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Utilizing Fractal Dimensions as Indicators to Detect Elements of Visual Attraction: A Case Study of the Greenway along Lake Taihu, China

Author

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  • Rong Fan

    (College of Landscape Architecture, Nanjing Forestry University, 159 Longpan Rd., Nanjing 210037, China)

  • Ken P. Yocom

    (College of Built Environments, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA)

  • Yeyuan Guo

    (College of Landscape Architecture, Nanjing Forestry University, 159 Longpan Rd., Nanjing 210037, China)

Abstract

It is widely acknowledged that the quality of greenway landscape resources enhances the visual appeal of people. While most studies have evaluated visual perception and preference, few have considered the relationship between the distribution of greenways in relation to the proximity of water bodies such as lakes and rivers. Such an investigation requires an in-depth analysis of how to plan and design greenways in order to better enhance people’s willingness to access and utilize them. In this research we propose specific color brightness and contour visual attraction elements to further discuss the quality of greenway landscape resources in the rapidly urbanizing Lake Taihu region of China. Specifically, we utilize a common method in fractal theory analysis called counting box dimension to calculate and analyze the sample images. The method generates data on fractal dimension (FD) values of two elements; the optimal fractal dimension threshold range; the characteristics exhibited by the maximum and minimum fractal dimension values in the greenway landscape; and the relationship between the two visual attraction elements allowing us to derive distribution of the greenway and water bodies. The results reveal that greenway segments with high values of the visual attraction element of color brightness fractal dimension (FD) are significantly closer to the lake than those subject to high values of the visual attraction element. Some segments are even close to the lake surface, which is because the glare from the direct sunlight and the reflection from the lake surface superimposed on each other, so that the greenway near the lake surface is also affected by the brightness and shows the result of high color brightness values. However, the greenway segments with high values of contour element FD are clearly more influenced by plants and other landscape elements. This is due to the rich self-similarity of the plants themselves. Most of the greenway segments dominated by contour elements are distant from the lake surface. Both color brightness and contour elements are important indicators of the quality of the visual resources of the Lake Taihu Greenway landscape. This reveals that the determination of the sub-dimensional values of color brightness (1.7608, 1.9337) and contour (1.7230, 1.9006) visual attraction elements and the optimal threshold range (1.7608, 1.9006) can provide theoretical implications for the landscape planning and design of lake-ring type greenways and practical implications for assessing the quality of visual resources in greenway landscapes.

Suggested Citation

  • Rong Fan & Ken P. Yocom & Yeyuan Guo, 2023. "Utilizing Fractal Dimensions as Indicators to Detect Elements of Visual Attraction: A Case Study of the Greenway along Lake Taihu, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-21, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:12:y:2023:i:4:p:883-:d:1122716
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Huijuan Chen & Xintao Zheng, 2020. "Improved Newton Iterative Algorithm for Fractal Art Graphic Design," Complexity, Hindawi, vol. 2020, pages 1-11, November.
    2. Angela Shi-Han Huang & Yann-Jou Lin, 2020. "The effect of landscape colour, complexity and preference on viewing behaviour," Landscape Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(2), pages 214-227, February.
    3. Jiahang Lu & Xiaohua Wu, 2022. "Research on Urban Greenway Alignment Selection Based on Multisource Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-19, September.
    4. Yingying Wu & Can Wang & Zhaoyang Zhang & Yong Ge, 2022. "Subsistence, Environment, and Society in the Taihu Lake Area during the Neolithic Era from a Dietary Perspective," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-27, August.
    5. Fangzhu Zhang & Fulong Wu, 2022. "Performing the ecological fix under state entrepreneurialism: A case study of Taihu New Town, China," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 59(5), pages 1068-1084, April.
    6. Liting Xu & Sophia Shuang Chen & Yu Xu & Guangyu Li & Weizhong Su, 2019. "Impacts of Land-Use Change on Habitat Quality during 1985–2015 in the Taihu Lake Basin," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-21, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Chunyan Zhu & Jingzhu Li & Jinming Luo & Xi Li & Tianhui Li & Wei Wang & Shanshan Fu & Weizhen Zeng, 2024. "An Investigation of the Restorative Benefits of Different Spaces in an Urban Riverside Greenway for College Students—A Simple Autumn Outdoor Experiment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-21, September.

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