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Current literature on restorative environments generally shows the importance of urban natural landscapes in increasing perceived restorativeness of urban environments. However, little is known about the positive role of visual characteristics of urban natural landscapes in increasing Perceived Restorative Potential (PRP) of urban environments. This study aimed to understand the role of four predictors of visual preference as characteristics of urban natural landscape on the restorativeness of environments. In this study, 120 students from Universiti Putra Malaysia rated 12 colored slides of urban natural landscape scenes for four restorative components (Being away, Fascination, Coherence, and Compatibility), four predictors of visual landscape preference (Coherence, Complexity, Legibility, Mystery) and a criterion variable (PRP). Coherence, however, was considered as a predictor of visual landscape preference since it is not a significant predictor in explaining PRP. Results indicate that Coherence, Complexity, and Mystery positively explained PRP while Legibility did not. Further analysis revealed that the effect of Coherence and Complexity on PRP was fully mediated by the restorative components and Mystery was only partially mediated. The findings indicate that some predictors of visual landscape preference of urban natural landscapes contribute to increasing PRP of urban landscapes. Although Coherence as a restorative component was not a significant predictor of PRP, it contributed toward increasing the restorative potential of urban natural landscapes when considered as a predictor of visual landscape preference. The results of this study can aid city planners, landscape architects and developers with regards to the influence of visual landscape characteristics in increasing the restorative potential of urban environments.

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Natural environments have been shown to promote health, and are, therefore, important for achieving social sustainability in cities. As cities grow and become denser, it is important to develop knowledge about the characteristics of natural environments that work to promote health. Perceived Sensory Dimensions (PSDs) is a tool that defines eight different cultural ecosystem services. They correspond to different human needs (rest, exercise, socialising, pleasure, or security) resulting in rehabilitation and health and well-being promotion. An experiment was conducted to study the potential of PSDs to restore people who experienced stressful accidents. One hundred and fifty-seven participants were recruited and asked first to watch a film clip of serious accidents, then to look at the pictures, depicting one particular type of PSDs, while listening to its respective audio recording. Their stress levels were measured before exposure to the stressor (baseline), after exposure to the stressor (pre-test), and after exposure to a particular type of PSDs (post-test). The results show that all eight PSDs effectively provide mental recovery, but there are statistical differences in their potentials. As such, it is proposed that the combined potential of the PSDs is needed, and should be used to increase the capacity and supply of health-promoting urban green areas.

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