The Value of Urban Nature in Terms of Providing Ecosystem Services Related to Health and Well-Being: An Empirical Comparative Pilot Study of Cities in Germany and the Czech Republic

Abstract

The quality of life in our cities critically depends on the intelligent planning and shaping of urban living space, in particular urban nature. By providing a wide range of ecosystem services (ES), urban nature essentially contributes to the well-being of city dwellers and plays a major role in avoiding common diseases through its positive impact on physical and mental health. Health is one of the most important factors underlying human welfare and is, thus, vital to sustainable development. The ES of urban green space provide other social-cultural functions alongside public health, for example by fostering environmental justice and citizenship participation. Thus, they should always be considered when searching for solutions to urban problems. The aim of this research was to determine the impact of green areas in three selected cities on the health and well-being of people by self-reporting of green areas’ visitors. To this end, we posed the research question: which types and characteristics of urban green space are most appreciated by city dwellers? Based on our findings, we have drawn up recommendations for practices to promote better living conditions. We have also pinpointed obstacles to and opportunities for leisure time activities as well as ways of supporting the public health of citizens.

Does the built environment of settlements affect our sentiments? A multi-level and non-linear analysis of Xiamen, China, using social media data

“…Above this threshold, the sentiments of the residents were not significantly affected. In contrast, below 10%, as the percentage decreased, the sentiments of the residents improved substantially, which is in line with the planning and construction criteria of keeping neighborhoods away from industrial areas to improve their quality (33,34). When the migrant population in the neighborhood was <20%, the sentiments of the residents were largely unaffected and remained high.…”

“…( 1) Early studies focusing on land use have consistently shown that neighborhoods far away from industrial areas have better public health. Safety and welfare can promote a clean environment and improve the quality of life (33,34). A large amount of urban green space in neighborhoods can provide good air quality and landscape conditions to enhance sentiments (35-37).…”

Community-Level Urban Green Space Equity Evaluation Based on Spatial Design Network Analysis (sDNA): A Case Study of Central Wuhan, China

“…Finally, relevant studies of European and American cities have shown that racial and minority groups are key factors triggering differences in UGS allocations [ 32 , 82 , 83 , 84 ], whereas green space allocations in China are more influenced by specific factors such as natural endowments and major strategic planning. In addition to involving strategy and policy makers, UGS strategic planning requires public participation and monitoring since community residents are the direct beneficiaries of green spaces.…”

What benefits are the most important to you, your community, and society? Perception of ecosystem services provided by nature‐based solutions

“…Also, different types of response options to examine the intensity of preferences are applied as a part of data collection techniques. In order to understand what ES are the most important to well‐being, Likert scale questions or statements have been a vital part of preference elicitation studies (e.g., Syrbe et al, 2021; Tsantopoulos et al, 2018), as have multiple choice questions (e.g., Ferreira et al, 2021; Mara et al, 2020), ranking questions (e.g., Marques et al, 2020; Wilhelm et al, 2020), open‐ended questions (e.g., Landor‐Yamagata et al, 2018; Liu et al, 2017), numerical rating scale options (e.g., Mao et al, 2020; Williams et al, 2019), and dichotomous two‐point scale questions (e.g., Jericó‐Daminello et al, 2021). Likert scaling is used to measure preferences, and its standard format consists of a series of questions or statements for which the respondent is to indicate a degree of agreement or disagreement (Albaum, 1997).…”