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River corridors, recognized as “blue–green infrastructure,” have become a crucial support system for urban sustainability in contemporary urbanized societies. Understanding the factors influencing the recreational experience along urban river corridors is paramount for enhancing visitors’ health and well-being. This study focuses on the Hutuo River...
Citations
... By gaining insights into the types of urban green spaces that should be designed, who will use them, and at what time, urban planners and policymakers can create spaces that maximize public benefits and align with citizens' aspirations, leading to more valued urban environments [41]. Some of the physical characteristics that enhance the usability along urban river corridors are the presence of natural elements, maintenance and management of the infrastructure, accessibility, distance, and transportation models [46]. On the other hand, the "acceptance" principle is associated with the site's context, since urban interventions must be particularly connected to local identity and demands to avoid their rejection [47]. ...
... Residents' attachment and demand for accessible support facilities directly influence their enthusiasm for using city parks and the overall quality of park services [48]. Additionally, involving the citizens in river restoration plans enhances their sense of belonging and pride in the local environment [46]. The principle of "reliability" is related to the effectiveness of the BGI alternative in reducing local flooding, creating a sense of confidence of local users [49]. ...
Accelerated urbanization and frequent flooding in contemporary cities have contributed to the devaluation of rivers within urban landscapes, resulting in a diminished relationship between residents and these waterways. Although there has been a notable increase in frameworks designed to enhance stakeholder engagement in flood risk management, these primarily target decision-makers, with limited focus on processes that ensure community participation in Blue–Green Infrastructure (BGI) initiatives. This paper seeks to address this gap by proposing a conceptual framework for assessing public perceptions of BGI in urban watersheds, particularly in areas facing socioeconomic vulnerabilities. The framework was applied through an online survey directed at inhabitants and experts associated with the Acari River Watershed, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The survey comprises five sections aimed at gathering respondent profiles, exploring their interactions with the case study, and eliciting their perceptions of BGI alternatives, supported by graphic representations. BGI alternatives were evaluated based on four principles: usability, reliability, feasibility, and acceptance. The findings indicate that while certain strategies were perceived as reliable, concerns regarding pollution and trust were significant, especially in densely populated areas. This framework is recommended for use in other urban contexts to facilitate effective community engagement in sustainable planning processes, especially in developing countries.
... Similarly, Lehto et al. (2024) investigated the factors that affect site-specific building choices for recreational activities among respondents with different characteristics. Shi et al. (2024) highlighted the importance of understanding the factors that affect the satisfaction of recreational demand in urban riverside areas and how these aspects can enhance visitors' physical and mental health. ...
This research was conducted in the Hei River Basin of China to understand respondents' willingness to pay (WTP) for ecological services towards sustainable river system management. A discrete choice experiment is used to gauge respondents' preferences. In addition, elevation was introduced as a novel spatial attribute to account for heterogeneity. Primary data from 1680 respondents were collected across the Hei River Basin. The elevation of the river was categorized into five ad hoc elevation ranges to analyze the potential effects of elevation on environmental attributes. These samples were stratified as 1000–1600 m, 1601–2200 m, 2201–2800 m, 2801–3400 m, and 3401–4000 m. Pooled data results showed that the maximum WTP was for water quality, that is, 142.05 RMB, without considering the effect of elevation. However, when the interaction with elevation was included, the amount decreased to 133.52 RMB. Likewise, elevation‐based group estimates showed a varied pattern of spatial preference, with different preferences for each distinguishing attribute. Group A prioritized water quality (92.81 RMB) and the East Juyan area (4.12 RMB). In contrast, Group B preferred the guaranteed rate of irrigation of farmland (3.50 RMB) and reduced sandstorm frequency (17.90 RMB). Leisure and entertainment conditions had the lowest WTP across all groups (0.09–0.50 RMB). These findings highlight the importance of incorporating respondents' preferences in restoring and maintaining river systems. Additionally, it emphasized the need to consider respondents' socioeconomic characteristics when developing sustainable management policies.
Urban green spaces (UGSs) provide recreational and cultural services to urban residents and play an important role in mental health. This study uses big data mining techniques to analyze 62 urban parks in the Changsha–Zhuzhou–Xiangtan urban agglomeration (CZXUA) based on data such as points of interest (POIs), areas of interest (AOIs), and user comments from the popular social media platform Dianping. In addition, the authors apply sentiment analysis using perceptual dictionaries combined with geographic information data to identify text emotions. A structural equation model (SEM) was constructed in IBM SPSS AMOS 24.0 software to investigate the relationship between five external features, five types of cultural services, nine landscape elements, four environmental factors, and tourist emotions. The results show that UGS external features, cultural services, landscape elements, and environmental factors all have positive effects on residents’ emotions, with landscape elements having the greatest impact. The other factors show similar effects on residents’ moods. In various UGSs, natural elements such as vegetation and water tend to evoke positive emotions in residents, while artificial elements such as roads, squares, and buildings elicit more varied emotional responses. This research provides science-based support for the design and management of urban parks.
