scholarly journals Does the Presence of Birdsongs Improve Perceived Levels of Mental Restoration from Park Use? Experiments on Parkways of Harbin Sun Island in China

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 2271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xun Zhu ◽  
Ming Gao ◽  
Wei Zhao ◽  
Tianji Ge
Keyword(s):  
Negative Correlation ◽  
Space Syntax ◽  
Grid Method ◽  
Urban Parks ◽  
Path Space ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Mental Health Benefits ◽  
Bird Habitat ◽  
Tree Coverage ◽  
The City

Green spaces in cities and urban parks serve as central areas for mental restoration and relieving pressure, and attention to soundscapes for their mental health benefits has become more prevalent. Birdsongs are perceived to enhance the restorative benefits of urban parks. This study examines Harbin Sun Island Park, the main bird habitat in the city of Harbin with numerous types of landscapes. We used space syntax to select the appropriate path space as a carrier and the pixel grid method to quantify path space shapes. A correlation analysis of field data was also used to explore the perceived restorative effects of birdsongs heard in urban parks using scales detailing the perceived restorative effects of various visual and auditory stimuli. The results show that soundscapes can significantly improve perceived recovery benefits, and that hearing birdsongs can significantly improve the perceived restorative benefits of wetland paths; the sky index of a tour path showed a significantly negative correlation with each feature (i.e., the four featured dimensions of “charm”, “escape”, “ductility” and “compatibility” included in the recovery scale), and the soft/hard ratio showed a significantly negative correlation with each studied feature. When the sky index ranged from 13–36%, tree coverage of the vertical coverage range was 30.28–38.6%, and when the soft/hard ratio ranged from 5–21, the perceived recovery benefit was strongest.

scholarly journals Assessing Nature-Based Recreation to Support Urban Green Infrastructure Planning in Trento (Italy)

Land ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Cortinovis ◽  
Grazia Zulian ◽  
Davide Geneletti
Keyword(s):  
Urban Planning ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Parks ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Innovative Methods ◽  
Urban Green Infrastructure ◽  
The City

Nature-based recreation is among the most relevant ecosystem services supplied by urban green infrastructure, affecting citizens’ physical and mental wellbeing. Providing adequate green spaces for nature-based recreation is among the main goals of urban planning, but commonly-used indicators offer a partial view on the issue. Innovative methods and approaches, such as the ESTIMAP-recreation model, appear as promising ways to increase the quality of information available for decision-makers by considering both the range of green spaces that provide the service and the locally-specific demand. The article presents an application of the ESTIMAP-recreation model to the city of Trento (Italy), aimed at testing its adaptation to the local context and the potential improvements brought to urban planning. The comparison of the results with traditional indicators based on the availability and accessibility to urban parks shows significant differences in terms of priority of intervention across the city, with implications on planning decisions. The application demonstrates that innovative methods can enhance the understanding of nature-based recreation in cities beyond the focus on urban parks, revealing a wide portfolio of actions that planners can put in place to promote nature-based recreation through a multifunctional green infrastructure.

scholarly journals First records of Callaspidia defonscolombei Dahlbom, 1842 (Hymenoptera, Cynipioidea, Figitidae) in an urban environment in Colombia

Check List ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-169
Author(s):  
Esteban Tulande-M. ◽  
Juliana Durán-Prieto
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Urban Environment ◽  
Urban Parks ◽  
First Record ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Widespread Distribution ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Local Impact ◽  
The City

Callaspidia defonscolombei Dahlbom, 1842, is a figitid wasp with a widespread distribution. In South America, it has been reported from Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. Here we report the first record of this species in Colombia, where it was associated with two species of trees in urban parks of Bogotá. We also report the presence of unknown pollen in the examined individuals. Future studies need to be conducted to identify the local impact of this species as a possible parasitoid and/or pollinator in the green spaces of the city of Bogotá.

PARKS ON NEW YORK ISLANDS – A NEW COMPONENT IN THE URBAN SPACE AND CITYSCAPE

space&FORM ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 225-240
Author(s):  
Wiesława Gadomska ◽  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Urban Space ◽  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Urban Parks ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Public Places ◽  
Quality Design ◽  
Design Solutions ◽  
The City

This article raises the issue of setting up and developing urban parks on islands which are situated around New York’s borough of Manhattan. Among the principal consequences are an improved balance of developed green spaces in the city and the emergence of attractive public places with a variety of functions and high-quality design solutions. As for the urban landscape, interesting relations are created with respect to views of the unique silhouette of the city, and in particular of Manhattan.

scholarly journals Community Food Growing in Parks? Assessing the Acceptability and Feasibility in Sheffield, UK

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2887 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinvo Nam ◽  
Nicola Dempsey
Keyword(s):  
Local Authority ◽  
Urban Parks ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Household Composition ◽  
Urban Setting ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Community Groups ◽  
Study Results ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The City

Urbanisation brings with it increased pressure on land and land uses, particularly green spaces. There has been considerable interest in community food growing in green spaces as part of a wide trend for gardening in the UK, which has been found to bring social, health, and well-being benefits. Such activity tends to take place in community-managed gardens and allotments. In light of the context of austerity within which local authority parks departments currently operate, this study tested the acceptability and feasibility of parks as a potential urban setting for Community Food Growing (CFG) in Sheffield, UK. Employing a combination of resident questionnaires and interviews with community groups and professionals, the study results showed localised differences in the acceptability and feasibility of CFG. Residents’ propensity to want to get involved in CFG differed by age and household composition, which, if acted on across the city, could significantly change the demographic make-up of parks-based community groups in the city. Barriers to CFG in parks were described by community groups and park managers as security and vandalism, need for resources, and undue pressure on the local authority as land-owner. We discuss the emergent questions around who is best placed to manage urban parks, particularly when the public sector is subject to stringent austerity budget measures. The paper concludes with commentary and recommendations about the importance of governance arrangements if CFG is to be included as part of the activities supported and managed in urban parks.

Reconstruction Of Urban Parks Of Culture And Rest Of The Soviet Period

2019 ◽  
pp. 61-65
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Senior Citizens ◽  
Urban Parks ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Soviet Period ◽  
Limited Mobility ◽  
Functional Zoning ◽  
Functional Areas ◽  
The City

This article analyzes the main problems of urban public spaces, because today public spaces can determine the future of cities. It is noted that parks are multifunctional public spaces in the urban environment, as they are an important element of the citywide system of landscaping and recreation, perform health, cultural, educational, aesthetic and environmental functions. The article notes that the need for easily accessible and well-maintained urban parks remains, however, the state of parks in many cities of Russia remains unsatisfactory, requiring reconstruction. A brief historical background of the Park of Culture and Rest of the Soviet period in Omsk is expounded, the analysis of the existing territory of the Park is presented. It is revealed that the Park, being the largest public space in Omsk, does not meet the requirements of modern urbanism, although it represents a great potential for designing the space for the purpose of recreation of citizens. Performed functional zoning scheme of the territory of the Park in question, where its division into functional areas destined for active recreational users of the Park is presented, considered the interests of senior citizens, people with limited mobility, etc. Reconstruction of Parks of the Soviet period can provide the city with additional recreational opportunities, as well as increase its tourist attractiveness.

scholarly journals Detecting the Cool Island Effect of Urban Parks in Wuhan: A City on Rivers

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 132
Author(s):  
Qijiao Xie ◽  
Jing Li
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Remote Sensing Data ◽  
Urban Parks ◽  
High Water ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Heat Island ◽  
Island Effect ◽  
Urban Heat

As a nature-based solution, development of urban blue-green spaces is widely accepted for mitigating the urban heat island (UHI) effect. It is of great significance to determine the main driving factors of the park cool island (PCI) effect for optimizing park layout and achieving a maximum cooling benefit of urban parks. However, there have been obviously controversial conclusions in previous studies due to varied case contexts. This study was conducted in Wuhan, a city with high water coverage, which has significant differences in context with the previous case cities. The PCI intensity and its correlation with park characteristics were investigated based on remote sensing data. The results indicated that 36 out of 40 urban parks expressed a PCI effect, with a PCI intensity of 0.08~7.29 °C. As expected, larger parks with enough width had stronger PCI intensity. An increased density of hardened elements in a park could significantly weaken PCI effect. Noticeably, in this study, water bodies in a park contributed the most to the PCI effect of urban parks, while the vegetated areas showed a negative impact on the PCI intensity. It implied that in a context with higher water coverage, the cooling effect of vegetation was weakened or even masked by water bodies, due to the interaction effect of different variables on PCI intensity.

scholarly journals The Contribution of Urban Morphology to the Formation of the Microclimate in Compact Urban Cores: A Study in the City Center of Thessaloniki

Urban Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Georgios-Rafail Kouklis ◽  
Athena Yiannakou
Keyword(s):  
Field Study ◽  
Urban Form ◽  
Simulation Method ◽  
Urban Morphology ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
City Center ◽  
Outdoor Spaces ◽  
Microclimatic Conditions ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The City

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the contribution of urban morphology to the formation of microclimatic conditions prevailing within urban outdoor spaces. We studied the compact form of a city and examined, at a detailed, street plan level, elements related to air temperature, urban ventilation, and the individual’s thermal comfort. All elements examined are directly affected by both the urban form and the availability of open and green spaces. The field study took place in a typical compact urban fabric of an old city center, the city center of Thessaloniki, where we investigated the relationship between urban morphology and microclimate. Urban morphology was gauged by examining the detailed street plan, along with the local building patterns. We used a simulation method based on the ENVI-met© software. The findings of the field study highlight the fact that the street layout, the urban canyon, and the open and green spaces in a compact urban form contribute decisively both to the creation of the microclimatic conditions and to the influence of the bioclimatic parameters.

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