IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v21y2024i3p347-d1357283.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Flourishing or Frightening? Feelings about Natural and Built Green Spaces in Singapore

Author

Listed:
  • Denise Dillon

    (School of Social and Health Sciences, James Cook University, Singapore 387380, Singapore)

  • Sean T. H. Lee

    (School of Social and Health Sciences, James Cook University, Singapore 387380, Singapore)

  • Eunice W. L. Tai

    (College of Healthcare Sciences, James Cook University, Douglas 4811, Australia)

Abstract

The current study’s aim was to better understand people’s feelings towards different types of natural and built green space environments in the highly urbanized “garden city” of Singapore. We examined which types of green spaces elicited positive (eudemonic) or negative (apprehensive) affective responses. A total of 288 adult residents of Singapore completed a survey that asked them to report their affective states in response to images of 10 locally different environment types and to complete measures of childhood location, frequency of visiting natural/built environments, nature connectedness, and dispositional anxiety, as well as demographic items on age and gender. The 10 green space environment types were mapped onto an experiential state space representing feelings of apprehension and eudemonia in response to specific types of urban green spaces. In terms of a biophilic response, feelings of eudemonia were no different in natural green spaces compared to built green spaces. A higher frequency of experience in specific environments is associated with enhanced feelings of eudemonia in these environments. The findings indicate that people in Singapore can be apprehensive as much in natural green spaces as in built green spaces, and they can also find eudemonic experiences in built green spaces such as roof-top gardens or town parks.

Suggested Citation

  • Denise Dillon & Sean T. H. Lee & Eunice W. L. Tai, 2024. "Flourishing or Frightening? Feelings about Natural and Built Green Spaces in Singapore," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(3), pages 1-18, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:3:p:347-:d:1357283
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/3/347/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/3/347/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Victoria Houlden & Scott Weich & João Porto de Albuquerque & Stephen Jarvis & Karen Rees, 2018. "The relationship between greenspace and the mental wellbeing of adults: A systematic review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(9), pages 1-35, September.
    2. Andrea Abraham & Kathrin Sommerhalder & Thomas Abel, 2010. "Landscape and well-being: a scoping study on the health-promoting impact of outdoor environments," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 55(1), pages 59-69, February.
    3. Lara S. Franco & Danielle F. Shanahan & Richard A. Fuller, 2017. "A Review of the Benefits of Nature Experiences: More Than Meets the Eye," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-29, August.
    4. Richard M. Ryan & Veronika Huta & Edward Deci, 2008. "Living well: a self-determination theory perspective on eudaimonia," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 139-170, January.
    5. Veronika Huta & Alan Waterman, 2014. "Eudaimonia and Its Distinction from Hedonia: Developing a Classification and Terminology for Understanding Conceptual and Operational Definitions," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 15(6), pages 1425-1456, December.
    6. Martin Dallimer & Zoe G. Davies & Katherine N. Irvine & Lorraine Maltby & Philip H. Warren & Kevin J. Gaston & Paul R. Armsworth, 2014. "What Personal and Environmental Factors Determine Frequency of Urban Greenspace Use?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-16, August.
    7. Ling Qiu & Qujing Chen & Tian Gao, 2021. "The Effects of Urban Natural Environments on Preference and Self-Reported Psychological Restoration of the Elderly," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-14, January.
    8. Michelle C. Kondo & Jaime M. Fluehr & Thomas McKeon & Charles C. Branas, 2018. "Urban Green Space and Its Impact on Human Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-28, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Corey L. M. Keyes & Malik Muhammad Sohail & Nneka Jebose Molokwu & Heather Parnell & Cyrilla Amanya & Venkata Gopala Krishna Kaza & Yohannes Benyam Saddo & Vanroth Vann & Senti Tzudier & Rae Jean Proe, 2021. "How Would You Describe a Mentally Healthy Person? A Cross-Cultural Qualitative Study of Caregivers of Orphans and Separated Children," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 1719-1743, April.
    2. Laing, Jennifer H. & Frost, Warwick, 2017. "Journeys of well-being: Women's travel narratives of transformation and self-discovery in Italy," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 110-119.
    3. Wojciech Durlak & Margot Dudkiewicz & Małgorzata Milecka, 2022. "A Combined Methods of Senile Trees Inventory in Sustainable Urban Greenery Management on the Example of the City of Sandomierz (Poland)," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-29, October.
    4. Hagit Sabato & Sapir Bar-Ilan, 2023. "Pleasure or Meaning: Subjective Well-Being Orientations and the Willingness to Help Close Versus Distant Others," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(6), pages 2013-2037, August.
    5. Erik Carlquist & Hilde E. Nafstad & Rolv M. Blakar, 2018. "Understanding Satisfaction: An Analysis of the Meaning Potential of the Word “Satisfaction” in Everyday Norwegian Language," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 939-959, April.
    6. Jonathan P. Reeves & Conor H. D. John & Kevin A. Wood & Phoebe R. Maund, 2021. "A Qualitative Analysis of UK Wetland Visitor Centres as a Health Resource," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-25, August.
    7. Courtney A. Gosselin & Veronika Huta & Arthur Braaten, 2022. "Eudaimonic Orientation Enhances the Well-Being Experienced by Fathers," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(4), pages 2117-2138, August.
    8. Julia Krasko & Sabrina Intelisano & Maike Luhmann, 2022. "When Happiness is Both Joy and Purpose: The Complexity of the Pursuit of Happiness and Well-Being is Related to Actual Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(7), pages 3233-3261, October.
    9. Igor Sotgiu, 2019. "Gender Differences and Similarities in Autobiographical Memory for Eudaimonic Happy Events," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(5), pages 1457-1479, June.
    10. Mohsen Joshanloo, 2016. "Revisiting the Empirical Distinction Between Hedonic and Eudaimonic Aspects of Well-Being Using Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 17(5), pages 2023-2036, October.
    11. Pninit Russo-Netzer, 2019. "Prioritizing Meaning as a Pathway to Meaning in Life and Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(6), pages 1863-1891, August.
    12. Seulkee Heo & Miraj U. Desai & Sarah R. Lowe & Michelle L. Bell, 2021. "Impact of Changed Use of Greenspace during COVID-19 Pandemic on Depression and Anxiety," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-18, May.
    13. André Lauzon & Isabelle Green-Demers, 2020. "More of a Good Thing is Even Better: Towards a New Conceptualization of the Nature of Savouring Experiences," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 1225-1249, April.
    14. Ahmed Tarek Zaky Fouad & Danielle Sinnett & Isabelle Bray & Rachael McClatchey & Rebecca Reece, 2023. "Measures of Greenspace Exposure and Their Association to Health-Related Outcomes for the Periods before and during the 2020 Lockdown: A Cross-Sectional Study in the West of England," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-18, March.
    15. Shintaro Kono & Gordon J. Walker, 2020. "Theorizing Ikigai or Life Worth Living Among Japanese University Students: A Mixed-Methods Approach," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 327-355, January.
    16. Ofer I. Atad & Pninit Russo-Netzer, 2022. "The Effect of Gratitude on Well-being: Should We Prioritize Positivity or Meaning?," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 1245-1265, March.
    17. Olga Kosykh & Hanna Roh & Robert Hart, 2023. "Self-Expressiveness in Slow Tourism as a Sustainable Driver: The Trans-Siberian Railway Travel Experience," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-19, May.
    18. Zhijia Zeng & Hezhi Chen, 2020. "Distinct Associations of Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives with Well-Being: Mediating Role of Self-Control," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-9, July.
    19. L. Lambert & H.-A. Passmore & M. Joshanloo, 2019. "A Positive Psychology Intervention Program in a Culturally-Diverse University: Boosting Happiness and Reducing Fear," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 1141-1162, April.
    20. Corey S. Mackenzie & Eric C. Karaoylas & Katherine B. Starzyk, 2018. "Lifespan Differences in a Self Determination Theory Model of Eudaimonia: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Younger, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 19(8), pages 2465-2487, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:3:p:347-:d:1357283. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.