Greenway Implementation Influence on Agricultural Heritage Sites (AHS): The Case of Liantang Village of Zengcheng District, Guangzhou City, China

Abstract

Abstract:As environment-friendly recreational facilities, greenways can bring ecological, social, and economic benefits to the residents of agricultural heritage sites (AHS). Zengcheng District of Guangzhou City first implemented the recreational greenway in China in 2008. Liantang Village is the tourist center of the Liantang Spring segment of Zeng River Greenway system. This village has always been an important planting region of black olive and lychee from ancient times, with more than 1800 large old trees until today. Taking Liantang as a case, participant observations, in-depth interviews, and questionnaires (n = 140) are performed to collect relevant data. This study explores the economic and sociocultural influences of greenway implementation on AHS. Findings reveal that greenway tourism and agricultural heritage conservation form a mutually beneficial relationship. The greenway implementation successfully prompts the emergence and rapid development of tourism which significantly improves the economy of the heritage area and effectively increases the income of the villagers in AHS. The sources of their income mainly include agritainment businesses, agricultural product sales, tourist-related business wages, land leases, and house rentals. Most villagers greatly improve their quality of life because of the continuous infrastructure improvements. However, the daily lives and production orders of villagers are disturbed to some extent. The villagers have a highly sober cognition of the value of old trees, and their protection consciousness is enhanced. The difference in the source of economic income affects the judgment of the villagers, and three groups of villagers exhibit some cognitive differences with the influence of tourism. Results indicate that multi-dimensional values of agricultural heritage can be achieved, and a mutually beneficial relationship will then be formed between tourism and agricultural heritage conservation as soon as the correct eco-tourism is developed in AHS.

The Relationship between User Perception and Preference of Greenway Trail Characteristics in Urban Areas

“…From the multiple regression analysis, we found that greenway trail characteristics including trail width, trail surface, amount of vegetation, background buildings, built structures, and adjacent automobile traffic on trails were significant predictors of likability. Previous studies have consistently shown that natural elements such as vegetation have a positive interaction with the greenway trail environment [14][15][16]30]. This study also provided evidence to support that vegetation was significant in relation to likability, as shown in the literature.…”

“…In addition, greenways have not only captured attention due to connecting urban ecosystems [7] but, from a social perspective, are also recognized as places for recreation and as areas that maintain the scenic quality of the landscapes in urban areas [8]. In other words, greenways provide benefits to individuals in the form of scenic views and access to a variety of experiences related to health, recreation, alternative transportation, and tourism at the community level (e.g., [3,5,[8][9][10][11][12][13][14]). Many studies have examined human interactions with the natural environment, especially greenways, due to the benefits that such interactions offer [15][16][17][18], and thus, "an affective state is an important indicator of the nature and significance of a person's ongoing interaction with an environment" [19].…”

Research Progress in the Conservation and Development of China-Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (China-NIAHS)

“…Adequate environment, plentiful biological resources, and unique regional features of agricultural heritage system sites ensure the nutrition and food safety for local residents and inhabitants, and give the landscape an aesthetic appeal [32], all of which are conducive to the development of additional economic activity to increase farmers' incomes [33]. Most agricultural heritage systems are in areas of poverty that lack modern technology, so how to transform resources into income for local inhabitants is an urgent issue.…”

User, Public, and Professional Perceptions of the Greenways in the Pearl River Delta, China

“…In the PRD, there have been long-term debates on the function, form and policies of the PRD greenways in China. A few researches have investigated the perception of flagship greenway projects, such as Wutong Greenway [13] and Liantang Village [4,17]. However, whether the perception of the flagship projects can present the overall greenway network is still overlooked, considering the diverse function and forms of greenways in the PRD.…”

“…In the PRD, over 12,500 kilometers of greenways have been rapidly implemented during the last decade as the result of a regional policy aiming to achieve social, economic, and ecological benefits [4]. For this emerging greenway network in the largest metropolitan area in the world, there is a growing body of research on the regional governance [10][11][12], usage patterns [13][14][15], quality of the space [16], and rural economy [17]. However, little research has been conducted to understand the public perception of greenways, especially at the regional scale.…”