Interacting with landscapes beyond the windshield: affordances actualisation on scenic road rest areas along the Nujiang Beautiful Road in China

The development of scenic roads is implemented as an integrative tourism and transportation policy in China. As an essential component of scenic road systems, rest areas provide spaces for people to interact with roadside landscapes, enhancing the quality of experiences of recreational motorists. However, the understanding of scenic road rest area usage still lacks empirical evidence. This study developed an empirical approach to explore the affordance actualisation mechanism focused on the context of motorist-rest area interaction. The results outlined a behavioural profile about the usage of rest areas on scenic roads and further revealed that: (1) inspired affordances and anticipated affordances, respectively, acted on people’s experiences and satisfaction; (2) the perceptual dimension is more proactive in actualising affordances compared with the physical dimension. These findings contribute to the literature on affordance and the evidence-based planning and design for scenic roads.