Relationship between visitor characteristics,physical activity levels and park environment in subtropical areas’ urban parks

Urban parks are of great significance improving the physical and mental health of residents. However, there is still a lack of systematic discussion of the relationship between visitor characteristics, physical activity (PA) levels, and urban park environments, especially within subtropical areas of Asia. We took 12 urban parks in Guangzhou, China as the research objects, comprehensively used BRAT and SOPARC to observe the microenvironment and visitors’ PA in the urban parks, and supplemented the research with interviews. The results of the study revealed that: (1) The urban parks in Guangzhou cannot fully encourage visitors to engage in high PA levels, and due to the temperature of subtropical areas most visitors chose medium and high PA levels in the morning. (2) Leisure preferences and environment features determined that females tended to engage in medium and high PA levels more than males. Minors preferred high PA levels, while other age groups preferred low PA levels. (3) All groups attached great importance to rest facilities and shade. Among them, the youth paied more attention to the quality of the landscape and the middle-aged were attracted by the scent. (4) Low PA levels were affected largely by the site elements and high PA levels were greatly affected by varying terrains and shade. (5) Areas that including recreation and sport facilities had the highest concentration of medium and high PA levels; however, were insufficient to meet the needs of multiple age groups. Finally, we made recommendations to improve the PA levels of visitors in subtropical areas and gave advice concerning more humanized park planning.     

Indicator development for sustainable urban park management in Hong Kong

Urban park managers in densely-populated metropolises such as Hong Kong have to cope with dynamic user expectations, the impacts of recreation, and the shortage of resources over time, and the goal to improve park management strategies is ongoing. Indicators are potentially effective yardsticks for measuring park conditions and explaining the implications of various conditions on sustainable park management. This study solicits an indicator set through a two-tiered process of indicator selection, screening and rating, and a tripartite engagement by 20 park managers, 9 local scholars, and 743 park users in Hong Kong. The findings from the user-perceived level of importance of each indicator suggest that users pay close attention to landscaping, and that users consider the environmental quality of parks to be important management aspects. User-associated components of urban park management are identified, which reveal gradual changes in park features over the years.     

Exploring the use and perceptions of inner-city small urban parks: A case study of Budapest,Hungary

Globally, accelerating urbanization has led to a severe shortage of urban green spaces. This scarcity is particularly acute in inner cities with high population densities and ratios of built-up areas. To explore park visitors’ usage and perceptions, we present the results of a survey of 681 individuals from different socioeconomic groups conducted in four small urban parks in Budapest, Hungary’s capital. The survey results found that people living near the block parks were their primary users, but many people from distant areas also visited the parks due to their good accessibility. In addition, findings show that the green components of the parks were generally more satisfactory to users than other amenities, indicating higher quality expectations for cultural ecosystem services in small urban green spaces. However, perceptions of park safety varied across socioeconomic groups, suggesting that views of safety did not necessarily reflect actual park security. Finally, while most respondents stated they would not want to contribute to park maintenance, young people, particularly neighborhood newcomers, showed greater willingness to volunteer for such work.     

国内外城市湿地公园游憩价值开发典型案例分析

梳理城市湿地公园游憩价值的构成要素及景观美学、休闲娱乐、康体健身、自然教育、民俗体验价值的内容.以伦敦湿地中心、香港城市湿地公园、杭州西溪湿地公园为案例,分析城市湿地公园在基础构成要素不同的背景下确立自身的规划设计和理念、开发模式、游憩产品策划.     

Protest response and contingent valuation of an urban forest park in Fuzhou City,China

Urban forest parks, such as Fuzhou National Forest Park (FNFP), provide residents with landscape amenities, recreational opportunities, and interaction with nature. Understanding the recreational quality of green spaces and visitors’ behaviors and preferences is essential for effective forest park conservation strategy. We aimed to assess the recreational use and amenities of FNFP and calculate the monetary value of provided services using a contingent valuation method (CVM). A total of 249 park visitors were interviewed face-to-face based on a questionnaire using entrance fee as the payment vehicle, in October 2015 and January 2016. A considerable number of protest responses may cause selectivity bias; consequently, we used models excluding protest zeros. Sample selection models were estimated using Heckman’s two-step and full information maximum likelihood methods The average willingness-to-pay (WTP) was estimated to be 13.79 RMB (equivalent to 2.00 USD) for the unconditional model, and the lower mean values were estimated for two selectivity bias corrected models. In this case, park visitors would be willing to pay an average 11.6 RMB (equivalent to 1.69 USD) per person according to the full information maximum likelihood estimate and an average 10.96 RMB (equivalent to 1.60 USD) per person by the two-step method. Respondents’ satisfaction of forest park facilities and service significantly influenced their WTP value for forest park improvements. Socio-demographic features could not effectively discriminate the protest bidders and the other non-protest bidders. Our results suggest that protesters may value the resource less than positive bidders. The high percentage of protest respondents may be due to the current free use of FNFP and payment vehicle of entrance fee. The CVM approach takes residents’ preferences into consideration and allows the study of heterogenous socio-demographic groups; thus, our data may help to develop effective management plans for improving urban forest parks in China.     

Tree composition and diversity in relation to urban park history in Hong Kong,China

In densely populated cities that are dominated by concrete buildings, urban parks serve as major green infrastructures for ecological and environmental functions. Trees are one of the important components that support these green infrastructures. Despite plenty of urban parks established in Hong Kong in the last 20 years, knowledge of tree composition and diversity is outdated. There were also no studies that investigated the differences in tree diversity in relation to park history. Therefore, this study aims to identify the temporary changes in tree composition and diversity in Hong Kong, by conducting a plot-based tree survey in 32 urban parks of different ages. Overall, 2801 trees belonging to 181 species were recorded in 319 plots across all the parks. A ridit analysis was conducted and it indicated the mature size of trees were not significantly larger in old parks. However, the linear mixed-effects models and the post-hoc tests suggested that DBH, tree height and the proportion of crown dieback for each class of tree size were greater in the old parks. Moreover, the composition of top-ranking dominant tree species varied substantially, where more ornamental and exotic trees were adopted in new parks. For species richness, the sample-based species accumulation curves of different park age overlapped when the horizontal axis of the curve was scaled by the average number of combined individual trees. When the horizontal axis was scaled by the number of plots, the curve for the old parks was above the curve for the new parks. The differences derived from these two accumulation methods indicated a higher tree density in old parks. For species evenness, both the rank-abundance curves and Rényi diversity curves depicted a similar low species evenness in old and new parks. These results suggested that species diversity remained largely unchanged from old parks to new parks though the dominant tree species varied. Greater attention should be paid to increase the species evenness in all urban parks, increase tree density in new parks and improve tree maintenance in old parks.     

Adolescents’ perceptions of park characteristics that discourage park visitation

Parks are key amenities of liveable cities that support physical activity and social interaction. However, parks are often not well attended by adolescents, and little is known about what park characteristics may discourage adolescents from visiting parks. The aim of this study was to explore what park characteristics adolescents perceive as most likely to discourage park visitation. Adolescents (n = 444, 13–18 years, 53% female) from seven schools in diverse areas of Melbourne, Australia completed an online survey at school. In response to an open-ended question, participants listed three park characteristics that would most likely discourage their park visitation. Content analysis was performed to determine categories of park characteristics from the coded responses. The six most frequently stated park characteristics that would discourage park visitation related to: play equipment (e.g., small/children’s playgrounds, no play equipment, no swings; 44% of participants mentioned the category at least once); social factors (e.g., crowded parks, presence of undesirable people; 32%); natural environment (e.g., small/no grassy space, large grassy open space; 28%); maintenance (e.g., dirty facilities, rubbish; 23%); sport/recreation features (e.g., skate park; 20%); and amenities (e.g., no shade, toilets, drink taps; 19%). To encourage more adolescents to increasingly visit parks, it is imperative for stakeholders to address the park features that they perceive as unappealing to ensure that park design caters to this important age group.     

Park features that encourage park visitation among older adults: A qualitative study

BackgroundParks provide many opportunities for promoting physical, social, and mental wellbeing among older adults and are therefore considered a good setting to promote healthy ageing. However, older adults are the age group least frequently observed visiting parks. To attract more older adults to parks, it is important to understand their needs and preferences for park design. The aim of this qualitative study was to gain in-depth information about older adults’ preferred park features for park visitation.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 older adults aged > 60 years who visited a recently renewed urban park in Ghent, Belgium at least once since its renewal. The interviews were conducted in-park or in the nursing home adjacent to the park until saturation of information was obtained. All interviews were transcribed verbatim, pseudonymised, and analysed by inductive content analysis using NVivo 12 software.ResultsThe most preferred park activities were walking, sitting, and watching the environment. The park features liked by older adults were good quality and accessible walking paths, nature and vegetation, openness and structural layout of the park, and sufficient and good quality sitting areas. The park features that they did not like mostly related to poor park maintenance.ConclusionsThis study provides an overview of park features that older adults perceive as important for park visitation. It is the first qualitative study in Belgium to assess which park features entice older adults to visit parks, and it contributes to the limited European knowledge on this topic. The evidence can help urban planners, landscape architects, and policymakers to (re)design attractive local parks that promote healthy ageing.     

Are social media data and survey data consistent in measuring park visitation,park satisfaction,and their influencing factors? A case study in Shanghai

Given the importance of urban parks for recreation, it is critical to understand how they are used and perceived. Currently, relatively few studies have examined the public’s activities and preferences at the same time. Social media data are increasingly recognized as a promising data source to study these two aspects. However, little is known regarding the utility and representativeness of social media data for urban parks. In particular, a lack of understanding exists on the comparability of research results measured by bottom-up social media data and top-down official survey data in urban park studies. This research used social media data from Ctrip and Dianping and survey data from the local government agency with park visits statistics and park satisfaction surveys to understand the public’s visitation and satisfaction of 102 urban parks in central Shanghai. We first assessed the similarities between the social media data and survey data by correlation analysis. We then used the negative binomial regression model and beta regression model to examine the matches and mismatches of the different data sources in investigating factors influencing park visitation and park satisfaction. Our correlation results showed that the social media data significantly correlated with the survey data and that social media data performed better in more frequently visited parks. Our regression results showed that the water bodies, recreational facilities, and surrounding commercial facilities were the common influencing factors of park visitation and park satisfaction for all parks. While significant correlations were noticed between these two data sources, we found that the surrounding population density was negatively associated with park visitation measured by social media data but positively associated with park visitation measured by survey data. This study provides a comparative perspective to study park visitation and park satisfaction by combining social media data and official survey data. Clarifying the consistencies and inconsistencies between the social media data and official survey data is important because it could help us to understand the representativeness and potential biases of the social media data when used in visitation monitoring and satisfaction monitoring.     

Exploring preferences for biodiversity and wild parks in Chinese cities: A conjoint analysis study in Hangzhou

There has been a transformation of value orientation from an anthropocentric to eco-centric view in Chinese urban park design. Biodiversity enhancement has been increasingly seen as a prioritised park design aim by landscape designers. This promotes the rise of a novel park style with wild, less manicured appearance in cities, which shows strong contrasts to the traditional park style with ornamental, manicured characteristics. However, in this urban park transformation process, people’s opinion has been almost ignored. This research investigated the importance of biodiversity compared with other relevant urban park attributes (i.e., Facilities, Woodlands, Maintenance, and Seasonal views) identified from preliminary focus groups. The research further predicted preferences between wild and traditional urban parks. Conjoint analysis was used to address these questions. Five urban park attributes (i.e., Biodiversity, Facilities, Woodlands, Maintenance, and Seasonal views) were included in the conjoint questionnaire survey. The survey (N = 187) was conducted with the public and ecology/landscape professionals in Hangzhou, China. Results showed that for professionals, biodiversity was the most important attribute relative to others; for the public, both facilities and biodiversity were the most important attributes. Preferences for the two park styles varied between the two groups: professionals preferred wild parks, whereas the public preferred traditional parks. Yet, public preferences for wild parks were enhanced by improving maintenance levels and providing recreation facilities. The study concluded the appreciation of biodiversity among both the public and professionals. Differences in professional preferences for wild parks compared to the public should be considered when professionals design wild parks in the future.     

Urban park use and self-reported physical,mental, and social health during the COVID-19 pandemic: An on-site survey in Beijing,China

The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented challenges for people’s health. Studies have demonstrated the positive impact of urban green spaces, particularly urban parks, on physical and mental health. However, few studies have evaluated social health, which is a component of human health, and more understanding of the relationship between urban parks and human health during the COVID-19 pandemic is required. This study examined the effects of urban parks on people’s health using a canonical correlation model. Physical, mental, and social health were the dependent health variables, and five factors related to urban parks were the independent variables. This study investigated 22 urban parks inside the Forth Ring Road in Beijing, China using a questionnaire survey. The results demonstrated a positive association between urban parks and human health during the pandemic. Distance to the parks, park area, and park size were positively correlated with physical, mental, and social health. Furthermore, frequency and duration of visits to urban parks were positively associated with mental health and contact with neighbors. The health effects of urban park use varied with park types and locations’ urbanization background. These findings can provide insights for health-oriented urban park planning and construction.     

Relationships between socio-demographic / socio-economic characteristics and neighborhood green space in four Nordic municipalities – results from NORDGREEN

Urban green space governs important ecosystem services including providing health promoting facilities. However, unequal distribution of green space among socio-demographic and socio-economic groups may create environmental injustice among inhabitants and between neighborhoods. This paper reports on access to different types of green space for residents in four Nordic cities. More precisely it explores relationships between socio-demographic and socio-economic characteristics and access to green space at the neighbourhood level. We selected the following green space variables: distance between inhabitants’ dwellings and parks, forest, and cemeteries; percentages and area per inhabitant of parks, forest, and cemeteries; and vegetation cover derived from satellite images and Urban Atlas. These were linked to income, education, age, and percentage of the population born outside their country of residence at a neighbourhood level. The results show that inhabitants in the four Nordic cities have great access to green space, but the percentage of different types of green space, such as forest and parks, varies between the cities and within the cities. We found that most inhabitants have less than 300 m to the nearest green space ranging from 92% in Stavanger (Norway) to 99.2% in Täby (Sweden). We also found differences in access depending on inhabitants' age, education, immigration status, and median income. Espoo (Finland) had the highest total green space coverage (45.3%), while Täby had the highest proportion of park coverage (2.3%). By compensating with green spaces in less affluent areas, and focusing on equal access to green space, planners can contribute to reduce health inequalities in the population.     

Investigating the spatial distribution of urban parks from the perspective of equity-efficiency: Evidence from Chengdu,China

Urban parks play a crucial role in urban public green infrastructure, providing recreational places for urban residents while carrying values of aesthetics, ecology, humanities, economy, life, and society. However, achieving an equitable and efficient spatial layout of urban parks is a challenging task due to limited urban space resources, which requires further exploration. This study employed multisource big data and GIS technology to constructed an indicator system for evaluating the equity-efficiency of urban park spatial distribution. We examined the spatial distribution of 85 parks across 62 sub-districts in the main urban area of Chengdu, the largest city in western China and the first Park City of China. The results demonstrated that equity was polarized, with an indicator value ranging from 0 to 0.77 and an average value of 0.32. The sub-district of Sansheng had the highest equity, while Wenjia and Kanghe had the lowest equity. Twenty-one sub-districts had no parks, and the equity of park spatial distribution in these areas was low. The efficiency indicator ranged from 0.20 to 0.62, with an average value of 0.40. The efficiency of the main urban area was high in the southwest and low in the northeast. The sub-district of Huangtianba had the highest efficiency, while Jinguanyi had the lowest efficiency. In the two-dimensional quadrant of equity-efficiency, 24 sub-districts had high equity and high efficiency, 13 sub-districts had high equity and low efficiency, 4 sub-districts had low equity and high efficiency, and 21 sub-districts had low equity and low efficiency. At the district level, only Chenghua District’s park was spatial equitable and efficient, surpassing the average level of the main urban area. Finally, we discussed the findings in the context of planning policies for Chengdu in recent years. We proposed that strengthening the construction of small urban parks and green spaces, improving park facilities to meet the diverse social needs of people, and enhancing the quality and attractiveness of the parks are crucial for the future development of park green spaces in the main urban areas of Chengdu.     

Park equity: Why subjective measures matter

Due to the various social and environmental benefits provided by urban parks and open spaces, ensuring that residents have equitable access to high-quality parks is paramount for planners and allied professionals. While research has identified inequities in park access based on race, ethnicity, and income, previous studies primarily focus on objective measures of access such as proximity to parks. Additionally, previous research typically includes single study regions that do not capture differences in distinct places. Relying on survey data from six metropolitan areas of the U.S., we address these gaps by investigating how subjective perceptions of parks vary by race/ethnicity and income (while controlling for other factors). Specifically, we employ linear mixed models to test for interaction effects between race/ethnicity and the six metro regions. We also compare subjective views of parks to ParkScore® rankings and metrics that represent park access. Overall, we found that perceived problems with park availability and quality were highest in the Baltimore area, as well as Los Angeles, Miami, and Boston; they were lowest is Phoenix and Minneapolis–St. Paul. Meanwhile, residents perceived significantly more improvements in park availability and quality in Miami and Minneapolis–St. Paul, followed by the other regions. Compared to objective ParkScore® measures, subjective perceptions of parks do not always follow the relative rankings of metrics for park access and quality. Additionally, Black and Hispanic residents perceived greater park problems than White residents, and Hispanic residents perceived more improvements than White residents. However, distinctions in public perceptions of parks by racial/ethnic groups and regions did not hold up in our mixed, multivariate models. Instead, our results highlight regionally distinct perceptions by race/ethnicity, suggesting that subjective views of park quality are context-dependent. In contrast, income is a more dominant driver of perceived improvements in local parks and open spaces. As a whole, this research underscores the need to consider both objective and subjective measures in particular geographic contexts to fully understand and plan for the equitable distribution of high-quality parks across diverse people and places.     

Development of the natural environment scoring tool (NEST)

Natural environments (green and blue space) are associated with a range of health benefits, but their use is likely to be influenced by the presence of features, facilities and amenities and the condition/maintenance, or the natural environment quality. Most ‘quality’ assessment tools have focused on green spaces and their support for physical activity. This limits their utility for assessment of other natural environment typologies and uses (e.g., social, relaxation). We aimed to develop a tool for feasible, in situ assessment of diverse natural environments that might support a variety of uses, and to explore associations between natural environment quality and objectively measured amount of natural environment and neighbourhood-level socio-economic status (SES).This work was conducted as part of the PHENOTYPE project. Data were collected in 124 neighbourhoods in four European cities (Barcelona, Doetinchem, Kaunas, Stoke-on-Trent). The Natural Environment Scoring Tool (NEST) was developed using existing tools, expert input and field-testing. The final tool comprised 47-items across eight domains: Accessibility, Recreation facilities, Amenities, Aesthetics − natural, Aesthetics – non-natural, Significant natural features, Incivilities and Usability; typology-specific Overall Scores were derived.In total, 174 natural environments, covering a range of typologies, were audited. Mean time to complete NEST was 16 ± 28 min. There was good inter-rater agreement. Mean domain scores showed some expected patterns by typology (e.g., higher Recreation Facilities scores in urban parks and formal recreation areas; lower Amenities scores in natural/semi-natural areas). Highest mean Overall Scores were observed for areas of blue space and woodland, the types of area that often lack the recreational facilities or amenities that can be dominant in physical activity-focused audit tools. There was a trend towards lower natural environment quality in neighbourhoods of lower SES, with some inter-city variation. Correlations between NEST scores and amount of natural environment indicated higher natural environment in areas with worse access. We recommend further testing of NEST in other locations in relation to use and health outcomes.     

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.     

Urban green spaces for children: A cross-sectional study of associations with distance,physical activity,screen time,general health,and overweight

This study investigates the associations between: (i) urban green spaces (UGSs), children‘s frequency and duration of physical activity (PA), and screen time (TV viewing and computer use) and (ii) children‘s frequency and duration of PA and their general health and overweight. In this study, ‘children’ includes both younger children and adolescents, ages 1–18. Parent-reported data (n = 422) collected though face-to-face personal interviews between April 1 and May 31, 2015 in the city of Aydin, Turkey were used in the study. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations controlling for children’s sex, age, and parents’ monthly income. Stratified analyses were also conducted to determine differences between sex (boys and girls) and age (1–6, 7–12, and 13–18 years old) groups of children. The findings showed that UGS closeness to home was positively associated with higher frequency of children’s PA (b = −.22, p ≤.001) and less screen time (b = .18, p ≤.001). Results also revealed that children‘s frequency of PA positively correlated with children‘s general health (b = .08, p ≤.05), whereas overweight was associated with only age. In stratified analyses, nearest distance to UGSs was positively associated with both boys‘ and girls‘ frequency of PA. On the other hand, longer distance to UGS was associated with longer screen time for only girls. In regard to age groups, nearest distance to UGSs was related to higher frequency of PA for 1–6 and 7–12 years old, while nearest distance to UGS was associated with longer duration of PA and less screen time for only children ages 7–12. In age groups 13–18, no significant differences between variables of UGSs, PA and health were documented. No sex and age groups showed any significant associations with general health and overweight. The findings of this study suggest that distance to UGSs is important for children‘s PA, screen time, and general health. This study implies that UGSs do not seem to be associated with PA and general health in older age groups and needs further investigations.     

Investigating factors influencing park visit flows and duration using mobile phone signaling data

Quantifying residents' utilization of parks and understanding the driving factors behind it are essential for optimizing parks and promoting human well-being. However, previous literature has generally neglected the systematic investigation of visit flows, duration, and their spatiotemporal disparities along with the differential influence of park environmental factors on such measures. We addressed the gaps by combining visit flows and duration analysis based on mobile phone signaling data from 152 urban parks in Chengdu, China. We classified the parks into four categories based on the disparity between visit flows and duration. Through the Spearman rank correlation and spatial regression models, we identified the critical factors influencing park visit flows and duration. The findings reveal that: (1) There is a significant spatiotemporal disparity between visit flows and duration. (2) The main factors affecting park visit behavior included park area, types of facilities, distance to the city center, and the number of surrounding residents. (3) The regression models better explained visit flows than visit duration. (4) Environmental factors had a greater impact on park visit behaviors during weekends and peak hours. Selecting multi-dimensional indicators to quantify the use of urban parks provides valuable references for urban planners to optimize the urban park system.     

Understanding the relationship between small urban parks and mental health: A case study in Shanghai,China

The literature to date has mainly explored the impact on public mental health of green spaces around residential areas, large urban parks, family gardens, blue spaces, national parks, etc., while few studies have examined the association of Small Urban Green Spaces (SUGS) with public mental health. The role, function, and service radius of SUGS in urban people’s lives are quite different from those of general green spaces, and the relationship and mechanism linking general green spaces to mental health cannot be fully applied to small parks. This work was conducted to: 1) investigate the relationship between SUGS and mental health; 2) understand what factors affect mental health; 3) determine what kind of SUGS is more conducive to improving mental health. SUGS’ designs and physical characteristics were evaluated with the Natural Environment Scoring Tool (NEST) and user information for 10 SUGS (1–5 ha) in Shanghai in 2021 was collected via a questionnaire. We developed a multilevel model for exploring the factors affecting mental health from two aspects: the individual level and the park level. This study found that SUGS and mental health were positively associated. In addition to individual–level variables like income, marital status, social cohesion, and use frequency, park–level variables such as usability, aesthetics–natural features, and civilized environment are also conducive to improving mental health, while entertainment facilities in SUGS have a negative association with mental health. There was no evidence that visit frequency, stay time, social cohesion, or physical exercise act as a mediator between park features and mental health. This study provides empirical evidence for the positive correlation between SUGS and mental health and presents a means of promoting public mental health with efficient SUGS planning and management.     

Can trail spatial attributes predict trail use level in urban forest park? An examination integrating GPS data and space syntax theory

Understanding users’ spatial distribution in forest park is crucial for providing visitors with quality recreation experiences and for park planning and management. Utilizing users’ spatial distribution data, this study aims at investigating associations between trail use level and trail spatial attributes, through examining two large urban forest parks (Gongqing forest park and Paotaiwan forest park) in Shanghai, China. Users’ spatial distribution was measured utilizing GPS trackers with the interval of 10 seconds. This study conceptualizes trail spatial attributes as trail metric attributes and trail configurational attributes. Trail metric attributes include trail mean distance to gates, length, width and level of enclosure, which are calculated based on park map and on-site observation. We computed trail configurational attributes utilizing space syntax theory, which comprise measures of global integration, control, and connectivity. Trail connection with features/facilities, visual connection with water and shading are included as covariate variables. In total, we obtained 134 valid samples in Gongqing forest park and 210 valid samples in Paotaiwan forest park for analysis. Multivariate regression analyses indicate that when involving covariate variables, consistently in both parks, a greater trail usage is significantly related to trail shorter mean distance to park gate, trail width wider than 3 meters, higher global integration and higher control values. Collectively, these four trail spatial attributes explained 31.7 % (p < 0.001) and 27.3 % (p < 0.001) of the variances in trail use level in Gongqing forest park and Paotaiwan forest park. These findings provide direct implications to park designers and managers for providing visitors with different desirable social conditions, and ultimately improve users’ experiences and satisfactions.