Characteristics of urban green spaces in relation to aesthetic preference and stress recovery

Urban green spaces contribute to both aesthetic appreciation and health benefits for people. However, most previous researchers have focused on the effects of urban green spaces on aesthetic preference or stress restoration. Little research has involved both simultaneously. This paper uses a direct rating approach based on a single-item measurement to explore the effects of characteristics of urban green spaces on both aesthetic preference and perceived restorativeness of 24 images. These images were created using the photomontage technique by manipulating four dimensions: number of trees, flowers, water and small animals (birds or fish) relative to a baseline photograph taken in China. The results indicated that (1) Aesthetic preference increased with the increase of number of trees and presence of flowers, water and fish in the images; while the restorative potential increased with the number of trees and presence of flowers or water, but was not affected by fish in the images; (2) Though birds increased fascination, they have no significant influence on both preference and overall restorative potential; and (3) there was a strong positive relationship between aesthetic preference and restorative potential. In regards to the approach, the results suggested that the single-item measurement could be applied to evaluate the perceived restorativeness. Potential applications to the practical design of urban green spaces include that planting more trees and brightly color flowers as well as providing access to clear water may be a reliable method to improve both aesthetic preference and restoration simultaneously.