Audio-visual interaction and visitor characteristics affect perceived soundscape restorativeness: Case study in five parks in China

The capacity of urban parks to contribute to soundscape restorativeness, understood here as contributions to people’s recovery from attentional fatigue and reflection on life issues, is receiving increased interest in research and policy. However, scientific understanding of the influential mechanism of perceived soundscape restorativeness is still not clear. This paper aims to explore the effects of audio-visual interaction on perceived soundscape restorativeness (PSR) of urban parks, considering visitors of different social and demographic characteristics. The research design comprises a survey of 419 visitors to five urban parks in Fuzhou, China, general structure equation modeling, and multi-group model analysis. The results show a substantial dependence of visitors’ PSR values on respective perceptions of soundscape pleasantness and eventfulness, especially soundscape pleasantness. Visual landscape characteristics showed mediating effects on the influence of soundscape pleasantness and eventfulness on the perceived soundscape restorativeness (19.3 % and 28.3 % of the total effect, respectively). Age was the most influential social and demographic characteristic affecting the PSR, followed by gender, while occupation and educational background showed only limited effects. Future development of urban parks should strongly integrate soundscape design considerations to enhance positive PSR effects for visitors.     

Spatio-temporal non-uniformity of urban park greenness and thermal characteristics in a semi-arid region

Thermal characteristics of urban parks often vary city-wide due to different landscape properties of parks themselves or their surrounding environments. Understanding such heterogeneity is critical for strategic use of urban forest elements to mitigate extreme heat and provide various ecological amenities; however, relatively few studies to date have assessed such variability at the whole-city scales and across different seasons. This study investigated seasonal variation, statistical association and local spatial clustering in satellite image-based proxies of vegetation greenness and surface temperature (normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and at-sensor surface brightness temperature (T_b), respectively) among 135 parks in a part of California, USA on ten different-season dates in 2014. Both metrics varied among parks and dates and exhibited a significant negative linear relationship which was stronger on warmer-season dates. Regressions with NDVI explained 2–17% more variance in T_b when they also included the proportion of woody plant cover (negative effect on T_b) or the proportion of grass cover (positive effect on T_b) on all dates, and park area on some dates (negative effect on T_b). The analysis of spatial variation in park properties revealed several significant local clusters of parks with higher T_b that persisted among warmer dates and had significantly smaller area and warmer neighborhoods than did significant clusters of greener or cooler parks. These results highlight potential under-provisioning of park microclimatic benefits in the associated neighborhoods and calls for further research on environmental and social implications of these results to inform mitigation of urban heat in this region and similar climates.     

Spatial distribution,activity zone preference,and activity intensity of senior park users in a metropolitan area

Urban parks can bring multiple health benefits to seniors and thus are important to their lives. This study investigated seniors’ spatial distribution, preferred activity zones, and activity intensity during park visits. We used GPS trackers to collect spatial location information and accelerometers to record metabolic equivalent of energy (MET) at an interval of 10 s, and examined differences in activity intensity according to activity zone type. Data from 286 seniors in two large urban parks in Shanghai, China were included. We identified eight park activity zone types: pathway, paved open space, sports area, children’s playground, lawn, water, other natural area, building, and other area. Grid cells of 5 m by 5 m were created and hotspot analysis was utilized to identify the activity zones most frequently used by seniors. ANOVA post-hoc analysis was applied to investigate the variance between activity zone cells in terms of mean visit point counts, total visit point MET, and average MET. We also utilized latent class analysis to identify distinctive subgroups of seniors.The results indicate that seniors’ spatial distributions vary vastly both between and within park activity zones. Of the eight zone types, paved open space was used most frequently, and seniors were most active on pathways. Other natural area also had high usage, and featured higher average activity intensity than sports area, water, and building and other area. Children’s playground had higher average activity intensity than lawn or water. Finally, three distinctive groups of seniors were identified: short-stay active walker, long-stay light walker, and short-stay transient. These findings have direct implications for park design practice. Paved open space and pathways should be carefully designed based on the specific seniors’ activity patterns. Furthermore, seniors’ needs should be considered in the design of playgrounds in parks, where they accompany their grandchildren, and of other natural area, where they stretch their bodies and enjoy fresh air. The diverse activity patterns of the subgroups of seniors should be addressed in future studies.     

Aesthetic growth of a native tree species with desirable characteristics for urban green areas in arid and semiarid environments

Having an aesthetic form is one of the desirable aspects of trees used to create or reforest urban green areas, which is often achieved by procedures that require a great effort. The understanding of factors affecting the architecture of plants in natural conditions may be useful to promote a desirable shape during the growth process. Under the hypothesis that trees in high luminosity conditions have a more aesthetical growth, in this study we explore the relationship between plant shape and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) in Bursera fagaroides, a characteristic species of the tropical dry forest and xerophytic shrub-lands useful for urban green areas in semiarid environments. To evaluate trees shape we calculate a symmetry index (I_S) by using two diameters of the crown, perpendicular to each other, and the total height. Measurements were made over three periods (before, during and after the growth period); and PAR was also measured for each tree. Linear regressions were used to analyze the relationship between the symmetry of trees and PAR received during the growth period. The post-growth symmetry of trees showed a positive relationship with the PAR received by trees during the growth period, suggesting that PAR effects can be harnessed to develop post-germination strategies for the production of trees with a more aesthetical growth in the studied species. Effect of PAR on the shape of plants may represent a practical option to promote aesthetical growth of trees and shrubs with importance for creation and restoration of urban green areas.     

Examining the socio-psychological predictors of tree-planting behaviour using the theory of planned behaviour: A study of a cohort of Nigerian urban workers

A model of socio-psychological precursors of tree-planting behaviour using the theory of planned behaviour was tested among a cohort of Nigerian civil servants in Ibadan, Nigeria. Data collection involved the self-administration of a pre-tested, closed-ended questionnaire among 400 randomly selected respondents. Results show that tree-planting behaviour reduced progressively from 17.5%–8.0% over ten years and in the last year respectively. Age and education had main effects on tree-planting behaviour but sex did not. Attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control were significant predictors of, and explained 21.0 % of the variance in intention to plant trees. Intention to plant trees is a significant predictor/determinant of tree-planting behaviour. Being younger and having lower education are significantly predisposing to increased tree-planting while sex is immaterial in issues of tree-planting. The improvement of the appraisal of the virtuousness of tree-planting; the acceptability of tree-planting by significant others and the autonomous power to act concerning tree-planting, will engender stronger intention to plant trees and subsequently improve tree-planting behaviour. Socio-psychological realities deserve tremendous focus in matters of tree-planting agenda.