Search Results (118)

Rapid population ageing in China urgently demands improved attention to elderly friendly community green space design. Despite national efforts toward community renovation and urban regeneration, existing projects often overlook the systematic optimisation of green spaces explicitly tailored to elderly residents, leading to environments that inadequately support their physical, psychological, and social needs. Given that home-based care remains the predominant preference for elderly populations in China, creating optimised community green spaces is essential to facilitate healthy ageing-in-place effectively. This study systematically investigates the discrepancies between elders’ observed usage patterns and their stated landscape design preferences in two residential communities in Suzhou, China. By integrating year-round observational data with subjective interviews, the research identifies critical mismatches between elderly individuals’ actual behaviours and expressed preferences, highlighting significant deficiencies in current landscape designs. Comparative analyses reveal that prioritising microclimate comfort, accessible pathways, and targeted seating arrangements significantly enhances elderly usage frequency and satisfaction. Ultimately, this study provides practical, policy-aligned recommendations for designing climate-adaptive, elderly centric community green spaces, effectively contributing to sustainable urban renewal and the Healthy China 2030 initiative. Full article

Building inclusive, high-density cities requires understanding vulnerable groups’ public space usage. While green exposure significantly impacts urban health, existing research frequently overlooks females’ specific needs regarding streetscape visual quality, green space structures, and daily travel experiences. To address this, the study investigates spatial disparities in Suzhou’s historic district. Utilizing multi-source data and mixed modeling strategies, including Partial Least Squares and Ordinary Least Squares (PLS-OLS) and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), the research analyzes how streetscape perceptions and green space characteristics affect female life satisfaction and expressed sentiment. Results indicate three main findings. (1) Streetscape visual features fundamentally drive subjective evaluations. Safe significantly enhances well-being, whereas boring and lively negatively impact life satisfaction, reflecting females’ acute sensitivity to environmental oppressiveness during daily travel. (2) Park diversity elevates expressed sentiment, while patch density positively influences life satisfaction, demonstrating the vital value of fragmented greenery for daily public space usage. (3) Boring precipitously diminishes life satisfaction after surpassing a specific threshold, while park diversity elevates expressed sentiment only after crossing a critical interval. The study establishes an integrated analytical framework linking visual perception, green space structure, emotional response, and satisfaction. These findings provide targeted strategies for enhancing inclusive urban design and optimizing green space allocation to improve streetscape safety and alleviate visual oppressiveness, thereby advancing gender social justice for vulnerable groups in historic districts. Full article

With the continuous development of China’s agricultural modernization, the coordination between new quality productive forces in agriculture and green grain production capacity has become increasingly important. This paper takes 30 provinces in China as the research objects, and constructs an evaluation index system for new quality productive forces in agriculture and green grain production capacity. Based on the entropy method, the improved coupling coordination degree model, and the gray relational degree model, it analyzes the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and key influencing factors of the coupling and coordinated development between new quality productive forces in agriculture and green grain production capacity from 2011 to 2024. The results show that the coupling coordination degree between China’s new quality productive forces in agriculture and green grain production capacity is not high, but shows an overall increasing trend. The coupling coordination relationship has experienced an evolution process from “mild imbalance” to “on the verge of imbalance” and then to “barely coordinated”. In terms of space, it shows obvious spatial distribution characteristics of being higher in the east and lower in the west, with the northeast leading, and there is a positive spatial correlation. The carbon sink of grain crops, multiple cropping index of grain, effective irrigation rate, electricity efficiency in grain production, and yield per unit sown area of grain are the key influencing factors for the coupling coordination of the two systems. The scale of carbon emissions from grain production, fertilizer application per unit sown area of grain, pesticide application per unit sown area of grain, agricultural film usage per unit sown area of grain, and per capita disposable income of rural residents show obvious regional heterogeneity in their impacts on the two systems. Full article

Urban parks are key components of metropolitan green infrastructure, contributing to residents’ well-being. However, perceptions of disorder and safety may substantially shape how these spaces are experienced, particularly during evening hours. This study investigates the structural relationships between perceived disorder, fear of crime, avoidance behaviors, perceived safety, and service satisfaction. The primary objective is to disentangle the pathways linking disorder perceptions to behavioral and perceptual outcomes using a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) framework. A structured survey was administered to users of a large metropolitan urban park (N = 742). Latent constructs representing Perceived Disorder, Fear of Crime, Avoidance Behaviors, and Service Satisfaction were specified, controlling for Age and Gender. The SEM was estimated using robust methods for ordinal indicators. The measurement model demonstrated good reliability and validity. Results indicate that Perceived Disorder acts as a strong precursor to Fear of Crime. Fear of Crime emerged as a pivotal mediator, significantly increasing Avoidance Behaviors and strongly reducing Perceived Safety at night. Furthermore, significant demographic effects were observed: female users reported significantly higher levels of fear, while age showed a direct positive association with perceived safety. While disorder strongly impacted the emotional and behavioral dimensions (fear and avoidance), its direct link to Service Satisfaction was less prominent compared to safety perceptions. The findings suggest that the impact of disorder on the park experience is largely channeled through psychological mechanisms of fear. Integrated policies addressing social disorder and fear reduction are likely to be more effective than purely physical interventions to enhance safety perceptions and park usage. Full article

Urban blue-green spaces (UBGS) are crucial nature-based solutions for enhancing urban resilience and improving public health. This study examined the experiential relationships linking BGS use to human well-being among users of five urban parks in Delhi, India. Using an integrated experience-centered framework, we collected in-situ survey data (n = 411) to profile usage patterns, assess environmental quality, and quantify restorative outcomes grounded in Attention Restoration Theory (ART) and Stress Reduction Theory (SRT). Advanced analytical techniques, including ordinal logistic regression and interpretable machine learning (SHAP), were used to identify the key factors associated with user satisfaction. The results revealed that for these respondents, BGS appeared to function as an essential neighbourhood, with over 40% visiting three or more times per week. Although visual attractiveness was rated positively, deficits in noise buffering and amenities indicated a gap between aesthetic and functional qualities. Restorative benefits, including emotional calmness, mood refreshment, and fatigue recovery, were consistently reported among respondents. Analyses showed that embodied experiences, particularly post-visit relaxation and physical comfort, were more strongly associated with user satisfaction. SHAP interpretation highlighted seating adequacy, routine use, and thermal comfort as prominent contributors, suggesting somatic relief may be particularly salient. This study provides exploratory evidence from a Global South megacity and context-sensitive insights into how restorative processes operate under high-density urban conditions. The findings show that routine accessibility, basic amenities, and thermal comfort are central to the everyday functioning of blue-green spaces as urban infrastructure, underscoring the need for experience-responsive and equity-oriented urban greening policies in high-density cities. Full article

Land transition in China has led to the emergence of highly heterogeneous neighborhoods. This process challenges the social sustainability of public green spaces. This research investigates the driving mechanisms of place attachment within green space across diverse community typologies in Beijing. This study constructed a structural equation model (SEM) based on 626 valid questionnaires, using the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S-O-R) framework. The overall SEM results indicate that place identity significantly contributes to civic behavior (β = 0.439, p < 0.001). However, a persistent ‘value-action’ gap remains, with 65.81% of residents demonstrating high identity yet low participation. Furthermore, the multi-group analysis (MGA) reveals that place attachment logic diverges significantly across groups. Regarding user identity, public events promote visitors’ place identity, but this effect remains insignificant among residents (β = −0.064, p > 0.05). Regarding generational differences, the macro-spatial environment is significantly associated with place dependence for young people (β = 0.330, p < 0.001) but is insignificant for the elderly. Community heterogeneity reveals distinct failure modes. In commodity housing communities, a disconnect exists where daily usage fails to foster dependence (β = 0.026, p > 0.05). Conversely, urban–rural resettlement communities display an identity deficit where public events fail to translate into place identity (β = 0.131, p > 0.05). The study proposes differentiated renewal pathways tailored to three community types. For commercial housing communities, it advocates precise interventions that prioritize social engagement. Meanwhile, for urban–rural resettlement communities, the focus shifts to accessibility and culturally rooted activities to help reconnect displaced populations. Full article

Public green spaces play a critical role in fostering social cohesion in rapidly industrializing cities. However, empirical research on how urban residents in non-Western contexts perceive, evaluate and use these spaces remains limited, particularly in Islamic industrial cities with distinct cultural practices and urban development patterns. This study examines determinants of visitor satisfaction in Coastal Park, Asaluyeh, a rapidly industrializing Persian Gulf city. The city’s industrial character, marked by acute green space scarcity and demographic imbalances due to workforce migration, provides a distinctive context for examining urban park dynamics in Iran’s petrochemical industrial zones. Using structured questionnaires and systematic field observations, we assess factors influencing park satisfaction and the role of the park in facilitating community bonds. Results reveal that vegetation quality shows the strongest association with visitor satisfaction (r = 0.45, p < 0.001), surpassing demographic characteristics in explanatory power. The park predominantly serves group-based activities, with family gatherings representing the dominant form of social interaction, reflecting cultural preferences for communal recreation. Significant disparities emerge across men and women in satisfaction levels and usage patterns. Temporal concentration during weekend evenings is driven by extreme daytime heat, while transportation barriers limit equitable access. Statistical analyses indicate weak correlations between demographic variables and satisfaction, underscoring the primacy of experiential factors in shaping visitor perceptions. The findings provide evidence-based recommendations for culturally sensitive park design in industrial Islamic cities, emphasizing the need for infrastructure, amenities, and improved public transport connectivity to ensure equitable access across diverse demographic groups. Full article

The increasing core counts and architectural heterogeneity of modern processors make performance optimization insufficient if energy consumption is not simultaneously considered. By providing a novel characterization of how the interaction between hybrid architectures and system software disrupts the traditional correlation between execution speed and energy efficiency, this research study analyzes the performance–energy trade-offs of parallel LU matrix decomposition algorithms implemented in Java, focusing on the Crout and Doolittle variants. This study is conducted on four different platforms, including ARM-based, Hybrid x86, and many-core accelerators. Execution time and speedup are evaluated for varying thread counts, while energy consumption is measured externally to capture whole-system energy usage. Experimental results show that the configuration yielding the maximum speedup does not necessarily minimize energy consumption. While x86 systems showed energy savings exceeding 80% under optimal parallel configurations, the ARM-based platform required distinct thread counts to minimize energy consumption compared with maximizing speed. These findings demonstrate that energy-efficient configurations represent a distinct optimization space that often contradicts traditional performance metrics. In the era of hybrid computing, green software optimization must transition from a simplistic “race-to-sleep” paradigm toward sophisticated, architecture-aware strategies that account for the specific power profiles of heterogeneous cores to achieve truly sustainable high-performance computing. Full article

In this paper, we propose a data-driven decision-support approach for conceptual trail planning and management in protected natural areas, where environmental awareness (particularly climatic comfort and noise levels) is critical to ensuring a sustainable and enjoyable visitor mobility. Our case study is the Natural Park of La Mata and Torrevieja in Spain. The paper begins by identifying climate refuges in this park (areas offering shelter from heat and other adverse conditions based on meteorological data). We extend this with a novel comfort indicator that incorporates ambient noise levels, using acoustic data from sensors. A key challenge is the integration of heterogeneous data sources (climatic data and noise data from the park’s digital twin infrastructure). To demonstrate the potential of this approach for trail planning, we implement an A* pathfinding algorithm to explore comfort-oriented routing alternatives, guided by our combined climate-noise comfort index. The algorithm is applied to trail management in the Natural Park of La Mata and Torrevieja, enabling the identification of indicative high-comfort routes that can inform future trail design and management decisions, while accounting for ecological constraints and visitor well-being. Results show that the proposed comfort-aware routing improves average environmental comfort by 66.3% with only an additional 344 m of walking distance. Finally, this work constitutes a first step toward a data space use case, showcasing interoperable, AI-ready environmental data usage and aligning with the European Green Deal. Full article

Amid accelerating global high-density urbanization, two pressing challenges have emerged: shrinking green space supplies in built-up areas and growing demand for residents’ emotional well-being. Notably, green spaces’ recreational function plays a pivotal role in alleviating emotional distress. This study aims to systematically assess Green Space Recreation Service Performance (GRSP) and unravel its non-linear impact on residents’ emotional states. Using Shijiazhuang—a representative high-density city in China—as a case study, we developed a GRSP evaluation framework integrating supply–demand balance and utilization efficiency. Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques parsed social media texts, with continuous emotional scores quantifying residents’ emotional states. Finally, a Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT) model empirically explored the links between GRSP indicators and emotional states. Results show significant spatial differentiation and supply–demand mismatch in Shijiazhuang’s central urban GRSP: peripheral new districts have abundant green space supply but low utilization efficiency, while central built-up areas face insufficient supply paired with high usage intensity. Residents’ self-reported emotional health correlates with green space accessibility and crowding levels, with park distribution equity as the dominant driver. GRSP’s impact on emotional states exhibits non-linearities, threshold effects, and distinct interactions among core indicators. This study identifies key GRSP indicators influencing emotional states, clarifies their non-linear interaction mechanisms and critical thresholds, and provides empirical evidence for advancing emotional health theories in high-density urban contexts. Full article

Urban Green Space Per Capita (UGSPC) is one of the oldest and most widely applied indicators in urban planning, providing a measure of green areas in relation to the population size. Despite its century-long application and decades of research, no global systematic review has previously synthesized how UGSPC has been applied, interpreted, and evolved across different contexts. This study aims to fill that gap by conducting the first comprehensive systematic review, following PRISMA guidelines, examining the usage, trends, and effectiveness of UGSPC in both developed and developing countries. Thematic analysis revealed that most studies were published in journals focused on sustainability and environmental science. The results show a surge in publications following the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting a growing recognition of the importance of urban green spaces for public health and livability. Moreover, 67% of the studies were conducted in developing countries, while 30% of the publications were in developed countries. Higher UGSPC values are generally found in developed cities; however, this was not a rule. Time series studies showed a decline in UGSPC in some developed and developing countries, influenced by factors such as population density, urbanization stage, climate, and economic conditions. Although UGSPC is widely used, most municipalities typically develop their plans based on this measurement. In total, 95% of the included research incorporated additional measurements, including accessibility, social equity, spatial patterns, ecological services, ecosystem benefits, and human health. This study suggests that UGSPC is still used as an indicator in urban planning and policy and integrating it with other indicators can serve as contemporary indicators to capture better equity, functionality, and sustainability in urban environments. Full article

Pocket parks serve as vital everyday green spaces in high-density cities, yet many remain underused, especially in hot–humid regions where thermal discomfort restricts outdoor activities. Traditional pocket-park classification approaches overlook actual usage patterns of pocket parks, and existing studies have not examined whether thermal environments influence pocket park use, nor have they adequately addressed thermal comfort from the perspective of user needs. To address these gaps, this study investigates usage behavior, thermal environments, and thermal comfort demands in pocket parks in Guangzhou, a representative hot–humid city in southern China. Through a preliminary reconnaissance survey, this study selected three typical pocket parks for detailed case-study investigation, and the corresponding usage characteristics were systematically identified. Thermal environments and thermal comfort demands were collected separately through on-site thermal measurements and questionnaire surveys. Correlation and comparative analyses were then conducted to examine the relationships among usage characteristics, thermal environmental conditions, and thermal comfort. The findings reveal that (1) the usage rate of residential pocket parks showed the most sensitivity to WBGT, followed by business pocket parks, while the usage rate of traffic pocket parks showed no significant correlation with WBGT; and (2) business parks had the highest thermal sensitivity with PET, followed by residential and traffic types. A one-unit decrease in TSV corresponds to PET reductions of 11.1 °C, 12.5 °C, and 16.6 °C for business, residential, and traffic parks, respectively; (3) among thermal environmental parameters, wind speed exerted the greatest influence on the subjective thermal responses of users in both residential and business pocket parks. As for usage characteristics, activity type was the most significant factor affecting the thermal sensation of users in the traffic pocket park, while short-term thermal experience played the dominant role for users in the business pocket park. The results of this study offer a scientific basis for user-centered, climate-responsive design strategies for pocket parks in hot–humid regions. Full article

Amidst the paradigm shift in park city development from quantitative metrics to spatial performance, urban complex parks—a novel green space type developed privately yet fulfilling public functions—present an innovative approach to park provision in high-density urban areas. However, systematic empirical evidence on their social value remains scarce. This study characterizes urban complex parks as a new form of green public space that provides key ecosystem services and proposes a three-dimensional evaluation framework integrating “usage vitality, place attractiveness, and user satisfaction.” Analyzing 19 park-equipped complexes among 75 cases in Shanghai using LBS data and online reviews through controlled linear regression and comparative analysis, our results indicate complexes with parks were associated with significantly outperforming others in place attractiveness and user satisfaction. Key findings include associations with a 413.7 m increase in average OD distance, a 3.4–4.0% higher city-level visitor share, and 5.24 percentage points greater median positive review rate. Crucially, spatial location outweighs green ratio and size in determining social value. Ground-level parks, through superior spatial integration, function as effective “social-ecological interfaces,” significantly outperforming rooftop parks in attracting long-distance visitors, stabilizing foot traffic (≈3% lower fluctuation), and enhancing per-store visitation. This demonstrates that green space quality (experiential quality and spatial configuration) matters more than quantity. Our findings suggest that urban complex parks can create social value through perceivable naturalness and restorative environments, providing an empirical basis for optimizing park city implementation in high-density contexts and highlighting the need to reconcile broad attractiveness with equitable local access. Full article

Urban waterfront spaces are key venues for residents’ physical activity, and their spatial environment significantly impacts usage efficiency. Existing studies predominantly employ linear models and focus on single waterfront types, making it difficult to reveal differences across various types and the nonlinear mechanisms of influencing factors. To address this, this study investigates three types of waterfront spaces in Shenzhen—riverfront, lakeshore, and seafront spaces—integrating multi-source data and machine learning techniques to systematically analyze the differential impacts of the same elements on physical activity. The results indicate: (1) In terms of transportation accessibility, public transport is the most important factor for riverfront and lakeshore spaces, while road network accessibility is most critical for seafront spaces. (2) Regarding natural landscapes, the dominant factors are normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) for riverfront spaces, green view index for lakeshore spaces, and distance to the shoreline for seafront spaces. (3) For facility services, the core factors are building density (riverfront), number of sports facilities (lakeshore), and number of leisure facilities (seafront). (4) The study further reveals nonlinear relationships and threshold effects of multiple elements. For instance, a turning point in physical activity intensity occurs when the distance to a subway station reaches 2–2.5 km. The green view index shows a threshold of 30% in the overall model, while dual-threshold phenomena are observed in the lakeshore and seafront models. (5) Synergistic effects between elements vary by waterfront type: in riverfront and seafront spaces, activity is more vibrant when areas are close to subway stations and have a low sky view index, whereas the opposite pattern is observed in lakeshore spaces. A combination of a high green view index and greater distance to the shoreline promotes activity in lakeshore spaces, while a high green view index combined with proximity to the shoreline has the most significant promotional effect in riverfront and seafront spaces. This study provides a scientific basis for health-oriented, precise planning and design of urban waterfront spaces. Full article

Based on multi-source data including mobile signaling data and remote sensing imagery, this research constructed human activity indicators and applied spatial analysis methods to identify gender-specific patterns in green space usage across different types of days. A Standardized Gender Difference Index (SDI) was developed to quantify gender-based disparities in both temporal and spatial dimensions. Correlation analysis was employed to examine spatial influencing factors and their interrelationships. The results indicate that on holidays, a stable male-dominant usage pattern was observed across all parks, with males showing a preference for cultural parks. On weekdays, although male users remain predominant overall, considerable variations exist among parks. On a daily scale, males exhibit earlier and more flexible activity patterns, whereas females demonstrate significantly lower presence during evening hours, indicating a “nocturnal poverty” phenomenon. Spatially, community parks display the greatest gender disparity, whereas comprehensive parks show relative gender balance. Although both genders value barrier-free facilities, females place additional emphasis on service facilities, while males are more influenced by mixed land-use functions surrounding the parks. This study demonstrates that high-precision, large-coverage multi-source data can accurately and dynamically identify gender-based differences in green space usage and their influencing factors, providing valuable insights for inclusive urban planning. Full article