Landscape characteristics in Tartu City Parks: User influences through design

Abstract

The greeneries on city maps are usually covered in large green areas, but that does not reveal much. The important factors to be considered in relation to greenery are, for example, distance, visiting frequency and accessibility. In the current study, all of the 92 urban green spaces (UGS) of the Estonian city Tartu are explored from a health perspective along with the landscape characteristic. The main purpose is to prove statistically how the parks are influenced by landscape elements using Sears' theory (1960) and main aspects. The CAD maps are represented by topics and graphs illustrating the situation in Tartu. Green room elements are found using Sears' theory: water/stone, plants, animals and other people. The main aspects are trees/plants, peace/openness, senses and visual elements. The health-promoting landscape characteristics are serene, wild, rich in species, spacious, prospective, refuge, festive and cultural. The parks were assessed by an expert group in the summer of 2011. The work is unique, thanks to the fact that the information is gained from greenery - albeit can be found and felt (information from the surrounding environment and direct reflections of consciousness through the senses). Green spaces characterised by serenity have a statistical correlation (Pearson) with peace/openness (r=0.459, p<0.01) and with senses (r=0.486, p<0.01). Wilderness characteristic and trees/plants are also in correlation (r=0.423, p<0.01). According to literature, design is the least influential aspect in landscape. The author can statistically prove that design is strongly correlated with user influence through the senses (r=0.501, p<0.01), and not visual aspects, as was expected in the case of Tartu. Landscape characteristics are the attributes that landscape architects can use for design work. © 2013 WIT Press.