Perceived sensory dimensions: Key aesthetic qualities for health-promoting urban green spaces

Abstract

The importance of urban green areas to support people’s health and wellbeing has been confirmed by many studies [1]. In addition to regulating functions regarding water, air, and climate, urban green spaces can also contribute through psychologically driven pathways to, e.g., aid restoration from stress and attention fatigue and to promote physical activity (ibid.). Close-by access and visit times have been identified as crucial factors to support such pathways [2]. Other important factors are size [3] and the internal qualities of the green area, aspects that are often closely related. At the same time, many studies claim that there is a lack of evidence-based tools that can guide work regarding perceived qualities of urban green areas [4-7]. Our paper [8] summarizes findings made over several studies during the past 35 years regarding the most important perceived qualities of urban green spaces, qualities that people wish to experience when visiting. It aims to present these findings as a coherent theoretical model and suggests eight fundamental principles, eight perceived sensory dimensions, to consider in the planning and design of urban green areas to support people’s common needs. Among previous studies on connections between perceived green spaces qualities and people’s health and wellbeing some studies have focused on experiences of diversity and species richness [9-11]. Other studies have focused on various social activities and include such things as restaurants,