality in Urban Green Space
Publication: Journal of Urban Planning and Development
Volume 147, Issue 1
Abstract
Urban green space is an important place to satisfy people's aesthetic appreciation, recreation, safety, and cleanliness. In addition, it plays a crucial role in improving the ecological quality of urban environments. How to enhance people's satisfaction and ecological quality simultaneously when planning urban green space is a new topic for urban planners. To address this issue 26 sample sites of urban green space in Xuzhou, eastern China were selected to evaluate their abilities to satisfy people by measuring four items: aesthetic preference, recreation, perceived safety and cleanliness, and ecological quality was quantified by the urban green space habitat quality index. Then, the coexistence of satisfaction and ecological quality was calculated. Further, 15 landscape characteristics that were abstracted to describe the objective features of the sample sites were evaluated. The main results showed that there is no significantly statistical relationship between people's satisfaction and ecological quality; increasing the diversity of plants and keeping natural waterscape are efficient ways to achieve people's satisfaction and ecological quality simultaneously. These results provide reliable guidance for the design and management of urban green space.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank the ten experts who evaluated the ecological quality and judged the landscape characteristics, and the 329 students who completed the surveys of satisfaction in our trials. This research is supported by Jiangsu University Science Research Project (19KJB220007).
References
Ambrose, G., K. Das, Y. Fan, and A. Ramaswami. 2020. “Is gardening associated with greater happiness of urban residents? A multi-activity, dynamic assessment in the Twin-Cities region, USA.” Landscape Urban Plann. 198: 103776. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2020.103776.
Arriaza, M., J. F. Canas-Ortega, J. A. Canas-Madueno, and P. Ruiz-Aviles. 2004. “Assessing the visual quality of rural landscapes.” Landscape Urban Plann. 69 (1): 115–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2003.10.029.
Austin, D. M., and C. Sanders. 2007. “Graffiti and perceptions of safety: A pilot study using photographs and survey data.” J. Criminal Justice Popular Culture 14 (4): 292–316.
Baran, P. K., P. Tabrizian, Y. Zhai, W. J. Smith, and M. F. Floyd. 2018. “An exploratory study of perceived safety in a neighborhood park using immersive virtual environments.” Urban For. Urban Greening 35 (1): 72–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2018.08.009.
Bernstein, A. S. 2014. “Biological diversity and public health.” Ann. Rev. Public Health 35 (1): 153–167. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-032013-182348.
Bjerke, T., T. Østdahl, C. Thrane, and E. Strumse. 2006. “Vegetation density of urban parks and perceived appropriateness for recreation.” Urban For. Urban Greening 5 (1): 35–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2006.01.006.
Blöbaum, A., and M. Hunecke. 2005. “Perceived danger in urban public space: The impacts of physical features and personal factors.” Environ. Behav. 37 (4): 465–486. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916504269643.
Bowler, D. E., L. Buyung-Ali, T. M. Knight, and A. S. Pullin. 2010. “Urban greening to cool towns and cities: A systematic review of the empirical evidence.” Landscape Urban Plann. 97 (3): 147–155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2010.05.006.
Branas, C. C., R. A. Cheney, J. M. MacDonald, V. W. Tam, T. D. Jackson, and T. R. Ten Have. 2011. “A difference-in-differences analysis of health, safety, and greening vacant urban space.” Am. J. Epidemiol. 174 (11): 1296–1306. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwr273.
Bulut, Z., and H. Yilmaz. 2009. “Determination of waterscape beauties through visual quality assessment method.” Environ. Monit. Assess. 154 (1–4): 459–468. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-008-0412-5.
Burgess, J. 1995. Growing in confidence —understanding people’s perceptions of urban fringe woodlands. Cheltenham, UK: Countryside Commission.
Calfapietra, C., S. Fares, and F. Loreto. 2009. “Volatile organic compounds from Italian vegetation and their interaction with ozone.” Environ. Pollut. 157 (5): 1478–1486. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2008.09.048.
Carrus, G., M. Scopelliti, R. Lafortezza, G. Colangelo, F. Ferrini, F. Salbitano, M. Agrimi, L. Portoghesi, P. Semenzato, and G. Sanesi. 2015. “Go greener, feel better? The positive effects of biodiversity on the well-being of individuals visiting urban and peri-urban green areas.” Landscape Urban Plann. 134 (2): 221–228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2014.10.022.
Chen, A., X. A. Yao, R. Sun, and L. Chen. 2014. “Effect of urban green patterns on surface urban cool islands and its seasonal variations.” Urban For. Urban Greening 13 (4): 646–654. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2014.07.006.
Chon, J., and C. Scott shafer. 2009. “Aesthetic responses to urban greenway trail environments.” Landscape Res. 34 (1): 83–104. https://doi.org/10.1080/01426390802591429.
Da, L., Y. Li, J. Zhang, and J. Wang. 2009. “Thoughts on the construction of “landmark” plant communities in Shanghai.” [In Chinese.] Urban Probl. 169 (8): 37–39.
Fuller, R. A., K. N. Irvine, P. Devine-Wright, P. H. Warren, and K. J. Gaston. 2007. “Psychological benefits of green space increase with biodiversity.” Biol. Lett. 3 (4): 390–394. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2007.0149.
Gobster, P. H. 1999. “An ecological aesthetic for forest landscape management.” Landscape J. 18 (1): 54–64. https://doi.org/10.3368/lj.18.1.54.
Gobster, P. H., J. I. Nassauer, T. C. Daniel, and G. Fry. 2007. “The shared landscape: What does aesthetics have to do with ecology?” Landscape Ecol. 22 (7): 959–972. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-007-9110-x.
Goddard, M. A., A. J. Dougill, and T. G. Benton. 2010. “Scaling up from gardens: Biodiversity conservation in urban environments.” Trends Ecol. Evol. 25 (2): 90–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2009.07.016.
Hajrasouliha, A. 2017. “Campus score: Measuring university campus qualities.” Landscape Urban Plann. 158 (2): 166–176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2016.10.007.
Hands, D. E., and R. D. Brown. 2002. “Enhancing visual preference of ecological rehabilitation sites.” Landscape Urban Plann. 58 (1): 57–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-2046(01)00240-7.
Hartig, T., A. Book, J. Garvill, T. Olsson, and T. Garling. 1996. “Environmental influences on psychological restoration.” Scand. J. Psychol. 37 (4): 378–393. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9450.1996.tb00670.x.
Hartig, T., R. Mitchell, S. de Vries, and H. Frumkin. 2014. “Nature and health.” Ann. Rev. Public Health 35 (1): 207–228. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-032013-182443.
Hossain, M. N., S. K. Paul, and M. M. Hasan. 2015. “Environmental impacts of coal mine and thermal power plant to the surroundings of Barapukuria, Dinajpur, Bangladesh.” Environ. Monit. Assess. 187 (4): 202. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4435-4.
Hu, T., J. Chang, X. X. Liu, and S. S. Feng. 2018. “Integrated methods for determining restoration priorities of coal mining subsidence areas based on green infrastructure: A case study in the Xuzhou urban area, of China.” Ecol. Indic. 94: 164–174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.11.006.
Junker, B., and M. Buchecker. 2008. “Aesthetic preferences versus ecological objectives in river restorations.” Landscape Urban Plann. 85 (3–4): 141–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2007.11.002.
Kirillova, K., X. X. Fu, X. R. Lehto, and L. P. Cai. 2014. “What makes a destination beautiful? Dimensions of tourist aesthetic judgment.” Tourism Manage. 42 (3): 282–293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2013.12.006.
Kuo, F. E., and W. C. Sullivan. 2001. “Environment and crime in the inner city: Does vegetation reduce crime?” Environ. Behav. 33 (3): 343–367. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916501333002.
Lee, A. C. K., and R. Maheswaran. 2011. “The health benefits of urban green spaces: A review of the evidence.” J. Public Health 33 (2): 212–222. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdq068.
Lindemann-Matthies, P., R. Briegel, B. Schüpbach, and X. Junge. 2010. “Aesthetic preference for a Swiss alpine landscape: The impact of different agricultural land-use with different biodiversity.” Landscape Urban Plann. 98 (2): 99–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2010.07.015.
Luo, P., Y. Miao, and J. Chang. 2020. “The “classification-strategies” method for the eco-transition of “mine-city” system-taking xuzhou city as an example.” J. Urban Manage. 9 (3): 360–371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jum.2020.04.003.
Maas, J., P. Spreeuwenberg, M. van Winsum-Westra, R. A. Verheij, S. de Vries, and P. P. Groenewegen. 2009. “Is green space in the living environment associated with people’s feelings of social safety?” Environ. Plann. A: Economy Space 41 (7): 1763–1777. https://doi.org/10.1068/a4196.
Margaritis, E., and J. Kang. 2016. “Relationship between green space-related morphology and noise pollution.” Ecol. Indic. 72 (1): 921–933. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2016.09.032.
Meerow, S., J. P. Newell, and M. Stults. 2016. “Defining urban resilience: A review.” Landscape Urban Plann. 147: 38–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2015.11.011.
Mei, Y., X. Zhao, L. Lin, and L. Gao. 2018. “Capitalization of urban green vegetation in a housing market with poor environmental quality: Evidence from Beijing.” J. Urban Plann. Dev. 144 (3): 05018011. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)UP.1943-5444.0000458.
Menard, S. 1995. Applied logistic regression analysis. sage university paper series on quantitative applications in the social sciences. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Miller, J. R., and R. J. Hobbs. 2007. “Habitat restoration—Do we know what we’re doing?” Restor. Ecol. 15 (3): 382–390. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-100X.2007.00234.x.
Misgav, A. 2000. “Visual preference of the public for vegetation groups in Israel.” Landscape Urban Plann. 48 (3–4): 143–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-2046(00)00038-4.
Mitchell, R., and F. Popham. 2008. “Effect of exposure to natural environment on health inequalities—An observational population study.” Lancet 372 (9650): 1655–1660. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61689-X.
Molnarova, K., P. Sklenicka, J. Stiborek, K. Svobodova, M. Salek, and E. Brabec. 2012. “Visual preferences for wind turbines: Location, numbers and respondent characteristics.” Appl. Energy 92 (2): 269–278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2011.11.001.
Moon, S. Y., J. Kim, W. K. O. Chong, and S. T. Ariaratnam. 2018. “Urban green space layouts and urban heat island: Case study on apartment complexes in South Korea.” J. Urban Plann. Dev. 144 (2): 04018004. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)UP.1943-5444.0000414.
Morckel, V. 2015. “Community gardens or vacant lots? Rethinking the attractiveness and seasonality of green land uses in distressed neighborhoods.” Urban For. Urban Greening 14 (3): 714–721. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2015.07.001.
Munné, A., N. Prat, C. Solà, N. Bonada, and M. Rieradevallm. 2003. “A simple field method for assessing the ecological quality of riparian habitat in rivers and streams: QBR index.” Aquat. Conserv. Mar. Freshwater Ecosyst. 13 (2): 147–163. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.529.
Murray, C. D., P. Arnold, and B. Thornton. 2000. “Presence accompanying induced hearing loss: Implications for immersive virtual environments.” Presence: Teleoperators Virtual Environ. 9 (2): 137–148. https://doi.org/10.1162/105474600566682.
Nasar, J. L., and M. H. Li. 2004. “Landscape mirror: The attractiveness of reflecting water.” Landscape Urban Plann. 66 (4): 233–238. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-2046(03)00113-0.
Niemela, J. 2014. “Ecology of urban green spaces: The way forward in answering major research questions.” Landscape Urban Plann. 125 (5): 298–303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2013.07.014.
Nordh, H., T. Hartig, C. M. Hagerhall, and G. Fry. 2009. “Components of small urban parks that predict the possibility for restoration.” Urban For. Urban Greening 8 (4): 225–235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2009.06.003.
Ojeda-Revah, L., Y. O. González, and L. Vera. 2020. “Fragmented urban greenspace planning in major Mexican municipalities.” J. Urban Plann. Dev. 146 (2): 04020019. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)UP.1943-5444.0000573.
Paddle, E., and J. Gilliland. 2016. “Orange Is the new green: Exploring the restorative capacity of seasonal foliage in schoolyard trees.” Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 13 (5): 497. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13050497.
Palmer, J. F., and R. E. Hoffman. 2001. “Rating reliability and representation validity in scenic landscape assessments.” Landscape Urban Plann. 54 (1–4): 149–161. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-2046(01)00133-5.
Peters, K., B. Elands, and A. Buijs. 2010. “Social interactions in urban parks: Stimulating social cohesion?” Urban For. Urban Greening 9 (2): 93–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2009.11.003.
Pflüger, Y., A. Rackham, and S. Larned. 2010. “The aesthetic value of river flows: An assessment of flow preferences for large and small rivers.” Landscape Urban Plann. 95 (1–2): 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2009.12.004.
Rahnema, S., S. Sedaghathoor, M. S. Allahyari, C. A. Damalas, and H. E. Bilali. 2019. “Preferences and emotion perceptions of ornamental plant species for green space designing among urban park users in Iran.” Urban For. Urban Greening 39 (1): 98–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2018.12.007.
Rudzitis, G. 1999. “Amenities increasingly draw people to the rural west.” Rural Dev. Perspect. 14: 9–13.
Sevenant, M., and M. Antrop. 2009. “Cognitive attributes and aesthetic preferences in assessment and differentiation of landscapes.” J. Environ. Manage. 90 (9): 2889–2899. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2007.10.016.
Sheppard, S. R. J., and H. W. Harshaw, eds. 2001. Forests and landscapes—Linking ecology, sustainability and aesthetics. IUFRO research series 6. Wallingford, UK: CABI.
Shi, S., Z. Gou, and L. H. C. Chen. 2014. “How does enclosure influence environmental preferences? A cognitive study on urban public open spaces in Hong Kong.” Sustainable Cities Soc. 13 (10): 148–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2014.04.011.
Sirombra, M. G., and M. L. Mesa. 2012. “A method for assessing the ecological quality of riparian forests in subtropical Andean streams: QBRy index.” Ecol. Indic. 20 (9): 324–331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2012.02.021.
Sowińska-Świerkosz, B. 2017. “Application of surrogate measures of ecological quality assessment: The introduction of the indicator of ecological landscape quality (IELQ).” Ecol. Indic. 73 (2): 224–234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2016.09.019.
Stamps, A. E. 1999. “Demographic effects in environmental aesthetics: A meta-analysis.” J. Plann. Lit. 14 (2): 155–175. https://doi.org/10.1177/08854129922092630.
Svobodova, K., P. Sklenicka, K. Molnarova, and M. Salek. 2012. “Visual preferences for physical attributes of mining and post-mining landscapes with respect to the sociodemographic characteristics of respondents.” Ecol. Eng. 43 (6): 34–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2011.08.007.
Tabrizian, P., P. K. Baran, W. R. Smith, and R. S. Meentemeyer. 2018. “Exploring perceived restoration potential of urban green enclosure through immersive virtual environments.” J. Environ. Psychol. 55 (2): 99–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2018.01.001.
Tang, I.-C., Y.-P. Tsai, Y.-J. Lin, J.-H. Chen, C.-H. Hsieh, S.-H. Hung, W. C. Sullivan, H.-F. Tang, and C.-Y. Chang. 2017. “Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to analyze brain region activity when viewing landscapes.” Landscape Urban Plann. 162 (6): 137–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2017.02.007.
Tindall, D. B., S. Davies, and C. Mauboules. 2003. “Activism and conservation behavior in an environmental movement: The contradictory effects of gender.” Soc. Nat. Resour. 16 (10): 909–932. https://doi.org/10.1080/716100620.
Tveit, M. S. 2009. “Indicators of visual scale as predictors of landscape preference: A comparison between groups.” J. Environ. Manage. 90 (9): 2882–2888. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2007.12.021.
Ulrich, R. S. 1993. “Biophilia, biophobia, and natural landscapes.” In The biophilia hypothesis, edited by S. R. Kellert, and E. O. Wilson, 73–137. Washington, DC: Island Press.
van den Berg, A. E., and M. van Winsum-Westra. 2010. “Manicured, romantic, or wild? The relation between need for structure and preferences for garden styles.” Urban For. Urban Greening 9 (3): 179–186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2010.01.006.
van den Berg, A. E., and C. A. J. Vlek. 1998. “The influence of planned-change context on the evaluation of natural landscapes.” Landscape Urban Plann. 43 (1–3): 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-2046(98)00102-9.
van den Berg, A. E., and S. L. Koole. 2006. “New wilderness in the Netherlands: An investigation of visual preferences for nature development landscapes.” Landscape Urban Plann. 78 (4): 362–372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2005.11.006.
van den Berg, A. E., S. L. Koole, and N. Y. van der Wulp. 2003. “Environmental preference and restoration: (How) are they related?” J. Environ. Psychol. 23 (2): 135–146. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-4944(02)00111-1.
van Hecke, L., A. Ghekiere, J. van Cauwenberg, J. Veitch, I. Bourdeaudhuij, D. van Dyck, P. Clarys, N. van De Weghe, and B. Deforche. 2018. “Park characteristics preferred for adolescent park visitation and physical activity: A choice-based conjoint analysis using manipulated photographs.” Landscape Urban Plann. 178 (5): 144–155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2018.05.017.
Wang, R., J. Zhao, and Z. Liu. 2016. “Consensus in visual preferences: The effects of aesthetic quality and landscape types.” Urban For. Urban Greening 20 (2): 210–217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2016.09.005.
Wang, R., J. Zhao, M. J. Meitner, Y. Hu, and X. Xu. 2019. “Characteristics of urban green spaces in relation to aesthetic preference and stress recovery.” Urban For. Urban Greening 41 (2): 6–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2019.03.005.
Whalley, J. M. 1988. “Water in the landscape.” Landscape Urban Plann. 16 (1–2): 145–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/0169-2046(88)90040-0.
Williams, K. J. H., and J. W. Cary. 2002. “Landscape preference, ecological quality and biodiversity protection.” Environ. Behav. 34 (2): 258–275.
Xuzhou Statistics Bureau and Xuzhou Statistics Team of the National Statistics Bureau of China. 2019. Xuzhou statistical yearbook 2019. [In Chinese.] Beijing: China Statistics Press.
Yamashita, S. 2002. “Perception and evaluation of water in landscape: Use of photo-projective method to compare child and adult residents’ perceptions of a Japanese river environment.” Landscape Urban Plann. 62 (1): 3–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-2046(02)00093-2.
Yao, Y., X. Zhu, Y. Xu, H. Yang, X. Wu, Y. Li, and Y. Zhang. 2012. “Assessing the visual quality of green landscaping in rural residential areas: The case of Changzhou, China.” Environ. Monit. Assess. 184 (2): 951–967. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-011-2012-z.
Zhao, J., Y. Huang, H. Wu, and B. Lin. 2018a. “Olfactory effect on landscape preference.” Environ. Eng. Manage. J. 17 (6): 1483–1489. https://doi.org/10.30638/eemj.2018.147.
Zhao, J., R. Li, and X. Wei. 2017a. “Assessing the aesthetic value of traditional gardens and urban parks in China.” Proc. Inst. Civ. Eng. - Urban Des. Plann. 170 (2): 83–91. https://doi.org/10.1680/jurdp.16.00027.
Zhao, J., P. Luo, R. Wang, and Y. Cai. 2013a. “Correlations between aesthetic preferences of river and landscape characters.” J. Environ. Eng. Landscape Manag. 21 (2): 123–132. https://doi.org/10.3846/16486897.2012.695738.
Zhao, J., R. Wang, Y. Cai, and P. Luo. 2013b. “Effects of visual indicators on landscape preferences.” J. Urban Plann. Dev. 139 (1): 70–78. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)UP.1943-5444.0000137.
Zhao, J., R. Wang, P. Luo, L. Xing, and T. Sun. 2017b. “Visual ecology: Exploring the relationships between ecological quality and aesthetic preference.” Landscape Ecol. Eng. 13 (1): 107–118. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11355-016-0306-6.
Zhao, J., L. Xing, R. Li, and T. Sun. 2016. “Assessing the visual quality of rural villages in China, compared to urban residential areas.” Int. J. Environ. Stud. 73 (5): 806–818. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207233.2016.1199418.
Zhao, J., W. Xu, and L. Ye. 2018b. “Effects of auditory-visual combinations on perceived restorative potential of urban green space.” Appl. Acoust. 141 (6): 169–177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apacoust.2018.07.001.
Zlot, A. I., and T. L. Schmid. 2005. “Relationships among community characteristics and walking and bicycling for transportation or recreation.” Am. J. Health Promotion 19 (4): 314–317. https://doi.org/10.4278/0890-1171-19.4.314.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Urban Planning and Development
Volume 147 • Issue 1 • March 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 25, 2019
Accepted: Sep 24, 2020
Published online: Jan 7, 2021
Published in print: Mar 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Jun 7, 2021
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.