Optimizing Urban Forest Landscape for Better Perceptions of Positive Emotions

Abstract

Interacting with urban spaces that are green and blue is believed to promote mental well-being and positive emotions. Therefore, there is an incentive to strategically design urban forest landscapes in a given space to evoke more positive emotion. In this study, we conducted a pilot study in Northeast China with 24 parks from 11 cities across 3 provinces. The subjects of the study are the visitors and a total of 1145 photos and selfies were collected from open micro-twitters in Sino Weibo (~50 individuals per park). Facial expressions of happy and sad emotions were recognized and rated as percent scores by FireFACE v1.0. Demographically, male adolescents smiled more than male visitors in other age groups and female teens. Females expressed more positive emotions than males according to their positive response index (PRI; happy-sad). Multivariate linear regression indicated positive contribution of green space to happy scores (estimate of 0.0040) and a stronger negative contribution of blue area to sad scores (estimate of −0.1392). Therefore, an urban forest landscape can be optimized by mapping green- and blue-spaces to predict spatial distributions of positive emotions. Male teens are recommended more as frequent visitors than people in other age ranges.

Mapping seasonal sentiments of people visiting blue spaces in urban wetlands: A pilot study on inland cities of China

“…On the other hand, it has been reported that coming across blue spaces in a wetland located in an urban forest park in temperate cities evoked sad emotions (Zhang et al, 2021). Furthermore, blue spaces in elevated wetlands induced more sadness in people (Zhang et al, 2021;Li et al, 2022a). However, these studies were undertaken in parks at the local level, and a study of perceived emotions in blue spaces among a larger regional distribution may be different from areas covered just by parks.…”

“…Urban blue space is a critical element of a city's environmental infrastructure, where wetlands account for a large proportion (Tuofu et al, 2021). People can perceive landscape metrics in a blue space as drivers to evoke positive emotions and post them online (Akpinar, 2016;Wei et al, 2019;Zhang et al, 2021;Li et al, 2022a,b;Yu et al, 2022) (Table 1). In coastal urban wetlands, it was reported that the proximity to a blue space was a key precondition to evoking positive self-affirmation in people (White et al, 2016;Freeman et al, 2022).…”

“…The WHO suggests that perceived mental states reported by participants (in questionnaires) are seldom reliable (WHO, 1994). Meanwhile, recent studies also suggest that psychological responses to experiences in wet landscapes can be assessed through big data of posted emotions on social media networks (Zhang et al, 2021;Li et al, 2022a). The higher prevalence of blue spaces in urban wetland parks in coastal cities can be presumed to promote positive emotions in these places (Li et al, 2022a).…”

“…The higher prevalence of blue spaces in urban wetland parks in coastal cities can be presumed to promote positive emotions in these places (Li et al, 2022a). On the other hand, it has been reported that coming across blue spaces in a wetland located in an urban forest park in temperate cities evoked sad emotions (Zhang et al, 2021). Furthermore, blue spaces in elevated wetlands induced more sadness in people (Zhang et al, 2021;Li et al, 2022a).…”

“…The microclimate within EIs plays a significant role. Wetlands comprise green and blue spaces in a synthesis of terrestrial and aquatic environments (Gascon et al, 2015;Childers et al, 2019;Zhang et al, 2021;Li et al, 2022a) (Table 1). Transpiration in the vegetation can mitigate the heat-island effect and induce thermal comforts (Abd Latif et al, 2012;Klemm et al, 2015;Liu et al, 2021c;Priya and Senthil, 2021).…”