Effects of Facility Developments and Encounter Levels on Perceptions of Settings, Crowding, and Norms in a Korean Park

This article examines potential effects of two physical developments (presence or absence of an aerial tramway, a road vs. a trail) and one social variable (increasing encounters with other people) on individuals’ perceptions of settings (i.e., perceived settings), crowding, and acceptance of encounters (i.e., norms) in Mudeungsan Provincial Park in South Korea, where there have been proposals for a new aerial tramway. Data were obtained from 241 students at Chonnam National University, almost all of whom had previously visited this park (e.g., 66 % visited at least one of the two study locations in this park, 55 % visited this park in the past 12 months). Simulated photographs showed encounter levels (1 or 15 hikers), the presence or absence of a tramway, and a road versus a trail. Respondents encountering low numbers of other people felt less crowded, considered these use levels to be more acceptable, and perceived the area as more pristine and less developed. Locations containing an aerial tramway were perceived as more developed and less natural, and higher encounter levels were considered to be more acceptable at these locations. Whether settings contained a road or a trail did not influence perceived settings, crowding, or norms. Implications of these findings for future research and management of parks and related outdoor settings are discussed.     

Walking in “wild” and “tended” urban forests: The impact on psychological well-being

The positive effect of natural compared to urban environment on human restoration and well-being has been proved in various studies. To go one step further in analyzing the influence of physical environments, we question if this positive effect is consistent in different natural conditions namely wild and tended urban forests. In an experimental field setting, participants were randomly assigned to either a walk through wild or tended forests for 30 min. Multidimensional scales in a pre-post-treatment-setting measured well-being. Results indicate a stronger change in “positive affect” and “negative affect” in the tended forest condition. Well-being factors “activation” and “arousal” changed after solitary walks, too. However, there were no differences between the treatment conditions, indicating a stronger influence of physical activity than the forest condition wild and tended on these well-being factors. Perceived attractiveness of the natural area did not effect the change in well-being, thus questioning the close relation between perceived attractiveness and the effect on well-being suggested in prior research. Furthermore, more and less fatigued persons did not profit differently concerning well-being changes. The results give important advice to design natural areas serving restoration and public health, especially for people living in urban environments.     

Effects of signals of disorder on fear of crime in real and virtual environments

Despite the fact that virtual environments are increasingly deployed to study the relation between urban planning, physical and social disorder, and fear of crime, their ecological validity for this type of research has not been established. This study compares the effects of similar signs of public disorder (litter, warning signs, cameras, signs of vandalism and car burglary) in an urban neighborhood and in its virtual counterpart on the subjective perception of safety and livability of the neighborhood. Participants made a walking tour through either the real or the virtual neighborhood, which was either in an orderly (baseline) state or adorned with numerous signs of public disorder. During their tour they reported the signs of disorder they noticed and the degree to which each of these affected their emotional state and feelings of personal safety. After finishing their tour they appraised the perceived safety and livability of the environment. Both in the real and in the simulated urban neighborhood, signs of disorder evoked associations with social disorder. In all conditions, neglected greenery was spontaneously reported as a sign of disorder. Disorder did not inspire concern for personal safety in reality and in the virtual environment with a realistic soundscape. However, in the absence of sound disorder compromised perceived personal safety in the virtual environment. Signs of disorder were associated with negative emotions more frequently in the virtual environment than in its real-world counterpart, particularly in the absence of sound. Also, signs of disorder degraded the perceived livability of the virtual, but not of the real neighborhood. Hence, it appears that people focus more on details in a virtual environment than in reality. We conclude that both a correction for this focusing effect and realistic soundscapes are required to make virtual environments an appropriate medium for both etiological (e.g. the effects of signs of disorder on fear of crime) and intervention (e.g. CPTED) research.     

Enhancing the benefits of outdoor walking with cognitive engagement strategies

Being physically active in natural environments has been associated with improvements to physical health and mental well-being. Unfortunately, gaining access to outdoor settings that are supportive of both psychological well-being and year-round physical activity poses major challenges. Might altering how one engages in and interacts with the outdoor environment encouraging greater physical activity and enhance well-being? In order to investigate this approach, 117 adults were randomly assigned to one of two treatments - Standard Care (schedule setting, commitment) or Engagement (awareness plans) - and asked to take at least three, 30 minutes outdoor walks each week for two weeks. Participants in both treatment conditions reported significant increases in total time spent walking (p ≤ .05). Only those in the Engagement condition, however, experienced significant improvements in multiple dimensions of psychological well-being, including attentional functioning and feelings of frustration. In addition, participants in the engagement-based condition who walked at low to moderate levels were more likely to obtain psychological benefits. The results of this study suggest that promoting cognitive engagement with the environment may make it easier for individuals to achieve the psychological benefits typically associated with outdoor physical activity, even in settings that are less than ideal.     

Children's reasoning about poverty, physical deterioration, danger, and retribution in neighborhood contexts

This study examined children's moral, social and personal reasoning patterns about different neighborhood contexts. Three hundred and seventy-seven participants were selected from grades 2, 4, 6, and 8. Participants were shown 2 sets of photographs depicting the exact same houses and neighborhoods. One photograph displayed higher levels of physical incivilities and the other displayed higher levels of territoriality and place attachments. The vast majority of participants made strong social attributions of both danger and poverty towards physical contexts, depending on the level of incivilities depicted in the photographs. Moreover, an overwhelming majority gave justifications that fell into the moral domain. For most of the participants, the immorality of retribution overrode the negative attributions surrounding context. However, for those that approved of retribution behaviors, the physical setting appeared to influence their judgments. The findings suggest that the concept of extreme poverty (as represented by physical incivilities) and danger are fused at the cognitive level through linked interpretations of the same environmental cues.     

Environmental preference and restoration: (How) are they related?

Does the widely documented tendency to prefer natural over built environments owe to the perception of greater restorative potential in natural environments? In the present experimental study we tested the mediating role of restoration in environmental preferences. Participants viewed a frightening movie, and then were shown a video of either a natural or a built environment. We used two examples of each type of environment. Participants’ mood ratings were assessed before and after they viewed the frightening movie, and again after viewing the environmental video. Participants also rated the beauty of the environment shown (to indicate preference) and performed a test of concentration after viewing the environmental video. The results indicate that participants perceived the natural environments as more beautiful than the built environments. In addition, viewing natural environments elicited greater improvement in mood and marginally better concentration than viewing built environments. Mediational analyses revealed that affective restoration accounted for a substantial proportion of the preference for the natural over the built environments. Together, these results help substantiate the adaptive function of people's environmental preferences.     

PERCEIVED QUALITY OF CARE: THE INFLUENCE OF THE WAITING ROOM ENVIRONMENT

The current study investigated the effect of the physical environment of the waiting room on perceptions of the quality of care of the physician. One hundred forty-seven college students and 58 senior citizens viewed 35 slides of physicians' waiting rooms. Using a visual analog scale, participants rated the perceived quality of care and the environment of each waiting room. The primary hypothesis was that perceived quality of care would be greater for waiting rooms that were nicely furnished, well-lighted, contained artwork, and were warm in appearance versus waiting rooms that had outdated furnishings, were dark, contained no artwork or poor quality reproductions, and were cold in appearance. Factor analyses of the care and environment ratings produced factors consistent with the hypothesis. Additionally, waiting rooms judged to be those of female physicians were rated higher on both perceived quality of care and comfort in the environment.     

Perceived Effects of Setting Attributes on Visitor Experiences in Wilderness: Variation with Situational Context and Visitor Characteristics

Understanding how setting attributes influence the nature of the visitor experience is crucial to effective recreation management. Highly influential attributes are useful indicators to monitor within a planning framework, such as Limits of Acceptable Change. This study sought to identify the setting attributes perceived to have the most profound effect on the ability to have “a real wilderness experience” and to assess the degree to which attribute importance varied with situational context and visitor characteristics. To this end, exiting hikers were surveyed at moderate and very high use trailheads in Alpine Lakes Wilderness, WA (USA), and Three Sisters Wilderness, OR (USA). They were asked about the degree to which encountering varying levels of different setting attributes would add to or detract from their experience. Attributes with the largest range of effect on experience, based on evaluations of different levels, were considered most important. The most influential attributes were litter and several types of campsite interaction—people walking through camp and number of other groups camping close by. The perceived importance of setting attributes did not vary much between wilderness locations with substantially different use levels, suggesting that conclusions are robust and generalizable across wilderness areas. There also was little difference in the perceptions of day and overnight visitors. In contrast, we found substantial variation in the perceived importance of setting attributes with variation in wilderness experience, knowledge, attachment, and motivation. Our results validate the emphasis of many wilderness management plans on indicators of social interaction, such as number of encounters.     

Perceptions of the security and attractiveness of urban parking lots

This study concerns design features of urban parking lots which can increase the perception of such areas as both safe and attractive. College students evaluated the attractiveness and perceived security associated with 180 scenes of parking lots adjacent to commercial and multi-family residential structures in Atlanta and Athens, Georgia, U.S.A. High intergroup correlations (r > 0·90) indicated the reliability of evaluations of both perceived features. Regressions of physical features on perceived security ratings and attractiveness ratings yielded highly predictive models (R² = 0·76 and 0·80, respectively). For both sets of ratings a Maintenance and Design factor accounted for the most variance. Although attractiveness ratings were higher as the total amount of vegetation increased in a scene, security was in general rated higher only when vegetation was well maintained and appeared to be installed as part of a landscape design. Attractiveness was generally higher for multi-family residential scenes than for commercial scenes. Perceived security was higher for frontal views of structures, especially when entrances were proximate to the viewer. Research implications are discussed in terms of the impact of natural features in urban areas for increasing attractiveness and reducing fear of crime.     

SUBJECTIVE RESPONSES TO COMPUTER SIMULATIONS OF URBAN ENVIRONMENTS

Simulations of urban or natural environments created by graphics computer software are increasingly being utilized in research and applied contexts, and pertinent techniques have become highly sophisticated. However, the quality and utility of such presentation means still need careful validation. This issue was addressed in a series of lab and field studies. In the study reported here, a simulation of a suburban environment was presented to respondents (n=147) in several variations to investigate the effects of lighting (day/sun, day/fog, night), personal shadow (yes/no) and sound (on/off) on perceived simulation quality. The contingencies with related aspects (such as comprehension, recollection and appreciation of the simulated environment) were investigated as well. Based on a comprehensive conceptual framework, a set of scales measuring relevant cognitive and affective aspects was employed. Main results are that simulations were perceived as valid and acceptable, that appraisals differ according to lighting and time-of-day conditions, and that provision of sound enhances the perceived quality of presentations. The findings elucidate which factors are crucial for further improving simulations and clarify the validity of computer simulations for assessing existing and future environments.     

Multiple environmental burdens and neighborhood-related health of city residents

Urban living environments are known to influence human well-being and health; however, little is known about the multidimensionality of different environmental burdens. The aim of this study is to examine the relations between multiple burdens and self-rated health of city residents in Berlin. A spatial analysis was conducted to determine neighborhood street blocks with high versus low levels of three environmental burdens (traffic noise, air pollution, lack of public green space) as study sites for a cross-sectional household questionnaire. Burden level served as a dichotomous predictor to compare residents' self-reports of neighborhood satisfaction, life satisfaction, health behavior, and psychological and physical health symptoms. Residents from high-burden blocks appraised the environmental conditions more stressful, reported poorer health behavior and were less satisfied with their neighborhood than residents from low-burden blocks. However, they did not differ in regard to more general health symptoms. Three other burdens (behavior-related noise, litter and dirt in public space, lack of urban vegetation), which could not be varied objectively, were assessed by their perceived intensity. Regression analyses of the relations between the perceived levels of all six burdens and outcomes in the total sample revealed the following: Neighborhood satisfaction could be predicted from multiple stressors and resources that co-occur independently, while more general health symptoms were related only to perceived air pollution. The results have implications for both urban planning and public health.     

In-stand scenic beauty of variable retention harvests and mature forests in the U.S. Pacific Northwest: The effects of basal area, density, retention pattern and down wood

Tensions between amenity- and timber-based economies in the U.S. and Canadian Pacific Northwest motivated a study of scenic beauty inside mature forests and timber harvests. A diverse sample of regional forests, measures of forest structure, and large, representative samples of photographs and public judges were employed to measure scenic beauty inside un-harvested mature and old-growth forests, and timber harvests. The latter varied systematically in down wood levels and retention level and pattern. Scenic beauty tended to be optimized at a basal area of 110–155 m³/ha and/or 700–900 trees/ha. Older forests and those with larger trees were perceived to be more beautiful. In harvests, greater retention levels, less down wood, and dispersed rather than aggregated retention patterns contributed to aesthetic improvements. Green-tree retention harvests offer considerable potential gains in perceived scenic beauty compared to perceived very ugly clearcuts, particularly at higher retention levels. These gains are more reliable from dispersed retention patterns. The silvicultural parameters studied change strength in affecting scenic beauty with changes in retention level. These interactions are explored in relation to a range of scenic quality objectives as an aid to planners, visual impact analysts, and silviculturists.     

Parental perception of social risk and of positive potentiality of outdoor autonomy for children: The development of two instruments

An important factor that limits children's autonomy outdoors is parental perception of social danger and traffic danger. To obtain quantitative instruments for these dimensions, this work aimed to explore the validity and reliability of three scales. Two of them describe, respectively, problematic aspects of the area of residence linked to traffic and situations of social degradation that could constitute risk factors for the child's psychological and physical safety (Traffic Danger Perception Scale, Social Danger Perception Scale). The third scale investigates parental perception of the positive potentiality of outdoor autonomy for children's maturation and growth. Interviews were conducted with 377 mothers of children between 8 and 10 years of age residing in six different areas in Italy. The results indicated weak reliability of the Traffic Danger Perception Scale, which requires further investigation, and they confirmed the reliability and the construct validity of the Social Danger Perception Scale and the Perception of Positive Potentiality of Outdoor Autonomy for Children Scale. The perception of social danger was higher in mothers who live in larger urban contexts and who have more personal fear of crime and a lower sense of community. The positive perception of children's autonomy of movement was higher among mothers who live in greener areas, who have a greater sense of community and who have more neighbourhood relations.     

Environmental impact of mining in Ghana: issues and answers

As part of the process of drafting environmental guidelines for mining, a study of the impact of mining on the environment was undertaken by the Ghanaian Minerals Commission. The study evaluated the impact of underground mines and surface mines on the physical environment as well as their socio-economic impact. Among its conclusions: for both types of mines, drainage emptying out into rivers is a major cause of pollution; mine roads open up uninhabited regions to farming and other uses. Underground mines employ more workers than surface mines; the socioeconomic benefits of the surface mines to local people are less than those of underground mines.     

Young adult conservation jobs and worker health

Decades of research studies demonstrate links between healthy environment, healthy lifestyles, and healthy people. This study evaluated the correlations between young adult conservation workers' perceived stress, personal effectiveness, and nature experience using quantitative and qualitative social science methods. The study cohort numbered nearly 300 individuals serving on small crews for an entire year, and were dispersed across Washington State (USA) to participate in conservation projects in rural to urban landscapes. Pre- and post-test surveys, using validated measures of perceived stress, health dimensions, and personal resiliency, were further informed by mid-year, field-based interviews. Overall, the young adults expressed fatigue with the physical work but were quite healthy when compared to national benchmarks. They indicated a reduction in perceived stress, and indicated social function influences based on the conservation work. Conclusions address the importance and implications of expanding this work opportunity to a more diverse cohort and future research needs.     

Perceived hospital environment quality indicators: A study of orthopaedic units

The purposes of this study are to develop perceived hospital environment quality indicators for rating hospital settings, and to use those scales to compare hospitals selected to differ in their spatial–physical humanization (design features that support users’ needs and well-being). Orthopaedic units in three different hospitals in a major Italian city were selected to represent low, moderate and high levels of environmental humanization. Two architects rated the settings on 120 qualities and provided modest corroboration for the three levels. In each orthopaedic unit, patients, visitors and staff completed questionnaires including four scales about the physical and social environments (N=202). A total of 12 Perceived Hospital Environment Quality Indicators (PHEQIs) scales emerged from factor and reliability analyses of these responses. The PHEQIs had face validity, reflecting the main features articulated by the scientific literature on humanization, and overall had good inter-item reliability. ANOVAs supported hypotheses that patients and visitors would rate humanized environments more positively, although staff members seemed to be less sensitive than service users to differences in design quality.     

The Importance of Place Names in the Search for Ecosystem-Like Concepts in Indigenous Societies: An Example from the Bolivian Andes

This paper aims to deepen the search for ecosystem-like concepts in indigenous societies by highlighting the importance of place names used by Quechua indigenous farmers from the central Bolivian Andes. Villagers from two communities in the Tunari Mountain Range were asked to list, describe, map and categorize the places they knew on their community’s territory. Results show that place names capture spatially explicit units which integrate biotic and abiotic nature and humans, and that there is an emphasis on topographic terms, highlighting the importance of geodiversity. Farmers’ perspectives differ from the classical view of ecosystems because they ‘humanize’ places, considering them as living beings with agency. Consequently, they do not make a distinction between natural and cultural heritage. Their perspective of the environment is that of a personalized, dynamic relationship with the elements of the natural world that are perceived as living entities. A practical implication of the findings for sustainable development is that since places names make the links between people and the elements of the landscape, toponymy is a tool for ecosystem management rooted in indigenous knowledge. Because place names refer to holistic units linked with people’s experience and spatially explicit, they can be used as an entry point to implement an intercultural dialogue for more sustainable land management.     

Noise,psychosocial stress and their interaction in the workplace

Occupational noise exposure has been linked with a range of negative health effects, with recent research emphasizing the need to understand the full context of sound events in explaining these relationships. An emerging theme within environmental psychology argues that physical features of the environment might work both directly on outcomes and interactively with either psychosocial work elements. In the present study, the interaction of noise with psychosocial job stress was explored for 128 office workers employed by a government agency in a city in the Midlands region of the UK. The results showed no direct effect of ambient noise levels upon job satisfaction, well-being or organizational commitment. However, lower levels of ambient noise were found to buffer the negative impact of psychosocial job stress upon these same three outcomes. Psychosocial job stress is, therefore, seen as a valuable heuristic in operationazing the context of sound events at work.     

Walking routes to school in new urban and suburban neighborhoods: An environmental walkability analysis of blocks and routes

We assessed environmental and perceptual correlates of walking and walkability for fifth graders from three communities attending two schools: A new urban/LEED-ND pilot community, mixed, and standard suburban community. Irvine-Minnesota Inventory (IMI) walkability audits showed that new urban blocks provided more traffic safety, pleasurability, crime safety, density, and diversity. New urban routes offered greater traffic safety, accessibility, pleasurability, crime safety, and diversity, but suburban routes had greater housing density, net of controls (parental education, rooms in the home, home ownership, parent preference for child to walk to school). Parents and children perceived new urban routes to be more walkable and children walked more when they lived on more walkable routes. The suburban hierarchical street design exposed children to varied traffic safety conditions by funneling their walks from cul-de-sacs to arterials. The new urban routes to a centrally located school passed by pleasant open spaces, suggesting how community organization can create better walking conditions.