Human health is closely related to the environment; a relaxing and pleasant landscape environment can make people feel less stressed and more energetic. To investigate the restorative potential of landscape types and landscape elements in the post-epidemic era from the perspective of visual perception, this study selected Sichuan Agricultural University’s Laoban hill, Jiuqu bridge, and the ginkgo garden to carry out physiological and psychological measurement experiments with college students. Research results on the psycho-biological and perceptual recovery vary with the types of landscape spaces. The results of the physiological data showed that all three space types had no significant effect on the recovery of blood pressure and heart rate; Laoban hill and Jiuqu bridge had some impact on concentration, while the ginkgo garden had no significant effect; and all three space types had some effect on the relaxation of the subjects’ mental state. The results of the psychological data showed that the subjects’ emotions were significantly improved in the three different landscape space types. The space with the strongest restorative effect on negative emotions was the ginkgo garden, followed by Jiuqu bridge and Laoban hill. The spaces with the strongest restorative potential for positive emotions were Jiuqu bridge and the ginkgo garden, followed by Laoban hill. The results of the perceptual restoration data showed that the Laoban hill space had the most effective restorative potential on the human body, followed by Jiuqu bridge, with the ginkgo garden having the least effective restorative potential. The results of the study on the difference between the aesthetic preference of different landscape elements and the perception restorative effect of a space showed that “the harmony between artificial structures such as garden pieces and the environment”, “plant species”, “waterscape state”, and “boundary clarity” were identified as significant landscape elements with perception-restorative effects. These findings summarize campus landscape types and elements with optimal restorative potential. In the future, in campus landscape design—an active approach with a scientific combination and configuration of campus landscape types and elements—can provide a feasible solution to enhance the potential of campus landscape restorative effects.

As important linear public spaces, urban greenways are highly important for improving public health. Many studies have proven the benefits of urban greenways for human well-being, but fewer studies have focused on the impact of their specific environmental types and characteristics on physical and mental health. In this study, 100 subjects participated in a comparative experiment on three types of urban greenways (urban roads, urban parks, and urban rivers), and corresponding physiological indicator (systolic blood pressure [SBP], diastolic blood pressure [DBP], and pulse) and psychological indicator (perceived restorativeness scale [PRS] and positive and negative affect schedule [PANAS]) data were collected. The results indicated that (1) different greenway environment types lead to different physiological and psychological states; (2) urban park-type greenways (SBP [t = 2.37, p = 0.020], DBP [t = 2.06, p = 0.042], PANAS = 2.80, PRS = 5.39) have the greatest physical and mental recovery benefits, followed by urban river-type greenways (SBP [t = 2.84, p = 0.006], DBP [t = 1.29, p = 0.200], PANAS = 2.30, PRS= 5.02) and urban road-type greenways (SBP [t = 0.78, p = 0.440], DBP [t = 0.37, p = 0.716], PANAS = 2.00, PRS = 4.15); (3) plant color and layer diversity have a significant positive impact on the mental health benefits of the three greenway types; (4) the aesthetics of waterscapes and ornaments can significantly improve the perceived restoration ability of urban river-type greenways; and (5) the comfort of pathways and facilities can effectively promote the psychological recovery potential of urban road-type greenways. These findings systematically demonstrate for the first time the differences in restoration potential among urban greenways of different environmental types and summarize the key landscape characteristic predictors influencing the restoration potential of various types of urban greenways. Our research provides new ideas for proactive greenway interventions for physical and mental health and for enriching the restorative environmental science system.

The increasing frequency and prominence of global public health threats put urban healthcare workers at risk of physical and mental illness. Forest therapy holds crucial importance in promoting human health as a non-material benefit obtained from ecosystems. Cultural ecosystem services (CES) profoundly influence human welfare. National parks, due to their rich biodiversity and other favorable conditions, can support forest therapy and provide CES. This study organized 32 urban healthcare workers to participate in a two-day, two-night forest therapy in the Giant Panda National Park (GPNP), which provides CES, and examined immediate changes in their physical and mental health before and after the intervention. Among these, physiological indicators encompass respiratory and circulatory system, immune system, neurotransmitter system, physical fitness development, and sleep quality. Psychological indicators include self-restore and preferences, sensory perception, transcendent experiences, and personal subjective wellbeing. The results indicate that both forest bathing and sensory therapy activities within the GPNP may yield varying degrees of relaxation and concentration benefits. Forest therapy in medium hydrodynamic landscapes may offer significant physiological relaxation benefits for high-stress groups such as urban healthcare workers, while sensory therapy in forest environment may positively enhance concentration levels. Activities such as observation and experiential learning within national parks characterized by pristine ecological environments may be more effective in evoking positive or even exhilarating emotions. This exploratory finding could potentially contribute to the rehabilitation treatment of individuals with depression. Research findings on respiratory and circulatory systems, immune systems, neurotransmitter systems remind us that culture and nature are not in conflict. Infusing cultural elements into sufficiently good ecological environments may bring greater benefits to humanity. This exploratory discovery could aid future selections of therapeutic microenvironments for sub-health populations and individuals with respiratory diseases. This study also found that the most contributing activities to the mental health of urban healthcare workers in different environments were not exactly the same, with Baduanjin, plant nameplates and mandalas, and meditation on positive thoughts being highly contributing to both types of environments, while the landscape of smell was more contributing in the waterside environment of a national park, and the activity of embracing trees was more contributing in the forested environment of a national park. Additionally, the mental health benefits derived from natural environments with cultural ambiance surpass those of forest bathing in purely natural settings, which aligns with our findings regarding physiological benefits. The exploratory findings of this study may provide scientific evidence for the comprehensive impact of national parks on human health, and to offer feasible nature-based solutions for the health and wellbeing of urban healthcare workers and the broader population.

Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of understory spaces and plants on human well-being, but most spatial research has focused on a horizontal perspective. Additionally, there is a lack of research on the effects of plant color on human recovery, especially with respect to color proportions. This study classifies the leaf colors of trees in autumn, which are observed from a looking-up perspective, into green, red, and yellow. On this basis, we created monochromatic, two-color, and three-color groups with varying color proportions to assess their recovery effects and preferences. A total of 30 participants participated in this experiment, and their physiological, psychological, and preference-related indicators were evaluated. The results revealed that the following. (1) The two-color groups had the greatest reduction effect on systolic blood pressure. Monochromatic groups were most effective at reducing diastolic blood pressure. The three-color groups had the greatest effect on lowering the pulse rate. (2) EEG responses varied by color type. (3) The three-color groups had the best recovery effects on the psychological measures. (4) The three-color groups were most favored by participants, with a red–yellow–green ratio of 0.2/0.4/0.4 being the most preferred. These findings demonstrate the differing recovery potentials of various leaf color proportions from a looking-up perspective. This study can provide valuable references for the planning and design of urban forest parks, supplementing the theoretical foundation and research framework for evaluating and creating environments that meet people’s restorative needs.