5:15 PM - 7:15 PM
[HCG18-P08] Relationship between landscape impressions in urban forests and emotional connection with nature
Keywords:Urban forest management, Scenic perception, Landscape character, Connection to nature, Visitor Employed Photography
As direct contact with nature has declined, reconnecting with nature has become increasingly important. Urban forests, as essential components of urban green spaces, provide opportunities for urban residents to engage with nature, enhance their well-being, and foster emotional bonds. However, this connection varies depending on the environmental landscape elements. Understanding how people perceive and respond emotionally to specific landscape elements is crucial for urban forest management. Although previous studies have extensively examined ecosystem services and biodiversity, the role of landscape features in shaping human emotional connections with nature remains underexplored. By integrating scenic perception with emotional responses, this study seeks to clarify the relationship between landscape impressions, including the influence of landscape elements, and the sense of connection with nature.
A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted using visitor-employed photography (VEP) at Konbukuroike Nature Park. This site was selected because of its status as a typical urban forest offering a variety of professionally managed and maintained vegetation structures and landscape facilities. Participants first completed a survey on personal information and the Connectedness to Nature Scale (CNS) developed by Mayer and Frantz (2004) to assess their ability to recognize nature. Subsequently, they walked freely through the forest capturing photographs of scenes where they easily or hardly felt connected to nature. These locations were marked on a map, and the environment was evaluated based on aesthetics (Q1), safety (Q2), wildlife (Q3), relaxation (Q4), and management level (Q5) using a 5-point scale.
Data from 49 questionnaires and 388 photographs were statistically analyzed. The photographs were categorized into two groups: one representing “easy” to connect with nature (289 photos) and the other “difficult” to connect with nature (99 photos). For quantitative analysis, responses to the five evaluation questions were tabulated, with scores ranging from 1 (most negative) to 5 (most positive). The mean values for questions Q1–Q5 were 3.73, 3.69, 3.61, 3.67, and 3.62, respectively. For the “easy” group, the average scores were 4.12, 3.83, 3.82, 4.03, and 3.72, respectively, while for the “difficult” group, the scores were 2.58, 3.26, 2.99, 2.6, and 3.33, respectively, which were significantly lower than those of the “easy” group. A t-test was conducted to examine the differences between the two groups, with the significance level set at 5%. The results indicated significant differences across all the questions. In particular, Q1 and Q4 showed larger mean differences, indicating that the participants perceived environments in which they felt a stronger connection to nature as more beautiful and relaxing. The “easy” group also rated Q2 and Q5 higher than the “difficult” group, which was an unexpected but insightful result. This suggests that places where individuals feel more connected to nature are also perceived as safer and better managed, highlighting the importance of environmental design in fostering emotional connections.
Participants were also asked to complete free-text descriptions explaining their impressions and reasons for taking the photographs. For qualitative analysis, the diversity of descriptions was examined to explore how landscape elements in urban forests influence connections to nature and how individual perceptions and experiences shape these connections.
A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted using visitor-employed photography (VEP) at Konbukuroike Nature Park. This site was selected because of its status as a typical urban forest offering a variety of professionally managed and maintained vegetation structures and landscape facilities. Participants first completed a survey on personal information and the Connectedness to Nature Scale (CNS) developed by Mayer and Frantz (2004) to assess their ability to recognize nature. Subsequently, they walked freely through the forest capturing photographs of scenes where they easily or hardly felt connected to nature. These locations were marked on a map, and the environment was evaluated based on aesthetics (Q1), safety (Q2), wildlife (Q3), relaxation (Q4), and management level (Q5) using a 5-point scale.
Data from 49 questionnaires and 388 photographs were statistically analyzed. The photographs were categorized into two groups: one representing “easy” to connect with nature (289 photos) and the other “difficult” to connect with nature (99 photos). For quantitative analysis, responses to the five evaluation questions were tabulated, with scores ranging from 1 (most negative) to 5 (most positive). The mean values for questions Q1–Q5 were 3.73, 3.69, 3.61, 3.67, and 3.62, respectively. For the “easy” group, the average scores were 4.12, 3.83, 3.82, 4.03, and 3.72, respectively, while for the “difficult” group, the scores were 2.58, 3.26, 2.99, 2.6, and 3.33, respectively, which were significantly lower than those of the “easy” group. A t-test was conducted to examine the differences between the two groups, with the significance level set at 5%. The results indicated significant differences across all the questions. In particular, Q1 and Q4 showed larger mean differences, indicating that the participants perceived environments in which they felt a stronger connection to nature as more beautiful and relaxing. The “easy” group also rated Q2 and Q5 higher than the “difficult” group, which was an unexpected but insightful result. This suggests that places where individuals feel more connected to nature are also perceived as safer and better managed, highlighting the importance of environmental design in fostering emotional connections.
Participants were also asked to complete free-text descriptions explaining their impressions and reasons for taking the photographs. For qualitative analysis, the diversity of descriptions was examined to explore how landscape elements in urban forests influence connections to nature and how individual perceptions and experiences shape these connections.