ABSTRACT
This paper considers the relationship between biophilia and well-being in a sample of users of urban green spaces in the city of Porto (Portugal) as a case study. The biophilia hypothesis is explored through the responses of 131 participants in a survey. Users of urban green spaces valued their provision of quiet and shade, with a high diversity of plant species and tranquillity. The survey also found that being satisfied with urban green spaces enhances self-perceived health status, which means that being satisfied with a green space that fulfils users’ expectations can be a way to improve well-being in urban areas. Creating stimulating regenerative urban green spaces offers the possibility to experience significant connections to nature.
Acknowledgments
This work was developed in the scope of the projects “Composing worlds: humanities, well-being and health in the 21st century” (Compor mundos: humanidades, bem-estar e saúde no século XXI), supported by Fundação Ensino e Cultura Fernando Pessoa (FFP) and “Beyond the Greenness: gardens and public parks as response to the contemporary socio-environmental challenges. The case study of the city of Porto (Portugal)” (Além do Verde: os jardins e parques urbanos na resposta aos desafios socioambientais contemporâneos. Estudo de caso da cidade do Porto), funded by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, through the Doctoral Scholarship with the reference SFRH/BD/143238/2019. The authors would like to thank UFP Energy, Environment and Health Research Unit, a research and development unit recognized by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).