Back to the Village: Assessing the Effects of Naturalness, Landscape Types, and Landscape Elements on the Restorative Potential of Rural Landscapes

Hanbin Shen, Xuecong He, Jing He, Danming Li, Mingjie Liang () and Xubin Xie ()
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Hanbin Shen: School of Design, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
Xuecong He: School of Architecture and Art, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
Jing He: School of Design, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
Danming Li: School of Design Art and Media, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
Mingjie Liang: School of Design, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
Xubin Xie: School of Architecture and Art, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 7, 1-30

Abstract: Rural landscapes are acknowledged for their potential to restore human health due to natural characteristics. However, modern rural development has degraded these environments, thereby diminishing the restorative potential of rural landscapes. Few studies have systematically analyzed the impact of naturalness, landscape types, and landscape elements on restorativeness using both subjective and objective measurements. This study investigated the restorative effects of various rural landscapes in Guangzhou, employing electroencephalography and eye-tracking technologies to record physiological responses and using the Restorative Components Scale and the Perceived Restorativeness and Naturalness Scale to evaluate psychological responses. The results indicated the following: (1) There was a significant positive correlation between perceived naturalness and restorativeness, surpassing the impact of actual naturalness. (2) Different landscape types had varying impacts on restorativeness at the same level of perceived naturalness. Natural forest landscapes, artificial forest landscapes, and settlement landscapes exhibited the most substantial restorative effects among the natural, semi-natural, and artificial landscapes examined, respectively. (3) Restorative properties varied across landscape elements: trees and water significantly enhanced restorativeness, whereas constructed elements reduced it. Findings from this study can provide support for policymakers to make informed decisions regarding the selection and arrangement of rural landscape types and elements to enhance mental health and well-being.

Keywords: rural landscape; mental restoration; naturalness; landscape type; landscape element (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:13:y:2024:i:7:p:910-:d:1420494

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