How do urban green spaces increase well-being? The role of perceived wildness and nature connectedness

Abstract

Nature connectedness is recognised for its potential to promote pro-environmental behavior and well-being. While urban green spaces are the main form of direct contact with nature for many people, it is largely unclear which types of natural settings and qualities in urban areas most effectively strengthen human relationships with nature. Wilderness is increasingly acknowledged as contributing to higher biodiversity in urban areas and has long received attention from the arts and sciences for its range of well-being benefits. The present study investigates the effects of walking in two different natural settings on people's nature connectedness and well-being. Eighty-four participants were randomly assigned to a walk in an urban forest or a landscape park, which represent different degrees of human impact on the landscape. Both settings increased positive affect, decreased negative affect, and restored attention capacity. Against our expectation, participants walking in the urban forest did not show higher levels of nature connectedness or well-being compared to those in the landscape park. Furthermore, the urban forest was not perceived as wilder than the landscape park. The degree to which people perceived the environments as wild was positively associated with nature connectedness. The findings further suggest that perceived wildness may increase positive affect through nature connectedness. The experience of connection with nature may be an important mechanism by which nature exposure enhances well-being. We conclude that individual perceptions of nature can influence the degree to which well-being benefits are gained in urban green spaces.