Blood meal analysis reveals sources of tick-borne pathogens and differences in host utilization of juvenile Ixodes ricinus across urban and sylvatic habitats

AIMS

Urban green spaces are locations of maximal human activity, forming areas of enhanced risk for tick-borne disease (TBD) transmission. Being also limited in spatial scale, green spaces form prime targets for control schemes aiming to reduce TBD risk. However, for effective control, the key species maintaining local tick and tick-borne pathogen (TBP) populations must be identified. To determine how patterns of host utilization vary spatially, we utilized blood meal analysis to study the contributions of voles, shrews, squirrels, leporids and cervids towards blood meals and the acquisition of TBPs of juvenile Ixodes ricinus in urban and sylvatic areas in Finland.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A total of 1084 nymphs were collected from the capital city of Finland, Helsinki and from a sylvatic island in southwestern Finland, and subjected to qPCR analysis to identify DNA remnants of the previous host. We found significant differences in host contributions between urban and sylvatic environments. Specifically, squirrels and leporids were more common hosts in urban habitats, whereas cervids and voles were more common in sylvatic habitats. In addition to providing 18.4% of larval blood meals in urban habitats, red squirrels were identified as the source of 28.6% (n = 48) of Borrelia afzelii detections and 58.1% (n = 18) of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto detections, indicating an important role for local enzootic cycles.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study highlights that the key hosts maintaining tick and TBP populations may be different in urban and sylvatic habitats. Likewise, hosts generally perceived as important for upkeep may have limited importance in urban environments. Consequently, targeting control schemes based on off-site data of host importance may lead to suboptimal results.

Analysis and evaluation of the burning characteristics of six commonly used herbaceous species in Beijing

Surface vegetations are one of the key factors affecting the spread of green space fires. To explore the combustibility of commonly used local surface layer herbaceous species in Beijing, and to provide a reference for the construction and management of urban green space, we comprehensively evaluated the combustibility of Carex giraldiana, Carex breviculis, Liriope spicata, Iris lactea, Iris tectorum, and Buffaloe dactyloides, with the entropy weight method and K-mean cluster analysis based on the principal component analysis method. We measured the combustion characteristics indicators (blade ignition point, combustion time and heat release rate), physical and chemical indicators (leaf moisture content and crude fat content), and biological characteristics indicators (blade thickness and unit load) during the key period of fire prevention. The results showed that blade thickness and ignition point got the highest weight and affected the overall combustibility most. Peak heat release rate and ignition time had the lowest weight and minimal impact on the overall combustibility. The combustibility of the six species followed an order of B. dactyloides > C. breviculmis > L. spicata > C. giraldiana > I. lactea > I. tectorum. Results of the clustering analysis showed that the combustion ability of B. dactyloides, C. breviculmis, and L. spicata were in class Ⅰ, with the strongest combustion ability; C. giraldiana was in class Ⅱ; I. lactea and I. tectorum were in class Ⅲ, with the lowest flammability. As widely used surface vegetations, critical attention should be paid on B. dactyloides, C. breviculmis and L. spicata for fire prevention in winter and spring.

Urban green space visitation and mental health wellbeing during COVID-19 in Bangkok, Thailand

Urban green spaces offer numerous benefits, and their role in supporting mental health, particularly during global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, is of growing interest to researchers and policymakers. This study explored the relationship between urban green space visitation and mental health well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangkok, Thailand. This cross-sectional study, conducted in Bangkok during the COVID-19 lockdown, used a telephone survey of 579 respondents. A logistic regression model was employed to examine the association between urban green space visitation and the WHO-5 mental health well-being score, considering various factors such as socioeconomic variables, healthy behaviors, and COVID-19-related experiences. The findings revealed a significant association between urban green space visitation during the lockdown and higher mental health well-being. Socioeconomic variables and healthy behaviors of respondents were also notably linked to higher WHO-5 mental health well-being scores. These findings collectively indicate that urban greenspace visitation serves as a crucial determinant of mental health and well-being, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Critical factors influencing visitor emotions: analysis of "restorativeness" in urban park visits in Fuzhou, China

Objective

To date, a comprehensive analysis of urban green space (UGS) visitors' emotional remains largely unexplored. In this study, we focus on how UGS environmental preferences, restorativeness, other physical factors (sound, air, and thermal environments), and individual characteristics affecting visitor emotions. Such a comprehensive analysis would allow relevant practitioners to check the environmental quality of UGSs and improve certain conditions to promote visitor emotions.

Methods

A total of 904 questionnaire responses with concurrently monitored physical factors were analyzed by independent sample t-tests, one-way ANOVA and path analysis.

Results

The thermal evaluation had the largest impact on positive emotions (β = 0.474), followed by perceived restorativeness (β = 0.297), which had β values of -0.120 and -0.158, respectively, on negative emotions. Air evaluation was more effective for increasing positive emotions (β = 0.293) than reducing negative emotions (β = -0.115). Sound evaluation also had similar results (β = 0.330 vs. β = -0.080). Environmental preference significantly influenced only positive emotions (β = 0.181) but could still indirectly impact negative emotions. Moreover, objective physical factors can indirectly affect visitors' emotions by enhancing their evaluations..

Conclusion

The influence of different UGS environmental factors on visitors' emotions vary, as does their impacts on positive versus negative emotions. Positive emotions were generally more affected than negative emotions by UGS. Visitor emotions were mainly influenced by physical and psychological factors. Corresponding suggestions are proposed for UGS design and management in this study.

The health perception of urban green spaces and its emotional impact on young adults: an empirical study from three cities in China

Introduction

Exposure to green space can bring many benefits to physical and mental health, but in China, the attractiveness of green space to youth groups seems to be not significant. The question of how to encourage young people to go out of the house to better perceive green space, enjoy nature, and promote physical and mental health is on our minds.

Methods

This study combines young people's green space perception, green space use, and purpose of visit to explore its impact on the emotional health of youth groups, combined with the PANAS psychological data scale, an online questionnaire survey of 426 residents (18-35  years old) in three Chinese cities, and was used to construct a multiple regression model and AMOS structural equations.

Results and discussion

The results of the study showed that, firstly, environmental attractiveness, environmental odor, and number of facilities were the key factors influencing adolescents' landscape perception evaluation, while activity space, environmental odor, and environmental attractiveness had a greater impact on adolescents' emotional well-being. Second, among adolescents' visit purposes, socializing and fitness were more likely to help them generate positive emotions while resting and viewing activities were effective in helping them alleviate negative emotions. In addition, in terms of usage, residents who took public transportation as well as those who arrived on foot were the most emotionally healthy. The findings of this paper provide insights for public policymakers, urban planners, and landscape architects to better encourage youth participation in green spaces when they are installed.

The impact of urban green space on the health of middle-aged and older adults

Introduction

Urban green space is one of the most closely related ecosystem services to residents' lives, and it can be regarded as a preventive public health measure. Residents living in parks and other green environments can help improve their physical and mental health, reduce stress and even prevent crime and violence. Therefore, based on the actual situation in China, this paper analyzes the relationship between urban green space and the health of middle-aged and older adults and its mechanisms.

Methods

This study used multiple linear regression, based the data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2013, 2015, and 2018, to explore the relationship between urban green space and the health of middle-aged and older adults. At the same time, group regression was conducted to identify the heterogeneity of health effects of urban green space.

Results

The research shows that the increase of urban green space areas can significantly improve the health status of middle-aged and older adults. After a series of robustness tests, the results are still valid. In addition, the health effects of urban green space are different because of gender, age, education level, marital status residence, geographical location of the respondents and park quantity distribution. Further research found that reducing hot weather and optimizing air quality are the potential mechanisms of urban green space affecting the health of middle-aged and older adults, providing new evidence for the causal mechanism between urban green space and the health of middle-aged and older adults.

Discussion

This study expanded the research scope of the impact of urban green space on the health of middle-aged and older adults, covering a representative sample in China. The results show that urban green space has an important impact on the health of middle-aged and older adults. Policy suggestions are made to help cities optimize the landscape and residents to enjoy ecology.

Resilience and green spaces: Association with stress among contact centre workers in the Philippines

ISSUE ADDRESSED

Philippine contact centres are rife with factors that contribute to work-related stress; health promotion strategies are needed to mitigate the impacts. With a transactional framework with the environment, this study examined the relationship of stress with resilience and the presence of urban green spaces (UGS) in the environment, while accounting for individual characteristics (ie, age, household income, exercise frequency).

METHODS

Participants include employees (Stage 1 N = 186; Stage 2 N = 89) from six contact centres in the capital region of the Philippines. A two-stage online survey included standardised instruments to measure stress (10-item Perceived Stress Scale) and resilience (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale), customised questions to gather demographic information and probe on participants' insights. Google Earth Pro was used for satellite mapping of UGS, followed by on-site ocular inspection.

RESULTS

Participants' average stress level was categorised as high; primary stressors included client demands and workload. The objectively measured percentages of UGS in the study sites' vicinity were categorised as low. Participants found UGS visible after careful observation, and majority were aware of UGS in their workplace vicinity. Resilience, household income and awareness of UGS in the vicinity significantly predicted stress levels.

CONCLUSION

Contact centre workers experienced high stress levels and their workplaces had little accessible UGS. Resilience, household income and awareness of UGS are significant contributors to stress levels. SO WHAT?: Health promotion in Philippine contact centres could consider strategies that include building resilience, enhancing income security and promoting the awareness of UGS within the workplace vicinity.

Influence of green biomass composition on the urban thermal environment in hot summer and warm winter regions: The example of Fuzhou residential area

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between green biomass composition and thermal environment, as well as their optimal composition pattern. We decomposed total green biomass in a certain spatial range into two categories: trees and shrubs-grasses, with urban residential areas as sampling sites and based on aerial photography and field research data of green biomass and optimized green biomass measurement method. We analyzed the correlation between the green biomass composition indicators (shrub and grass biomass, tree canopy biomass, green biomass, mean tree canopy biomass, number of trees) and ambient temperature and humidity in different spatial ranges. The results showed that the most significant cooling and humidifying effect of different green biomass composition indicators was at 50 m below the building scale. The mean tree canopy biomass and tree canopy biomass were the key factors affecting ambient temperature and humidity, respectively, in different time periods during the day. With an average canopy biomass of about 211 m3 and 62 trees in a 50 m space, the regulation effects of trees on ambient temperature and humidity were closer to the thermal comfort requirements of human body.

Body Size and Weight of Pill Bugs (Armadillidium vulgare) Vary between Urban Green Space Habitats

Rapid urban development poses a threat to global biodiversity. At the same time, urban green spaces offer opportunities for holding biodiversity in cities. Among biological communities, the soil fauna plays a crucial role in ecological processes but is often ignored. Understanding the effects of environmental factors on soil fauna is critical for ecological conservation in urban areas. In this study, five typical green space habitats were selected including bamboo grove, forest, garden, grassland, and wasteland in spring, for detecting the relationship between habitats and Armadillidium vulgare population characteristics in Yancheng, China. Results indicate that soil water content, pH, soil organic matter, and soil total carbon varied significantly among habitats, as well as the body length and body weight of pill bugs. The higher proportion of larger pill bugs was found in the wasteland and the lower proportion in the grassland and the bamboo grove. The body length of pill bugs was positively related to pH. Soil total carbon, soil organic matter, and the number of plant species were correlated with the body weight of pill bugs.

Urban Tree Canopy and Environmental Justice: Examining the Distributional Equity of Urban Tree Canopy in Guangzhou, China

Rapid urbanization has led to a series of environmental problems that are harmful to the physical and mental health of residents. Not only can increasing urban tree canopy (UTC) improve sustainable city development, but it can also effectively promote the quality of life for residents; however, the uneven spatial distribution of UTC can also bring about social justice problems. Currently, there are few studies related to the justice of UTC distribution in China. Based on this, the paper adopts object-oriented image classification technology to interpret and extract UTC data from satellite images, and it uses house price to explore the justice of the spatial distribution of UTC in the main urban area of Guangzhou from the perspective of environmental justice by ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and bivariate local spatial autocorrelation. The results show that: (1) There is a significant positive correlation between UTC and house price in the main urban area of Guangzhou, and there are regional differences in the distribution of UTC, with the UTC in the "very high" house price group being significantly higher than that in other groups. (2) The spatial clustering of UTC and house price in the main urban area of Guangzhou is found to be "low-low" and "high-high"; thus, it can be concluded that the spatial distribution of UTC in the main urban area of Guangzhou is uneven. This is an environmental injustice, as the areas with low UTC are spatially clustered in old residential areas, while the areas with high UTC are spatially clustered in commercial housing estates with high house prices. The study shows that urban tree planting should not only focus on quantitative improvement but also on equitable spatial layouts to promote social equity and justice thereby improving the urban ecological environment and promoting healthy urban development.

Intelligent Generation Method and Sustainable Application of Road Systems in Urban Green Spaces: Taking Jiangnan Gardens as an Example

This paper takes the garden road system as the research object and proposes a method of generating paths for classical gardens based on parametric design. Firstly, by studying the distribution characteristics of roads, the data on the curvature, angle, and view area of roads were collected. Secondly, the obtained data were transferred to the parameterized platform, and a method of intelligent generation was used for calculation. Finally, the road system was optimized by the genetic algorithm for better application in modern landscape design. According to the current situation, the road system plan generated by the algorithm inherits the characteristics of classical garden roads. This method can be applied to the courtyard, the community park, the urban park, and other objects. This research not only identifies the characteristics of landscape cultural heritage, but also produces an innovative, intelligent design tool. It provides new methods for the parameterized inheritance and application of traditional landscape heritage.

School-Based Interventions to Support Healthy Indoor and Outdoor Environments for Children: A Systematic Review

Environmental exposures are associated with children's health. Schools are often urban exposure 'hotspots' for pollution, noise, lack of green space and un-walkable built environments. The aim of this systematic review was to explore the impact of school-based interventions on the modification of indoor and outdoor stressors related to the built and natural environment on children's exposure and health. A systematic review of seven databases was performed. We included quantitative studies on children aged 5-12, which reported intervention delivered within school settings aimed at addressing key environmental exposures including air pollution, green spaces, traffic noise or active travel; and reported physical and mental health, physical activity or active travel behavior. The quality of studies was assessed and interventions were described using a standardized framework. A narrative synthesis approach was used to describe the findings. Thirty-nine papers were included on three main intervention types: improve indoor air quality by the increase of ventilation rates in classrooms; increase children's green time or greening schools, and multicomponent interventions to increase active travel to school by changes in pedestrian facilities. No eligible intervention to reduce traffic noise at school was found. Increasing ventilation rates improved short-term indoor air quality in classrooms, but the effect on cognitive performance was inconsistent. Greening schools and increasing children's green time have consistent positive effects on cognition and physical activity, but not in behavior. Multi-component interventions can increase walking and cycling after three years. Overall, the studies were rated as having poor quality owing to weak study designs. We found modest evidence that school-based built and natural environment interventions can improve children's exposure and health.

Exploring Urban Green Space Optimization of the Urban Walking Life Circle in Fuzhou, China

The spatial distribution of urban green spaces (UGS) is closely related to the health of residents and the ecological pattern of cities. Exploring the equity of UGSs plays an important role in urban planning and also provides guidance for urban development. Taking the main urban area of Fuzhou City as an example, this study uses network big data and census data to pinpoint the population demand, evaluates the accessibility and equity of UGS within the basic living circle, neighborhood living circle and daily living circle of residents at the scale of residential and sub-districts. Based on the G2SFCA model, we also quantify the actual effective UGS's service capacity. Then, using the scale and travel range as the entry point, we further discuss the similarities and differences under different scales and different travel ranges. Finally, optimization strategies are proposed for the construction status. The results show that: (1) The spatial allocation of urban green space resources varies significantly, and there is a serious inequity in the spatial distribution of urban green space under pedestrian conditions; (2) The results of UGS accessibility, equity, and service capacity in Fuzhou at both residential and sub-district scales are consistent; (3) Urban construction should be multi-level overall planning, combined with local economic and social development factors in accordance with local conditions to take measures. The results of the study can provide a scientific reference for the optimization of the spatial distribution of UGS.

Investigating the Usage Patterns of Park Visitors and Their Driving Factors to Improve Urban Community Parks in China: Taking Jinan City as an Example

Urban community parks have significant benefits for city residents, both physical and spiritual. This is especially true in developing countries, such as China. The purpose of our study is to describe the current situation of the community parks in five main districts of Jinan City while recognizing features of the community parks that influence usage patterns. Our study also means to determine the desired improvements of visitors that promote access to and use of community parks on the basis of the Chinese context. We conducted a survey among 542 community park visitors and obtained valid responses. The findings of respondents show that community parks are mostly used by people over 55 years (34.7%) and children under 10 years (23.6%). The main motives for using community parks are for exercise (24.2%) and to socialize with others (21.6%). The majority of respondents (65.7%) rated the community park as satisfactory and considered only a few improvements needed. Regarding the desired improvements, numerous respondents mentioned adding more physical training facilities (13.3%) and activity areas (7.6%), as well as emergency call buttons in areas frequented by children and older people (7.6%). Furthermore, most of the respondents (79.9%) indicated that they would like to use the community parks more frequently if there is additional progress to make the parks more attractive, cleaner, and friendlier. These results can help park designers, government agencies, and community groups to provide the planning and design strategies for community parks to promote their upgrading in China.

Urban Green Space and Subjective Well-Being of Older People: A Systematic Literature Review

A growing number of articles have identified and reported the benefits and importance of urban green spaces for improving human well-being, but there is a significant knowledge gap regarding the impact of urban green spaces on the subjective well-being of older adults. The literature search (August 2015-August 2022) was derived from two major scientific databases, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. As a result, 2558 articles were found, 1527 of which were retrieved from WOS and the rest from Google Scholar. Bibliometric methods and VOSviewer software were used to screen and organize the articles in the relevant fields. Finally, 65 articles met the review criteria. The included studies aim to capture the benefits of various features of urban green spaces in meeting or enhancing the subjective well-being needs of older adults. The results of our review further support the existence of a strong link between older adults' subjective well-being and various features of urban green spaces, providing new insights for future in-depth reexamination and policy development. Furthermore, the relationship between urban green spaces and older adults' subjective well-being depends not only on the urban green spaces themselves but also on the characteristics of the older adult population that uses them.

Measuring spatial accessibility and supply-demand deviation of urban green space: A mobile phone signaling data perspective

The reasonable distribution of urban green space (UGS) is a topic that urban researchers have been exploring for a long time. Solving the imbalance between the supply and demand of UGS plays an important role in improving the health level of a city. This study examines the central urban area of Hefei as an example. We developed a modified Gaussian two-step floating catchment area method and used the path planning model of Gaode Map to evaluate the accessibility of UGS under different transportation modes and different time thresholds while integrating mobile phone signaling data. Additionally, a fine-scale analysis of the actual supply and demand relationship of UGS was conducted by integrating the accessibility evaluation results with the recreational situation of UGS to analyze the deviation of supply and demand to further discuss the spatial distribution equilibrium of UGS. The main conclusions are as follows. (1) The spatial distribution of UGSs in the central urban area of Hefei is uneven. Different time thresholds and different transportation modes have a significant impact on the UGS accessibility evaluation results. (2) With the increase in the time threshold or travel distance, the number of grids above the moderate accessibility level generally increases. The spatial distribution of the grids with moderate, high and highest accessibility level present different patterns of contiguous, clusters, and spots distribution. (3) After combining these results with the actual recreational situation of UGS, we found that the overall demand in the central urban area exceeds the supply at the 15-min threshold, while the overall supply exceeds the demand at the 30-min threshold. The grids with balanced supply and demand or more supply than demand have comprehensive parks with a moderate population density and strong road connectivity in the neighborhood. This study strengthens the data granularity and improves the accuracy of accessibility evaluation by integrating mobile phone signaling data with the path planning model of Gaode Map. Also, we evaluate the accessibility with multi-transport modes and different time thresholds, which can bring more practical guidance for optimizing the distribution of UGS.

Emotional-Health-Oriented Urban Design: A Novel Collaborative Deep Learning Framework for Real-Time Landscape Assessment by Integrating Facial Expression Recognition and Pixel-Level Semantic Segmentation

Emotional responses are significant for understanding public perceptions of urban green space (UGS) and can be used to inform proposals for optimal urban design strategies to enhance public emotional health in the times of COVID-19. However, most empirical studies fail to consider emotion-oriented landscape assessments under dynamic perspectives despite the fact that individually observed sceneries alter with angle. To close this gap, a real-time sentimental-based landscape assessment framework is developed, integrating facial expression recognition with semantic segmentation of changing landscapes. Furthermore, a case study using panoramic videos converted from Google Street View images to simulate changing scenes was used to test the viability of this framework, resulting in five million big data points. The result of this study shows that through the collaboration of deep learning algorithms, finer visual variables were classified, subtle emotional responses were tracked, and better regression results for valence and arousal were obtained. Among all the predictors, the proportion of grass was the most significant predictor for emotional perception. The proposed framework is adaptable and human-centric, and it enables the instantaneous emotional perception of the built environment by the general public as a feedback survey tool to aid urban planners in creating UGS that promote emotional well-being.

Sociodemographic Variations in the Availability of Urban Green Spaces in an Older Swedish Population

Urban green spaces (UGS) can have a positive impact on health and thereby potentially ease the strain on the health care system. However, the availability and benefits seem to vary between different sociodemographic groups. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between sociodemographic factors and availability to UGS among people aged 65 years or older. Data on sociodemographic variables and residential coordinates were obtained for three cross-sectional cohorts in two cities (Malmö and Kristianstad) and three years (2010, 2015, and 2019). Three measures of urban green spaces; total (UGS), public (PGS) and quiet (QGS), within 300 m were used to determine availability. The results indicated higher availability to both total and publicly available urban green spaces for groups with lower socioeconomic status (SES) is positive from a health perspective. However, availability to high qualitative publicly available urban green spaces, from a noise perspective, was lower, indicating the opposite.

Links between the pandemic and urban green spaces, a perspective on spatial indices of landscape garden cities in China

The COVID-19 pandemic has inevitably changed people's lifestyles and demands for urban green space and public open space. The National Landscape Garden Cities in China (NLGCC) policy is one of the key development models in China aimed at building sustainable cities and society. In this paper, the development of the study's selection criteria and the significance and benefits of the NLGCC policy are first summarised. 391 cities were chosen from the NLGCC list to analyse the spatial distribution and construction of driving factors. The results show that the NLGCC's selection criteria have shifted from a focus on quantity to overall habitat quality. During the COVID-19 pandemic, city resilience has been examined more closely. The NLGCC policies have boosted to address ecological and environmental crises and enhanced urban disaster preparedness. The spatial distribution analysis shows that the NLGCC is spatially unevenly distributed and has a clustering trend. A total of 54.96% of the NLGCC is concentrated in China's eastern and central regions. The natural environment and socioeconomics are two main categories of driving factors. This study provides significant value to the understanding of the spatial pattern of the NLGCC offers a reference for decision-making about the construction of urban environments worldwide.

[Estimation method of urban green space living vegetation volume based on backpack light detection and ranging]

Living vegetation volume (LVV) can objectively and accurately reflect the urban greenery quality, and provide a reliable data foundation for the quantitative study aiming to reveal the mechanisms underlying urban greenery ecological functions. According to the characteristics of dispersion and small scale of unit affiliated green space, we proposed a LVV estimation scheme for such urban green space, which included data acquisition, processing, entity segmentation, classification, single tree canopy extraction, and LVV calculation. First, point cloud data was obtained with a backpack LiDAR system, and the ground point clouds were eliminated by a multi-scale algorithm. Second, the Density Based Spatial Clustering of Application with Noise (DBSCAN) algorithm was used to cluster the non-ground point clouds, and density feature-based competitive algorithm was used to re-segmented for the overlapping area to generate independent objects. Third, the PointNet++ network model was used to extracted plant point clouds. Then, the canopy point clouds were extracted using the similarity of principal direction between neighboring points and distribution density of branch and leaf points. Finally, the LVV of individual tree canopy was calculated by the convex hull method, and then the LVV of the accessory greenland was summed up. Taking a science and technology park as an example, its total LVV was 21034.95 m³, among which the number of mango trees was the highest, and the total LVV was the largest (4868.64 m³, accounting for 23.2%). The tree species with the largest LVV per plant was Terminalia neotaliala tree, with an average of 120.37 m³ per plant. The relative error between LVV of trees estimated by this scheme compared with traditional method and convex hull method was 10.7%-33.7% and 2.7%-16.0%, with average value of 20.9% and 8.7%, respectively. This scheme could make full use of the characteristics of the three-dimensional point cloud and use a convex polyhedron to simulate the original form of the tree crown, which was more consistent with the actual situation of trees. The measurement and estimation solution of the LVV provided new ideas for rapid and accurate estimation of urban LVV.

Seasonal Differences in Physiological Responses to Walking in Urban Parks

The aim of the current study was to assess seasonal differences in physiological responses to walking in urban parks. In total, 51 Japanese male university students participated in this research. During each season, the participants walked for 15 min in an urban park and a city area, which was used as the control site. Heart-rate variability and heart rate were used as physiological indicators. The mean values of each indicator in a comparison between walking in an urban park and a city area were compared according to each season. In addition, to show the physiological effect of walking in an urban park, differences (between walking in an urban park and walking in a city area) were calculated. Then, differences according to each season were compared. The results showed that the participants had increased parasympathetic nervous system activity in all seasons except summer. Moreover, they had decreased sympathetic nervous system activity in spring and fall and decreased heart rate in all seasons. Compared with walking in urban parks in summer, walking in urban parks in spring, fall, and winter had a greater relaxation effect on parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system activities; hence, the physiological effects of walking in urban parks vary based on season.

Impact of urban green space on self-rated health: Evidence from Beijing

As a crucial component of urban green space (UGS), urban parks have been found to be closely associated with the health of urban residents. Drawing on a large-scale survey, "International First-class Harmonious and Livable Capital", in Beijing conducted in 2018, this paper examines the impact of subjective and objective characteristics of UGS on residents' self-rated health (SRH) by using a binary logistic regression model. The results indicate that the overall SRH status of urban residents in Beijing is relatively good, with 73.8% of the respondents reporting good SRH. The perceived quality of UGS and objectively measured accessibility to UGS are positively associated with residents' SRH, but the subjective indicator of UGS has a greater impact on SRH than the objective indicator of UGS. In terms of influencing mechanisms, social interaction and air quality perception were the two major mediators of UGS that affected residents' SRH. The heterogeneity analysis suggests that objective accessibility to different types of urban parks has mixed effects on residents' SRH. Access to high-quality parks is positively associated with residents' SRH, whereas access to common parks has a negative impact on residents' SRH. Our findings provide important policy implications for optimizing urban park design and improving the quality of urban park provision according to human needs in the Beijing Metropolitan Area.

Designing Multifunctional Urban Green Spaces: An Inclusive Public Health Framework

Evidence of the wide range of health benefits associated with the use of urban green space (UGS) continues to grow. Despite this evidence, many UGS designs do not adopt a community-inclusive approach that utilizes evidence-based public health strategies to maximize potential health benefits. This research focused on testing a multidisciplinary, community-involved public health framework to drive the UGS design process. The aim of this study was to use community feedback and evidence-based public health practices to promote physical health, psychological wellbeing, and social cohesion by creating a multifunctional UGS that enhances nature therapy, natural play, and sports and recreation. Community health assessment data (236 survey responses), community forum and survey feedback (157 survey responses), local urban green space inventory assessment, and environmental assessment and impact data were analyzed to develop a design plan that maximize the greatest potential health benefits for the greatest proportion of the population. Community health data indicated a strong relationship between the availability of places to be physically active in the community and higher ratings of mental (aOR = 1.80) and physical (aOR = 1.49) health. The creation and utilization of the proposed community-inclusive and public health-focused framework resulted in a UGS design that prioritized the needs of the community and provided evidence-informed strategies to improve the health of local residents. This paper provides unique insight into the application of a framework that promotes a more health-focused and functional approach to UGS design.

How Can Apartment-Complex Landscaping Space Improve Residents' Psychological Well-Being?: The Case of the Capital Region in South Korea

Urban green spaces have a positive impact on citizens' mental health and have contributed to improving their quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. In South Korea, where more than 50% of all households live in apartments, apartment-complex landscaping space plays the role of urban green space. This study aimed to investigate the relationships among a perceived restorative environment, restorative experience, life satisfaction, and psychological well-being by conducting a survey between residents living in apartments with landscape space. More specifically, an online survey was conducted from 8 to 15 June 2021 among residents in apartment complexes (500 households or more) located in the capital region in South Korea. We applied partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) using 220 samples to test the causal relationship presented in the conceptual model of this study. The results revealed that residents' perceptions of the restorative environment of landscape space, including fascination, being away, and coherence had positive effects on restorative attention. Among the restorative environmental factors, the higher the "being away", the greater the effect on restorative attention. Second, the effects of fascination and coherence on life satisfaction were mediated by restorative attention. Third, restorative attention and life satisfaction significantly influenced psychological well-being. Additionally, life satisfaction acts as a mediator in the relationship between restorative attention and psychological well-being. In summary, this study has theoretical implications, in that it explores the effects of apartment complex landscaping space as urban green spaces on residents' mental health.

[Canopy interception and water harvesting function of shrubs in urban green spaces of semi-humid region and their influencing factors]

In the semi-humid region, developing innovative water conservation urban green space design and facilitating urban greening projects from high water consumption to water conservation are hot topics in research and practice. Using the simulated rainfall method, we explored the water interception and collection functions and their influencing factors of six shrub species (Ligustrum ×vicaryi, Euonymus japonicas, Buxus sinica var. parvifolia, Photinia ×fraseri, Juniperus chinensis and Platycladus orientalis) in urban green space in the semi-humid region. The results showed that canopy interception and water harvesting were two stages in hydrological processes. The canopy interception of coniferous shrubs was high, while their stemflow was low. When the rainfall intensity increased, throughfall rates and stem-flow rates of all shrub species increased significantly, while the interception rate relatively decreased. The throughfall and stem-flow rates of broad-leaved shrubs were significantly higher than those of coniferous shrubs. The canopy interception was significantly lower in broad-leaved shrub species than in coniferous ones. At the center of canopy projection, the throughfall rate was the lowest. The leaf area index (LAI) and throughfall rate decreased gradually from the center of the canopy projection area. When the rainfall intensity was small, the throughfall rate at the center of canopy projection area was low, and thus the interception rate and the stem-flow rate were higher. When the rainfall intensity was more elevated, throughfall at the center of canopy projection area was large, and thus the interception rate and the stem-flow rate were low. With increasing rainfall intensity, the funnel-shaped water collection system tended to shrink due to the increases of throughfall rate at the edge of canopy. Rainfall intensity and LAI were the most critical factors affecting water harvesting function. Planting broad-leaved shrubs under the forest may be more effective in water harvesting than planting coniferous shrubs.

Therapeutic Garden With Contemplative Features Induces Desirable Changes in Mood and Brain Activity in Depressed Adults

The therapeutic values of contact with nature have been increasingly recognized. A growing body of evidence suggests that a unique subcategory of "contemplative landscapes" is particularly therapeutic. Previous studies predominantly focused on observational designs in non-clinical populations. It is not known if these effects can be extrapolated to populations suffering from depression, and experimental designs need to be utilized to establish causality. We examined the effects of in-situ passive exposure to three urban spaces on brain activity, namely a Therapeutic Garden with high Contemplative Landscape scores (TG), Residential Green (RG) and Busy Downtown (BD), and self-reported momentary mood in adults aged 21-74 (n = 92), including 24 clinically depressed and 68 healthy participants. Portable, multimodal electroencephalography (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) systems were used to record brain activity, and a Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire was used to record mood before and after exposure. We tested the interactions between the site, time and group for the mood, and between site and group for the neuroelectric oscillations and brain hemodynamics. Self-reported pre- post-mood was significant only at the TG (p = 0.032) in both groups. The lowest Total Mood Disturbance (TMD) was reported at TG and the highest in BD (p = 0.026). Results from fNIRS indicated marginally significant lower oxy-Hb in the frontal region at TG as compared to BD (p = 0.054) across both groups. The marginally significant effect of site and group was also observed (p = 0.062), with the Clinical group showing much lower oxy-Hb at TG than Healthy. The opposite pattern was observed at BD. EEG results showed differences between Healthy and Clinical groups in the Frontal Alpha Asymmetry (FAA) pattern across the sites (p = 0.04), with more frontal alpha right in the Clinical sample and more left lateralization in the Healthy sample at TG. Temporal Beta Asymmetry (TBA) analyses suggested that patients displayed lower bottom-up attention than Healthy participants across all sites (p = 0.039). The results suggest that both healthy and depressed adults benefitted from exposure to TG, with possibly different pathways of mood improvement. Visiting therapeutic nature with contemplative features may provide valuable support for the treatment of depression in clinical populations and a self-care intervention in non-clinical populations.

What Is the Effect of Cultural Greenway Projects in High-Density Urban Municipalities? Assessing the Public Living Desire near the Cultural Greenway in Central Beijing

Cultural greenway projects (CGPs) are widely regarded as an urban planning approach which connects open green spaces and sites of sociocultural value to provide access to living, working and recreational spaces and enhance local social well-being. This paper examines the impact of such CGPs on public living desire before and after a given project is completed through analyzing housing prices in the surrounding area. We deployed a hedonic pricing model (HPM) and differences in differences (DID) model to analyze and record any changes in housing market trends that may have been caused by such a cultural greenway project. Via analysis of single-family home sale transactions in central Beijing from 2013 to 2017, we found substantial evidence that proximity to a cultural greenway project is positively linked with rising property prices. Once complete, CGPs were similarly associated with positive increases per HPM and DID modeling. Our results revealed that the distance to greenway contributed significantly positive impact on the housing market after the cultural greenway project completed. Moreover, our result indicated that once a CGP was open to the public, it increased the price of properties within 1 km by 13.3%. Seller and buyer expectations of the development of local, green public infrastructure also began to factor into housing prices prior to the greenway opening to the public. Post-completion, the positive trend in property pricing due to local CGPs indicates that the public still have an increasing desire to live near the greenway. These results will help policymakers better understand how cultural greenways affect neighborhoods in high-density urban contexts, and will support the development of urban greenway policies for cities in China that reap the maximum economic benefit.

The influence of natural environments on creativity

This study investigated the effects of different natural environments on attention restoration and creativity. To compare the restorative benefits based on the degrees of perceived naturalness in urban areas, this study categorized environments into three types of perceived naturalness and tested the effect on one's creativity. The urban campus was selected as the study site, representing high-, medium-, and low-perceived naturalness photosets downloaded from Google Street Map images as experimental stimuli. The study invited 100 subjects to take the Abbreviated Torrance Test for Adults (ATTA), which measures creative thinking by viewing the onscreen photosets of the experimental stimuli. In addition, this study asked participants to complete the Perceived Restoration Scale (PRS) questionnaires. The results showed that high- and medium-perceived naturalness in the urban-campus site was superior to low-perceived naturalness in creative performance. In addition, there were significant differences in elaboration and flexibility for different degrees of perceived naturalness. Various degrees of perceived naturalness showed a substantial correlation between PRS scores and ATTA scores. The attention restoration benefits of high- and medium-naturalness environments improve creativity. Our study indicates that viewing natural environments stimulates curiosity and fosters flexibility and imagination, highly natural environments distract our minds from work, and the benefits of attention restoration can improve the uniqueness and diversity of creative ideas. This study provides a reference for creative environmental design and supports further understanding of nature's health and creativity benefits in urban areas.

Harnessing Citizen Science to Assess and Improve Utilization of Metropolitan Parks: the Park Activity, Recreation, and Community Study (PARCS) in St. Louis, MO

Access to and use of parks is associated with physical activity participation. Our Voice is a systematic method blending community-based participatory research (CBPR) and citizen science. As part of a comprehensive, mixed-methods study in St. Louis, Missouri (PARCS), we tested the feasibility of the Our Voice method for gathering community input on the barriers to and facilitators of accessibility and use of large metropolitan parks, by describing the implementation of the Our Voice method among recreational and commuter users of a large metropolitan park in St. Louis, MO. Due to challenges posed by COVID-19, the Our Voice methodology was adapted for remote participation. Twenty-three citizen scientists (14 recreational park users and 9 commuters) collected and analyzed geolocated route, photo, and audio or text data on facilitators and barriers to park use and access. They identified 6 priority themes and 12 solution ideas, and presented them to stakeholders. In contrast to previous Our Voice studies, separate user groups (recreation and commuter users) independently prioritized many of the same themes. Adaptation of the Our Voice protocol to virtual practices during COVID-19 revealed positive implications for cost, reach, and scale of studies grounded in CBPR and citizen science. We provide a set of recommended practices for using Our Voice as a method to evaluate and promote equity of access and use of metropolitan parks.

Study on Spatial-Temporal Change of Urban Green Space in Yangtze River Economic Belt and Its Driving Mechanism

Urban green space plays an important role in beautifying the environment, improving the quality of life of residents, and promoting sustainable urban development. Rapid urbanization has led to great changes in the spatial structure and layout of urban green space. It is urgent to put forward the sustainable development strategy of green space through the research on the change of urban green space. Based on the geographical spatial differences of urban green space and integrating the factors of economy, society, industry, land use, and the environment, we constructed a research framework of "space-supply-demand" integration of urban green space by GI and geodetector methods, and we conducted an empirical study on the spatial-temporal changes of urban green space and its driving mechanism in prefecture-level cities along the Yangtze River Economic Belt in China. First, the urban green space along the Yangtze River Economic Belt is concentrated in spatial distribution, while uneven development appears in urban greening among the zones. Second, the influence of different factors on urban green space change varies greatly and can be divided into three types: key factors, important factors, and auxiliary factors. The driving mechanism of the spatial distribution of urban green space supply and demand is quite different, but urban population and commercial service facilities land are their key influence factors, having a comprehensive influence on the spatial-temporal changes of urban green space. Third, the factors are classified into three categories of high, medium, and low levels according to the mean of interacting forces; in particular, the factors of per capita GDP, utility land, industrial smoke (dust) emissions, and other factors have a very strong interactive effect with other factors. Fourth, according to the spatial distribution characteristics of urban green space and its driving mechanism, this paper puts forward planning and policy suggestions, providing reference for other areas to deal with the green space change.

The Relationships between Perceived Design Intensity, Preference, Restorativeness and Eye Movements in Designed Urban Green Space

Recent research has demonstrated that landscape design intensity impacts individuals’ landscape preferences, which may influence their eye movement. Due to the close relationship between restorativeness and landscape preference, we further explore the relationships between design intensity, preference, restorativeness and eye movements. Specifically, using manipulated images as stimuli for 200 students as participants, the effect of urban green space (UGS) design intensity on landscapes’ preference, restorativeness, and eye movement was examined. The results demonstrate that landscape design intensity could contribute to preference and restorativeness and that there is a significant positive relationship between design intensity and eye-tracking metrics, including dwell time percent, fixation percent, fixation count, and visited ranking. Additionally, preference was positively related to restorativeness, dwell time percent, fixation percent, and fixation count, and there is a significant positive relationship between restorativeness and fixation percent. We obtained the most feasible regression equations between design intensity and preference, restorativeness, and eye movement. These results provide a set of guidelines for improving UGS design to achieve its greatest restorative potential and shed new light on the use of eye-tracking technology in landscape perception studies.

Community-Level Urban Green Space Equity Evaluation Based on Spatial Design Network Analysis (sDNA): A Case Study of Central Wuhan, China

Urban green spaces (UGSs) provide numerous irreplaceable environmental and social benefits to humankind, but the lack of baseline information makes it difficult to propose a reasonable greening strategy so as to achieve an equitable allocation of community green spaces. This paper divides UGSs into three classes using the spatial design network analysis (sDNA) and quantifies the UGS accessibility of communities in central Wuhan. Based on these results and the Gini coefficient, we analyze the UGS equity of the spatial distribution at the community level, then propose future greening strategies both at the city and community levels. The results show that the railway station and old Wuhan city are the core areas of traffic network strength (TNS). UGSs are evenly distributed in the core areas of TNS, but the number of UGSs in non-core areas is small, and their distribution is relatively uneven, and the number of communities with medium UGS accessibility is the largest, carrying the densest residential population. Most communities perform well in terms of UGS equity, but the UGS equity of 163 communities, covering a population of more than one million, remains to be improved. The method and conclusions of this study will contribute to the future greening policy making of 965 communities in central Wuhan, thus promoting the orderly planning and high-quality construction of community living circles.

Students' Intention of Visiting Urban Green Spaces after the COVID-19 Lockdown in China

This study addresses students' perceptions of using urban green spaces (UGSs) after the easing of COVID-19 lockdown in China. We questioned whether they are still mindful of the risks from the outdoor gathering, or conversely, starting to learn the restoration benefits from the green spaces. Online self-reported surveys were distributed to the Chinese students aging from 14 to 30 who study in Hunan and Jiangsu Provinces, China. We finally obtained 608 complete and valid questionnaire forms from all participants. Their intentions of visiting UGSs were investigated based on the extended theory of planned behavior model. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypothesized psychological model. The results have shown good estimation performance on risk perception and perceived knowledge to explain the variances in their attitudes, social norms, and perceived behavior control. Among these three endogenous variables, the perceived behavior control owns the greatest and positive influence on the behavioral intention, inferring that controllability is crucial for students to make decisions of visiting green spaces in a post-pandemic context.

Assessing Emotional Responses to the Spatial Quality of Urban Green Spaces through Self-Report and Face Recognition Measures

Although creating a high-quality urban green space (UGS) is of considerable importance in public health, few studies have used individuals' emotions to evaluate the UGS quality. This study aims to conduct a multidimensional emotional assessment method of UGS from the perspective of spatial quality. Panoramic videos of 15 scenes in the West Lake Scenic Area were displayed to 34 participants. For each scene, 12 attributes regarding spatial quality were quantified, including perceived plant attributes, spatial structure attributes, and experiences of UGS. Then, the Self-Assessment-Manikin (SAM) scale and face recognition model were used to measure people's valence-arousal emotion values. Among all the predictors, the percentages of water and plants were the most predictive indicators of emotional responses measured by SAM scale, while the interpretation rate of the model measured by face recognition was insufficiently high. Concerning gender differences, women experienced a significantly higher valence than men. Higher percentages of water and plants, larger sizes, approximate shape index, and lower canopy densities were often related to positive emotions. Hence, designers must consider all structural attributes of green spaces, as well as enrich visual perception and provide various activities while creating a UGS. In addition, we suggest combining both physiological and psychological methods to assess emotional responses in future studies. Because the face recognition model can provide objective measurement of emotional responses, and the self-report questionnaire is much easier to administer and can be used as a supplement.

Reproductive trait differences drive offspring production in urban cavity-nesting bees and wasps

The contrasting and idiosyncratic changes in biodiversity that have been documented across urbanization gradients call for a more mechanistic understanding of urban community assembly. The reproductive success of organisms in cities should underpin their population persistence and the maintenance of biodiversity in urban landscapes. We propose that exploring individual-level reproductive traits and environmental drivers of reproductive success could provide the necessary links between environmental conditions, offspring production, and biodiversity in urban areas. For 3 years, we studied cavity-nesting solitary bees and wasps in four urban green space types across Toronto, Canada. We measured three reproductive traits of each nest: the total number of brood cells, the proportion of parasite-free cells, and the proportion of non-emerged brood cells that were parasite-free. We determined (a) how reproductive traits, trait diversity and offspring production respond to multiple environmental variables and (b) how well reproductive trait variation explains the offspring production of single nests, by reflecting the different ways organisms navigate trade-offs between gathering of resources and exposure to parasites. Our results showed that environmental variables were poor predictors of mean reproductive trait values, trait diversity, and offspring production. However, offspring production was highly positively correlated with reproductive trait evenness and negatively correlated with trait richness and divergence. This suggests that a narrow range of reproductive traits are optimal for reproduction, and the even distribution of individual reproductive traits across those optimal phenotypes is consistent with the idea that selection could favor diverse reproductive strategies to reduce competition. This study is novel in its exploration of individual-level reproductive traits and its consideration of multiple axes of urbanization. Reproductive trait variation did not follow previously reported biodiversity-urbanization patterns; the insensitivity to urbanization gradients raise questions about the role of the spatial mosaic of habitats in cities and the disconnections between different metrics of biodiversity.

"It Was Definitely an Eye-Opener to Me"-People with Disabilities' and Health Professionals' Perceptions on Combining Traditional Indoor Rehabilitation Practice with an Urban Green Rehabilitation Context

Research points to the health benefits of rehabilitation in urban green spaces. Nevertheless, more studies indicate complexity of utilising urban green spaces in an established health system context. An understanding of challenges related to rehabilitation in urban green spaces remains unaddressed. Therefore, the aim was to describe and analyse people with disabilities' and health professionals' perceptions on combining traditional indoor rehabilitation practice with an urban green rehabilitation context. The interpretive description methodology was applied supplemented by Edgar Schein's Model of Organisational Culture. Three online focus group interviews were conducted with people with disabilities (n = 4) and health professionals (n = 10). Three interrelated themes formed an understanding of rehabilitation practice in an urban green rehabilitation context: "ambivalence due to contextual change", "negotiating rehabilitation assumptions" and "expanding the frame of rehabilitation". Expanding the frame of rehabilitation to an urban green context may provide a basis for enhancing compatibility to everyday life for people with disabilities and still accommodate structural quality standards of professional rehabilitation practice.

Thermal and Humidity Effect of Urban Green Spaces with Different Shapes: A Case Study of Shanghai, China

Research shows that urban green spaces (UGSs) provide a number of positive effects, including enhancing human thermal comfort levels by decreasing air temperature (AT) and increasing relative humidity (RH). However, research on how the shape of an UGS influences these effects is yet to be explored. This paper explores the principles and features behind this. The AT and RH surrounding an UGS within a horizontal scale of 20 m was explored. Microclimate field measurements around 35 UGSs in Shanghai, China were carried out. The samples covered the most applied types of UGSs—punctiform, linear, and planar. Comparison spots were selected away from the sampled UGSs. The effects were studied by data collection and statistical analysis. The results indicate that the shape of the UGS had significant impact on the Temperature Humidity Index (THI). In the summer, the amplitude of THI variation decreases with the distance to UGS. For punctiform UGS, a larger total area and existence of water body results in a lower THI. A wider, linear UGS with the same orientation as the direction of the prevailing wind contributes more to decrease the surrounding THI. The total area of planar UGS is not critical. A higher landscape shape index of a planar UGS is the critical point to achieve a lower THI. The results can serve as a reference when planning and designing future UGSs.

[Research progress on the differences and connections between supply and demand of urban green space]

As an important concept connecting urban green space (UGS) with the residents' demands, supply and demand of UGS is an important part of UGS research and planning. Identifying the difference and connection between UGS supply and demand contributes to proper configuration of UGS, human well-being improvement and urban sustainability. We reviewed literature on UGS supply and demand from 2016 to 2020, summarized common research topics and paradigms, examined associations among these topics, and proposed suggestions for future studies. We found that most studies focused on either USG supply or demand, and rarely analyzed match between UGS supply and demand. The studies of UGS supply mainly focused on the spatial and temporal patterns and the ecosystem services they provided, while the studies of demand focused on residents' subjective preference and behavior. Studies on supply and demand often differ in research objects, scales, and indicators, which was a major obstacle to construct relationships between them. We proposed that future studies should focus on the match of supply and demand. A possible way to achieve this goal is to measure UGS demand by both objective indicators and subjective preference.

[Spatial Distribution, Contamination Assessment, and Sources of Heavy Metals in the Urban Green Space Soils of a City in North China]

To study the condition of urban green space soils in the central parts of a city in North China, the spatial distribution, sources, and pollution levels of heavy metals (Cd, Hg, As, Pb, Cr, Cu, Zn, and Ni) within green space soils in the central urban districts of the city were investigated. The results showed that the soil quality was high overall. The mean concentrations of Cd, Hg, As, Pb, Cr, Cu, Zn, and Ni were 0.172, 0.202, 9.02, 34.7, 57.0, 31.2, 85.7, and 26.3 mg·kg^-1, respectively. The mean concentrations of Cd, Hg, Pb, and Zn in urban soils exceeded the background value of the Beijing-Tianjin-Tangshan region. All of the samples' heavy metal concentrations were lower than the risk screening values for soil contamination of development land in the national soil environment quality standards. With respect to the spatial distribution, the concentrations of As, Cr, and Ni were higher in the northwest of the study area, the concentrations of Cd and Zn were higher in the northeast, and the concentrations of Hg, Pb, and Cu were higher in the urban core area. As for the different land use types of the soils, the concentrations of Cd, Zn, and Ni were higher in the enterprise soils, while the concentrations of Hg, Pb, and Cu were higher in park and residential soils. Assessments of soil quality showed that 97.2% of soil samples' Nemerow integrated indices were less than 1, indicating that the soils were clean. Indices of potential ecological risk for all soil samples were less than 80, indicating that they posed a slight ecological risk. Multivariate statistical analysis (correlation and principle component analyses) showed that Cu, Pb, and Hg may originate from an anthropogenic source via the painting of ancient buildings and pesticides used to protect ancient trees. Chromium may originate from natural sources via geochemical activity and soil parent material; Cr, Zn, Ni, and As were derived from mixed sources through human and geochemical activities. The receptor model was used for identification and apportionment of pollution sources of elements over the standard. The contribution rates of sources were as follows:source 2(46.1%), source 3(33.1%), source 1(17.7%), and others (3.1%) for Cd, source 1(93.0%) for Cu, source 1(52.4%), source 3(24.2%), source 2(20.0%), and others (3.4%) for Zn, source 1(56.3%), source 2(37.8%), and source 3(5.8%) for Ni. Sources 1 and 3 were anthropogenic, while source 2 was natural.

Disparity in Perceptions of Social Values for Ecosystem Services of Urban Green Space: A Case Study in the East Lake Scenic Area, Wuhan

Urban green space can bring various ecosystem benefits to diverse social groups. Among those ecosystem benefits, intangible social values are often neglected but highly relevant to human welfare. Existing research on the social values of urban green space often focusses on the perspective of urban inhabitants rather than tourists, even though tourists are also major beneficiaries. By combining different data sources into a comprehensive source about green-space social values, we investigated the disparity between inhabitants' and tourists' perceptions about space-associated social values, and further explored the underlying environmental conditions in the East Lake scenic area, Wuhan. For this, we collected 347 questionnaires through an on-site survey and 11,908 photos uploaded by 2165 social media users (Sina Blog), and we used SolVES (Social Value for Ecosystem Services) to uncover the spatial patterns of social values and the relationships between social value indicators and natural surroundings. Social-value hotspots occurred near water and trails. Perceptions differed, however, between inhabitants and tourists. Inhabitants perceived a larger scale of social values and could benefit more from recreation and economic values. Tourists, on the other hand, showed greater appreciation for aesthetic and cultural values. Environmental features were associated with social values to differing extent; distance to water and land use/cover exerted significantly influence. These findings should be taken into consideration to improve urban spatial planning and to optimize green infrastructures for human welfare.

The Urban Built Environment, Walking and Mental Health Outcomes Among Older Adults: A Pilot Study

The benefits of walking in older age include improved cognitive health (e.g., mental alertness, improved memory functioning) and a reduced risk of stress, depression and dementia. However, research capturing the benefits of walking among older people in real-time as they navigate their world is currently very limited. This study explores cognitive health and well-being outcomes in older people as they walk in their local neighborhood environment. Residents from an independent living facility for older people (mean age 65, n = 11) walked from their home in two dichotomous settings, selected on the basis of significantly different infrastructure, varying levels of noise, traffic and percentage of green space. Employing a repeated-measures, cross over design, participants were randomly allocated to one of two groups, and walked on different days in an urban busy “gray” district (a busy, built up commercial street) vs. an urban quiet “green” district (a quiet residential area with front gardens and street trees). Our study captured real-time air quality and noise data using hand-held Airbeam sensors and physiologic health data using a smart watch to capture heart rate variability (a biomarker of stress). Cognitive health outcome measures were a pre- and post-walk short cognitive reaction time (SRT) test and memory recall of the route walked (captured via a drawn mental map). Emotional well-being outcomes were a pre- and post-walk mood scale capturing perceived stress, happiness and arousal levels. Findings showed significant positive health benefits from walking in the urban green district on emotional well-being (happiness levels) and stress physiology (p < 0.05), accompanied by faster cognitive reaction times post-walk, albeit not statistically significant in this small sample. Cognitive recall of the route varied between urban gray and urban green conditions, as participants were more likely to rely on natural features to define their routes when present. The environmental and physiologic data sets were converged to show a significant effect of ambient noise and urban conditions on stress activation as measured by heart rate variability. Findings are discussed in relation to the complexity of combining real-time environmental and physiologic data and the implications for follow-on studies. Overall, our study demonstrates the viability of using older people as citizen scientists in the capture of environmental and physiologic stress data and establishes a new protocol for exploring relationships between the built environment and cognitive health in older people.

Designing Urban Green Space (UGS) to Enhance Health: A Methodology

Policymakers and urban designers strive to implement the increasing evidence about the positive association between urban green space (UGS) and health in policy. In Almere, The Netherlands, the Regenboogbuurt ("Rainbow Quarter") neighbourhood is currently being revitalized. The research team was asked to deliver design principles for the improvement of UGS in this neighbourhood to benefit the health of its residents. However, robust studies that demonstrate what UGS criteria offer what particular benefit for what target group are scarce. This paper contributes to the need for more evidence-based UGS design by presenting the approach we used to develop UGS design principles for Regenboogbuurt. Demographic information, health statistics, residents' opinions, and data about the current use of UGS were analysed to choose target groups and to formulate health benefit goals. We also developed a model for assessing the health benefits of UGS. For two age groups (those aged 10-24 and 40-60), stimulating physical health and social cohesion, respectively, were determined to be the goals of improving UGS. UGS design principles were then assessed based on the existing literature. These principles will be taken into account when this area is revitalized in 2021. Thus, there will be an opportunity to measure whether these design principles did indeed contribute to residents' health.

Noncommunicable Diseases, Park Prescriptions, and Urban Green Space Use Patterns in a Global South Context: The Case of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Urban green space use is often associated with improved physical and mental health and lower noncommunicable disease (NCDs) burdens. Factors that influence green space visits have been documented in cities of the Global North, but evidence of urban green space use patterns for cities in the Global South is scarce. The aim of this study is to investigate factors influencing urban green space use patterns in Dhaka, Bangladesh, a megacity of the Global South, with a particular focus on how poor health condition and healthcare professionals' prescriptions to exercise outdoors (park prescriptions-ParkRx) impact the green space use of middle-aged adults. We collected green space characteristics and use factors (i.e., availability, accessibility, attractiveness, and attachment), health condition, ParkRx, and urban green space use intensity (i.e., frequency and duration) via a self-reported questionnaire from 169 middle-aged residents of Dhaka. We used multivariate modeling to estimate the association of green space characteristics, health condition, and ParkRx with use intensity. We further applied a mediation analysis to determine the influence of ParkRx on the relationship between residents' poor health conditions and use intensity. We found that green space availability and accessibility did not significantly influence use intensity, but attractiveness was negatively associated with use intensity. Green space use intensity was significantly and positively associated with attachment to the green space, poor health condition (i.e., having noncommunicable diseases), and ParkRx. ParkRx significantly mediated the relationship between health condition and use intensity. We observed limited supply, poor access, and low attractiveness when studying the urban green spaces in Dhaka, but these qualities did not affect use intensity, as found in many case studies in the Global North. In contrast, urban green space use intensity in our case study is mostly dependent on poor health condition and park prescriptions.

Restorative Effects of Multi-Sensory Perception in Urban Green Space: A Case Study of Urban Park in Guangzhou, China

Urban green space is believed as a beneficial landscape for mental restoration in the urban settings. This study aims to examine the restorative quality of the urban green space from a multi-sensory perspective, focusing on both direct and indirect connections between visual, auditory, and tactile sensations and mental restoration. Two hundred and fifty park users of Tianhe Park in Guangzhou, China, were surveyed. Data were collected regarding their three types of sensations, i.e., the perceived mental restoration, health-related behavioral activities and emotional responses in the urban park. As a result, visual and auditory sensation were found to be linked with mental restoration directly and indirectly, while the tactile sensation was only associated with mental restoration indirectly; and health-related behaviors and emotional response mediated the relations between the three sensations and mental restoration significantly. It is concluded that the greater effects of auditory sensation and the under-studied potential effects of tactile sensation on mental restoration should be more emphasized in the future design of urban park. This is expected to contribute to the high restorative quality of the urban green space and promote public health.

Green Exercise: How Are Characteristics of Urban Green Spaces Associated with Adolescents' Physical Activity and Health?

This study investigates associations between characteristics of urban green spaces (UGSs) and adolescents’ self-reported green exercise (GE), general health, and body mass index (BMI). Data were collected through face-to-face personal interviews with 384 adolescents ages 13–19 between 1 March and 31 May, 2018 in UGSs in Aydın, Turkey. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to examine associations controlling for confounding factors. Stratified analyses were also conducted to determine differences between boys and girls. Positive associations with the duration of GE included many trees, lawns, soccer fields and basketball courts, play equipment, and self-reported general health. Whereas increased BMI was associated with increased benches/ seating, lawns and exercise trails were positively associated with self-reported general health. Negative relationships with increased BMI included many trees, open areas, and outdoor fitness equipment. Increased distance from UGSs was negatively associated with the frequency of GE. In stratified analyses, positive associations between boys’ duration of GE and self-reported general health were found. Whereas soccer fields and basketball courts were associated with girls’ frequency of GE, exercise trails and play equipment were correlated with girls’ self-reported general health. Negative associations with the boys’ frequency of GE included increased BMI and screen time. Whereas increased distance from UGSs was negatively associated with girls’ frequency of GE, many trees, lawns, exercise trails, play equipment, open areas, flowerbeds, and outdoor fitness equipment were negatively correlated with girls’ increased BMI. Findings suggest that adolescents’ GE and health could be promoted with many trees, lawns, flowerbeds, open areas, play and outdoor fitness equipment, exercise trails, and soccer fields and basketball courts. Findings of this study should be tested with longitudinal or intervention studies in future research.

Effects of Freeway Rerouting and Boulevard Replacement on Air Pollution Exposure and Neighborhood Attributes

Freeway rerouting and replacement with a street-level boulevard are urban transportation policies, that may help redress disproportionate air pollution burdens resulting from freeway construction that took place during the mid-20th century. However, environmental justice activism for freeway rerouting and urban green space creation may have the unintended consequence of environmental gentrification. In this paper, we investigate the effects of freeway routing decisions on exposure to traffic-related air pollution and neighborhood socioeconomic and demographic change. We focus on the effects of rerouting the Cypress Freeway in West Oakland, along with the construction of a street-level boulevard (Mandela Parkway), on the original freeway alignment. The impacts of two rebuild scenarios, freeway rebuild-in-place and reroute, on near-roadway NO_x and BC concentrations are compared. We also assess changes in demographics and land use in West Oakland, between the time when the Cypress Freeway was damaged by a major earthquake and after completion of Mandela Parkway. Our research indicates that freeway rerouting reduced annual average concentrations of both NO_x (−38% ± 4%) and BC (−25% ± 2%) along the Mandela Parkway alignment. However, there is evidence of environmentally driven neighborhood change, given that there are larger decreases in the long-time Black population (−28%) and increases in property values (184%) along Mandela Parkway, compared to West Oakland as a whole. There are some attributes along the Mandela Parkway that enable low-income residents to live in proximity to the street-level boulevard, such as affordable housing.

Exploring Psychophysiological Restoration and Individual Preference in the Different Environments Based on Virtual Reality

Accumulated evidence claims that urban green spaces (UGS) have a positive impact on the physical and mental health of humans. However, little information is available to clearly reveal what the most important driving factors are for human psychophysiological restoration. In order to unveil this uncertainty, this study employed virtual reality (VR) technology to investigate the physiological (electroencephalogram, EEG), and psychological (attention, positive mood, negative mood) responses and individual preferences for different urban environments. Participants (120) were recruited and randomly assigned to experience six different types of environments varying in land use and vegetation structures, which were: Grey space, blue space, open green space, partly open green space, partly closed green space, and closed green space. The results showed that the experience of the six environmental types through VR devices had positive restorative effects on the individuals' attentional fatigue and negative mood; however, all the participants obtained the highest levels of physiological stress restoration when asked to close their eyes for relaxation. The physiological measurements of the EEG showed no significant differences among the selected types of environments. Meanwhile, the results of the psychological measures suggested that only negative mood showed significant differences of change among the six types of environments, and while the partly open green space had the most positive effect on negative mood, the closed green space had the worst. The blue space and partly closed green space received higher recreational preference ratings than the other four environments, while the closed green space received the lowest recreational preference rating. Moreover, the findings showed that there was a strong positive correlation between people's preferences and the improvement of their positive mood. This indicated that as the popularity of a natural environment increased, so did the benefits of human health and well-being. In addition, this study shows that VR technology may be utilized as a possible surrogate measure to real scenes in evaluating human physiological and psychological restoration in the future. The present findings can provide the theoretical basis and practical guidance for future optimal planning of urban restorative environments.

Exploring the Relevance of Green Space and Epidemic Diseases Based on Panel Data in China from 2007 to 2016

Urban green space has been proven effective in improving public health in the contemporary background of planetary urbanization. There is a growing body of literature investigating the relationship between non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and green space, whereas seldom has the correlation been explored between green space and epidemics, such as dysentery, tuberculosis, and malaria, which still threaten the worldwide situation of public health. Meanwhile, most studies explored healthy issues with the general green space, public green space, and green space coverage, respectively, among which the different relevance has been rarely explored. This study aimed to examine and compare the relevance between these three kinds of green space and incidences of the three types of epidemic diseases based on the Panel Data Model (PDM) with the time series data of 31 Chinese provinces from 2007 to 2016. The results indicated that there exists different, or even opposite, relevance between various kinds of green space and epidemic diseases, which might be associated with the process of urban sprawl in rapid urbanization in China. This paper provides a reference for re-thinking the indices of green space in building healthier and greener cities.

What Characteristics of Urban Green Spaces and Recreational Activities Do Self-Reported Stressed Individuals Like? A Case Study of Baoji, China

Several studies have revealed the positive effects of green space and certain activities on counteracting the physical and mental pressure felt by human beings. However, how self-reported stressed people perceive restorative green spaces, their preferences for specific characteristics and activities, and what characteristics of urban green space can induce various types of activities for stress recovery has not been fully examined in the high-density cities of China. Using an on-site questionnaire survey conducted in the People’s Park (PP) in Baoji, China, this study is the first to consider the relationship among eight sensory dimensions, activity types and stress recovery in Chinese green space. Results showed that the highest-stressed respondents were more likely to spend their time in multi-layered woodlands adjacent to water, with more experiences of serene but less about prospect. They preferred serene dimension more, while the culture and social dimensions were least preferred. Sports and leisure activities and quiet activities were the most popular among highest-stressed respondents, which were positively related to the serene and nature dimensions, respectively. Results suggested that the most restorative environment for stress recovery can be regarded as multi-layered woodlands adjacent to water with more serene and nature, less prospect and few or no culture and social dimensions.