Urban Blue Spaces (UBS) have been found to be beneficial to people’s mental health. Yet, the empirical evidence for how and why different types of urban blue spaces could promote residents’ mental health is still limited. Accordingly, 164 observation samples were collected for this experiment relating to the restorative perception of environmental exposure. The effects of two exposure behaviors (15 min of viewing and 15 min of walking) on psychological recovery in three different urban blue spaces settings (Urban River, Urban Canal, Urban Lake) were investigated in a field experiment. These are the main findings of this current study: (1) all three UBSs increased vitality, feelings of restoration, and positive emotions, and decreased negative emotions; (2) the mental restoration effects between walking and viewing among the three UBSs showed no significant differences; (3) of the three UBSs, urban rivers and urban lakes were the most restorative, while urban canals were less so; (4) the concept of “natural health dose” is proposed, where the health experiences of different UBSs in urban settings can show differences depending on the natural components and their levels of the environment (blue, blue + green, blue + blue). The results of this experiment can provide fundamental evidence that can contribute to building healthy cities through the management and design of different blue spaces.

Green cultural heritage is an important form of natural space in cities. Only a few studies have conducted restorative studies in a historical environment as most have focused on natural environments. Moreover, few studies on cultural ecosystem services (CESs) have addressed cultural heritage. Based on an onsite questionnaire distributed to green cultural heritage users (N = 64) in Hamarikyu Garden, this paper explores the value of CESs in a green cultural heritage site and the relationship between cultural ecosystem values and perceived attention restoration/stress reduction. A multiple linear regression analysis and simple linear regression analyses were used to examine the data. The results showed that (1) the cultural ecosystem values of the green cultural heritage site were all rated highly except for the sense of place; (2) spending time in green cultural heritage provided respondents significant perceived attention restoration and stress reduction; (3) aesthetics and cultural heritage significantly affected perceived stress reduction, while attention restoration showed a significant positive correlation with aesthetic value and sense of place; and (4) the more visitors perceived the value of CESs, the more significant the perceived stress reduction and attention recovery were. This study indicates that CESs represent a useful tool for measuring the environmental characteristics of green cultural heritage sites and can predict perceived psychological recovery in green cultural heritage sites. Our findings enhance our knowledge about restorative environmental attributes through objective descriptions of potential health-promoting qualities and can be utilized as inspiration for designing restorative environments in green cultural heritage sites.

Numerous studies have indicated that proximity to nature positively affects human well-being. Landscape planning and related techniques have been widely implemented to achieve balance between natural environments and human society, thereby contributing to human well-being. This study examines peer-reviewed empirical research using scientometric analysis and systematic review to clarify how landscape planning enhances human well-being. On analysing 439 documents, we found a significant increase in publications by multidisciplinary teams in this research area from 2016 to date. There was an uneven global distribution of publications, with most institutions cooperating within the same continent. These findings suggest the potential for greater international collaboration in the future. We identified three main research topics in this field, traced their dynamic development, and highlighted intangible values requiring attention. Moreover, we proposed a loop of ‘naturalness-landscape structures-landscape services-human well-being’ which includes four intermediary steps to illustrate how landscape planning can improve human well-being. This loop clarifies the pathway between landscape planning approaches and human well-being, thus providing a foundation for future research. Overall, this research highlights the conceptual pathways of landscape planning in promoting human well-being and calls for further investigation to fully understand this complex relationship.

Informal green spaces (IGSs) are vital yet under-researched urban areas that enhance biodiversity, provide ecosystem services, and improve the well-being of urban residents. However, the lack of a consistent definition and comprehensive understanding of their multifunctional roles has hindered their effective integration into urban planning. The current literature review aimed to clarify the concept of IGSs, analyze research trends, and identify further research areas. Using a combined bibliometric and systematic analysis approach, 150 articles from the Web of Science database, published from 1996 to 2024, were analyzed. The systematic analysis identified 54 relevant documents on the effects of green areas, revealing a diverse and growing body of research on IGSs, including their types, distribution, and socioeconomic contexts. The findings indicated an increasing trend in collaborative studies, using “informal green space” as the official term. This review proposed a clear and comprehensive definition of IGS, emphasizing its visibility, lack of formal recognition, minimal management, spontaneous vegetation, and temporary nature and underscoring its substantial environmental and social benefits. Furthermore, this review highlighted the need for standardized definitions and interdisciplinary studies to fully harness the potential of IGSs, thereby emphasizing their essential contribution to urban biodiversity and the regulation of urban microclimates.

Tourism behaviour in cultural heritage gardens presents opportunities and challenges for sustainable management. Understanding visitor perceptions and assessments of visual resources in cultural heritage gardens are of great interest to heritage site managers. Using a case study of the Kairakuen Garden in Japan, we collected images (N = 430) and geographic data of tourist photos in the heritage garden through visitor-employed photography technology to analyse what hotspots attract tourists to take photos. We also evaluated the visual attributes of photo hotspots using a questionnaire. The results reveal that the most common elements in tourist images were plant landscapes and human-made structures and that the 12 photo hotspots of the Kairakuen Garden were placed along the officially recommended tour routes, indicating that tourists identify the officially approved scenery. Furthermore, there are four main hotspot areas; they received significant different visual attributes assessments in ‘scenic beauty’, ‘complexity’, ‘mystery’, and ‘diversity’. Based on these findings, it is possible to understand tourists’ visual perceptions and preferences and to make recommendations for the management of the Kairakuen Garden and other cultural heritage gardens.

Community streets play a crucial role in promoting healthy aging and encouraging active behaviors among older adults. This study focuses on two types of activities of older adults: walking and social interaction. We explored the relationship between physical environmental factors and different activity types using a multiple linear regression model. Eye-level green visibility (GSV_N) was used to represent the diversity of facilities (DF_N), while betweenness (AB_N) accounted for the mixed degree of functions (P_Ni), enhancing model stability. The results indicate that community environmental factors, both individually (R² = 0.390) and in combination (R² = 0.409), have significant effects on active behaviors. Notably, the combined variable model demonstrated greater stability. Moreover, the model’s explanatory power for social interaction (R² = 0.567) was much higher than for walking behavior (R²= 0.137), underscoring the stronger influence of combined variables on social engagement. The results suggest that creating age-friendly urban environments requires a holistic approach that improves infrastructure, green visibility, and functional diversity to promote both mobility and social interaction. These insights provide valuable guidance for designing inclusive urban spaces that support active aging.