Rational planning of public open space by exploring the effects of environmental factors on human recreation – A case study in Shanghai, China

Abstract

Along with the urbanization, the rapid increase in urban population has become one of the most important global environmental issues. The natural spaces were continually replaced by built-up areas. There is a growing recognition that public open space (POS) in urban areas could offer many desirable human well-being possibilities by interactions with nature. In the current study, we conducted a survey in POS to investigate residents’ recreation features and environmental factors affecting their recreation perceptions. The results show that diversified activity types including both active enjoyment and passive activity were required in urban POS by people in Shanghai, which was different for people from some other countries and cultures. Furthermore, the results have revealed how landscape and environmental factors of POS affect residents’ recreation perceptions. Crime situation, quiet atmosphere, and environmental sanitation have been the three most critical variables of POS concerned by people. For the natural environment in POS, even the diversified species of plants were concerned by most residents, the vegetation density received the relatively lowest preference rating. Overall, planning of a large open grassland with tree patches on the edges is desirable in POS, where visitors could not only get close to nature but also some recreational activities could be carried out. All the findings in this study could give insights into the design and management of urban POS that are favorable for natural places and the health of people in urban areas.