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Impact of Vegetation on Perceived Safety and Preference in City Parks

Author

Listed:
  • Aleksandra Lis

    (Institute of Landscape Architecture, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Grunwaldzka 55, 50-357 Wrocław, Poland)

  • Łukasz Pardela

    (Institute of Landscape Architecture, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Grunwaldzka 55, 50-357 Wrocław, Poland)

  • Paweł Iwankowski

    (Independent Researcher, Aleja Grunwaldzka 141, 80-264 Gdańsk, Poland)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of safety-related environmental characteristics in a city park on users’ preferences and whether this impact can be explained by perceived safety. The factors examined were physical and visual accessibility as well as the effectiveness of concealment created by plants in various spatial systems. We used 112 photographs taken in city parks for the study. Studies have shown that visual and physical accessibility varies in terms of impact on preferences and safety—as a result, we tested only visual accessibility and effectiveness. Correlation and regression analyses confirmed that vegetation in a park that obstructs views and can offer concealment reduces our sense of safety. In addition, such vegetation has a negative effect on preference. However, mediation analysis showed that this sense of safety or danger means that dense vegetation (low visual accessibility yet highly effective in offering concealment) is less preferred as a landscape feature. After excluding the impact brought to bear by the sense of safety, the studied features of vegetation had no significant impact on preferences. This means that plants and vegetation layouts of varying densities can be used in completely safe parks and this will probably not adversely affect the feelings of the users.

Suggested Citation

  • Aleksandra Lis & Łukasz Pardela & Paweł Iwankowski, 2019. "Impact of Vegetation on Perceived Safety and Preference in City Parks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-20, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:22:p:6324-:d:285802
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jacquelin Burgess & Carolyn M. Harrison & Melanie Limb, 1988. "People, Parks and the Urban Green: A Study of Popular Meanings and Values for Open Spaces in the City," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 25(6), pages 455-473, December.
    2. Virginia Harris & Dave Kendal & Amy K. Hahs & Caragh G. Threlfall, 2018. "Green space context and vegetation complexity shape people’s preferences for urban public parks and residential gardens," Landscape Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(1), pages 150-162, January.
    3. Aleksandra Lis & Łukasz Pardela & Wu Can & Anna Katlapa & Łukasz Rąbalski, 2019. "Perceived Danger and Landscape Preferences of Walking Paths with Trees and Shrubs by Women," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(17), pages 1-22, August.
    4. Mei Liu & Olaf Schroth, 2019. "Assessment of Aesthetic Preferences in Relation to Vegetation-Created Enclosure in Chinese Urban Parks: A Case Study of Shenzhen Litchi Park," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-16, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kinga Kimic & Paulina Polko, 2022. "The Use of Urban Parks by Older Adults in the Context of Perceived Security," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-20, March.
    2. Shixian Luo & Jing Xie & Katsunori Furuya, 2021. "Assessing the Preference and Restorative Potential of Urban Park Blue Space," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-16, November.
    3. Irena Niedźwiecka-Filipiak & Justyna Rubaszek & Anna Podolska & Jowita Pyszczek, 2020. "Sectoral Analysis of Landscape Interiors (SALI) as One of the Tools for Monitoring Changes in Green Infrastructure Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-25, April.
    4. Fengrui Jing & Lin Liu & Suhong Zhou & Guangwen Song, 2020. "Examining the Relationship between Hukou Status, Perceived Neighborhood Conditions, and Fear of Crime in Guangzhou, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-19, November.
    5. Angeliki Paraskevopoulou & Andreas Klados & Chrysovalantis Malesios, 2020. "Historical Public Parks: Investigating Contemporary Visitor Needs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-27, November.

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