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Back to the Village: Assessing the Effects of Naturalness, Landscape Types, and Landscape Elements on the Restorative Potential of Rural Landscapes

Authors :
Hanbin Shen
Xuecong He
Jing He
Danming Li
Mingjie Liang
Xubin Xie
Source :
Land, Vol 13, Iss 7, p 910 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2024.

Abstract

Rural landscapes are acknowledged for their potential to restore human health due to natural characteristics. However, modern rural development has degraded these environments, thereby diminishing the restorative potential of rural landscapes. Few studies have systematically analyzed the impact of naturalness, landscape types, and landscape elements on restorativeness using both subjective and objective measurements. This study investigated the restorative effects of various rural landscapes in Guangzhou, employing electroencephalography and eye-tracking technologies to record physiological responses and using the Restorative Components Scale and the Perceived Restorativeness and Naturalness Scale to evaluate psychological responses. The results indicated the following: (1) There was a significant positive correlation between perceived naturalness and restorativeness, surpassing the impact of actual naturalness. (2) Different landscape types had varying impacts on restorativeness at the same level of perceived naturalness. Natural forest landscapes, artificial forest landscapes, and settlement landscapes exhibited the most substantial restorative effects among the natural, semi-natural, and artificial landscapes examined, respectively. (3) Restorative properties varied across landscape elements: trees and water significantly enhanced restorativeness, whereas constructed elements reduced it. Findings from this study can provide support for policymakers to make informed decisions regarding the selection and arrangement of rural landscape types and elements to enhance mental health and well-being.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
2073445X
Volume :
13
Issue :
7
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Land
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.b2fd9d91019f4a1f910984de47a25a57
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/land13070910