Prospects of contemplative urban park from expert perspectives

Abstract

The urban park is part of urban biodiversity that restore the diverse ecosystem to be resilient from rapid urbanisation impact. Also, it is an invented landscape that serves recreational opportunities as well as contemplation. However, significant evidence to measure the contemplativeness of Malaysian urban parks as an eco-psychological restoration resource is indistinct. Previously, the restorative environments have determined by personal opinions and evaluations of researchers without operationalising the empirical study on landscape design quality. This study evaluated Taman Tasik Shah Alam’s contemplativeness via expert evaluation assessed by ten Malaysian Landscape Architects. The assessment involves eight physical attributes using Contemplative Landscape Model criteria on 35 images via an online survey. Eventually, five of the most contemplative scenes are recognised as eco-psychological restoration resources to remedy psychological distress, including landscape composition types. It also highlights the necessary physical attributes of the urban park towards inventing the existing one into a contemplative environment for the betterment of communities. Thus, the contemplative landscape can serve as an antidote for people affected by psychological distress to contemplate themselves by exposing and experiencing well-preserved urban biodiversity.