Sustainability 13 01558 v2

sustainability
Article
Residents’ Preferences and Perceptions toward Green Open
Spaces in an Urban Area
Liqin Zhang 1,2 , Huhua Cao 1, * and Ruibo Han 3
1 Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5,
Canada; [email protected]
2 Department of Public Administration, China University of GeoSciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430074, China
3 Center for Geospatial Information Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA;
[email protected]
* Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +1-613-562-5800 (ext. 1043)
Abstract: Green open space is an important part of the natural–social ecosystem, providing ecological
services that maintain the healthy development of cities and society. Residents’ perceptions of these
benefits are largely related to their social-economic background as well as their familiarity with the
development of green open spaces in their neighborhoods. Understanding residents’ perceptions of
green open space will contribute significantly to urban planning by providing practical information
that facilitates residents’ needs. Using the urban development zone (UDZ) of Wuhan, this study
aims to understand residents’ preference toward green open space and their perceptions of ecological
services and improvement, with the focus on the linking between social factors, preference, and
views. In this study, data are collected through online questionnaire surveys and interviews. The
results demonstrate how respondents’ views vary and which social factors significantly relate to
them. Significant changes in natural space changes are reflected in the public’s perception of the
ecological functions of these spaces. Responses to improving green open space reflect the residents’
pursuit of natural affinity and practicality. We conclude that it is better to enhance public involvement

by providing residents’ views, which helps to recognize actual needs in long-term green open
Citation: Zhang, L.; Cao, H.; Han, R. space planning.
Residents’ Preferences and
Perceptions toward Green Open Keywords: public perception; green open space; preference; ecosystem services; China
Spaces in an Urban Area.
Sustainability 2021, 13, 1558.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031558
1. Introduction
Received: 7 December 2020
Accepted: 25 January 2021
Throughout the past few decades, Chinese cities have dramatically evolved in terms
Published: 2 February 2021
of their physical landscapes and social economies [1]. Meanwhile, residents are becoming
more aware of the negative ecological impacts of urban growth, such as increased urban
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral
pollution, health concerns, and reduced social-natural interactions. Green open spaces,
with regard to jurisdictional claims in
including parks, gardens, greenbelt areas, wetland, etc., act as a place for socializing while
published maps and institutional affil- also providing a variety of natural and social-ecological services, such as improved micro-
iations. climates, purified air and improvement of the soil and water environment [2]. In this
study, respondents’ perceptions of these benefits are mostly influenced by their social-
economic backgrounds and their familiarity with the development of green open space in
their neighborhoods [3]. Understanding their views will contribute significantly to urban
Copyright: © 2021 by the authors.
planning by providing practical information that facilitates residents’ needs.
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
In an urban ecosystem, green open space is recognized as a crucial subsystem [4].
This article is an open access article
The attention toward green open space in cities of different income-level countries varies
distributed under the terms and due to different socio-economic conditions. Equity, health, and safety benefits related to a
conditions of the Creative Commons high quality of life are more concerns of residents in cities of high-income countries [5,6],
Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// while the loss of natural resources and degradation of natural subsystems caused by urban
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ expansion are more concerning to those in lower-income countries [7]. Most research in
4.0/). cities of middle- or low-income countries argues that the key cause of vegetation loss is
Sustainability 2021, 13, 1558. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031558 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability

Sustainability 2021, 13, 1558 2 of 23
urbanization, leading to a range of perceived environmental problems [8–10]. In China, a

middle-high-income country, both the ecological impacts of urbanization on green open
space and ecological services provided by such draw the attention of researchers [11].
Nonetheless, how the public perceives the impacts and the services, and how they under-
stand engagement with relevant planning and management is still being studied [12].
This study looks at the urban development zone (UDZ) of Wuhan, a second-tier city
in central China, which is used to investigate residents’ perception of green open space.
The green open spaces in this study mainly refer to city parks, street parks, and community
parks, which contain water areas and gray open spaces or not. The main objective is to
better understand residents’ preferences toward green open space and their perceptions of
ecological services and improvement, with the focus on the linking between different social
factors and views. To achieve the objective, three questions are proposed: (1) What are the
main features of residents’ preference and perceptions of green open space and their links?
(2) How do the social features of residents affect their preference and perceptions of green
open spaces’ ecological services and their improvement? (3) What can we learn for public
participation in green open space planning and management?
2. Literature Review
Interactions between natural and social subsystems initiate the process of urban
growth. The public’s understanding of green open space emphasizes awareness of social
and ecological functions of the natural landscape. Their enjoyment of these spaces is based
on and a result of their understanding of the benefits they can provide [13]. Residents’
preferences are related to their social characteristics and their perception of the quality
of green open spaces. The literature found that the use of open green space is related
to attributes like gender, age, income, education level, race, and cultural group [14,15].
A study by Jim and Shan (2013) in Guangzhou, China, shows that improving health and
promoting children’s growth have received great attention [15]. Wendel et al. (2012)
in Latin American countries found that there are gender differences in the use of green
space and that the inequality of urban green space distribution is widespread [16]. From
the perspective of gender and age, residents demonstrate significant differences in the
use of open green spaces. The research grouped the park visitors based on their social
characteristics or visiting preferences based on a social perspective. The distribution and
accessibility of green spaces play an important role in residents’ preferences. Studies on
Chinese cities such as Shanghai [17], Beijing [18], and Wuhan [19] show that the accessibility
of green parks is related to the economic level of residents. In other words, it is similar to
the conclusion that the area and abundance of urban green space in high-income countries
are significantly related to the income level of residents [20,21].
Natural subsystems provide tangible and intangible ecological services. A great
amount of literature focuses on green open space benefits to residents’ health and life
quality [22,23]. Residents’ views of the services implicate their concern with different facets
of urban development. Generally, residents notice more practical benefits than ecological
ones [24]. For instance, they believe that urban parks are an appropriate location for
exercise or socialization and they recognize the safety when visiting green open space as
well as the environmental quality for their enjoyment of the exposure [25].
Residents’ preferences in visiting will affect their perception of the importance of
open green spaces to natural and social-ecological well-being. The concerns of well-
being between groups with different behavior preferences are different, reflecting on
the perception of ecological and cultural services. The social services of the ecosystem
can strengthen the connection between people and nature and between people. Lo and
Jim’s (2012) research on Hong Kong states that “green space is mainly appreciated for
its practical microclimate and convenient facilities, not because of its environmental and
social functions”; “residents demand richer natural elements and auxiliary facilities”; and
“Effective public participation” [14].
Residents’ perceptions of the quality of the green open space and the degree of
completeness of facilities affect their visit purpose. In turn, the residents’ visiting purposes
affect their perceptions of green space defects and their improvement needs [26]. Generally
speaking, the status and quality of the green open space will affect the behavior preferences
of the visitors, and the behavior preferences of the visitors in turn affect their attention to
the required configuration. Residents will pay attention to the natural and social services
of the green open space while benefiting from the visit. Visit preference is associated with
benefit perception. Residents who visit frequently are more concerned about the health
promotion of green open spaces. At the same time, the green open space provides a place
to promote social interaction, potentially promoting social interaction, although the service
is different in the perception and preferences of different social groups. Additionally, from
the perspective of the human living environment, personal growth and living environment
will affect their perception, especially a good natural environment in childhood and adult
perception of changes in the natural environment, both of which will have an impact on
preferences and needs.
Though research stresses the public’s attitude toward and perceptions of cultural-
ecological services of green open space, it rarely detects the relationships between residents’
preference and the influence on their perceptions of corresponding benefits provided by nat-
ural subsystems. Perceptions of benefits are affected not only by socioeconomic factors, like
family status, economic class, or ethnic group [27,28], but also by their experiences with na-
ture. Scholars find that the experience of interacting with the natural environment in one’s
childhood affects his or her awareness of the natural landscape and preference for usage
when he or she grows up [29]. Residents’ experiences with the evolving environment also
shape local awareness of land-use history which further affects their perceptions [30–32].
However, only a few studies incorporate these experiences into influencing factors, with
focus on childhood experiences, not witnessing natural space changes.
Literature on public preferences toward greenness usually concentrates on specific
urban parks [33], providing deductible findings that contribute to urban greenness planning
and management. For example, Ayala-Azcárraga et al. (2019) compares nine parks in
México City and finds that there is “a close relationship between patterns of visitor use and
urban parks components such as distance, tree abundance, safeness, playground qualities
and cleanliness” [34]. Studying urban green spaces without focusing on specific parks can
provide more universal information for the planning and management of such spaces. The
literature focuses on research on preferences and perceptions based on differences in social
attributes, and it is a good attempt to incorporate preferences and changes in the living
environment into influencing factors.
Knowledge of the use of green open spaces, such as exposure time and experience,
is crucial to explain services provided by those spaces [35,36]. How the use of green
open space relates to people’s opinions on the improvement of the space attracts the
interests of researchers in the fields of environment and health [37], community green space
configuration [38], etc. Likewise, continuing to explore this topic is valuable for practical
green open space provision in urban areas. Though literature focusing on perceptions of
different services is popular, it is rare to compare or connect those facets, which will be
done in this study.
This research introduces social characteristics, visiting preferences, experiences of
environmental change, etc., to independent variables to analyze perceptions, attempting
to establish the relationship between population, preference, and perception, as well as
the relationship between preferences, services, and improvement. The study did not
set a specific group of interviewees and communities and aimed to provide a basis for
urban planning decision making on the social differences in the perception of residents in
generalized urban spaces.
3. Study Area and Methods

3.1. Study Area
Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei, is a large city located in central China. Being
segregated by two natural belts, the Yangtze and Han rivers, Wuhan is historically a
commercial center and transportation hub. This research focuses on the UDZ of Wuhan as
defined in the latest city planning, where the severest physical and social transformations
have been taking place. Wuhan urban land has grown quickly since 1990, with a 3.86-fold
increase in the UDZ from 166.36 km2 in 1990 to 828.74 km2 in 2016. The population and
GDP data are from the Wuhan Statistical Yearbook. The urban expansion data are derived
from Landsat images. Wuhan has also experienced dramatic socio-economic growth, with
its population increasing from 6.90 million in 1990 to 11.08 million in 2018. During that
same period, its GDP increased from USD 2.71 billion to USD 227.37 billion (USD 1 = YUAN
RMB 6.53, currency exchange rate on 29 December 2020). In the 1990s and early 2000s,
significant transformations of green space and water area (wetland) to impervious surface
occurred, accompanied by urban growth and population aggregation. Since the latter half
of the 2000s, Wuhan has been paying more attention to the renewal, redevelopment, and
conservation of its green and water space.
Figure 1 shows the Wuhan UDZ green system plan between 2010 and 2020, describing
the structural and spatial characteristics of the various types of green spaces. Parks and
urban vegetated areas, which are the focus of this survey, constitute the major parts of
Sustainability 2021, 13, x FOR PEER REVIEW 5 of 24
green open spaces in the urban area. Small-scale green spaces in the city center provide
services to nearby communities while big parks accommodate larger spatial residents.
Figure 1.
Figure 1.Map
Mapofofstudy area.
study Edited
area. based
Edited on urban
based development
on urban zone (UDZ)
development zone Green
(UDZ)System
GreenPlan
System Plan
Map in the comprehensive Plan of Wuhan. http://gtghj.wuhan.gov.cn/wu/pc-992-61109.html.
Map in the comprehensive Plan of Wuhan. http://gtghj.wuhan.gov.cn/wu/pc-992-61109.html.
3.2. Data Collection and Analysis
Questionnaire surveys are a popular approach to obtain data for semi-quantitative
analysis, while interviewing is often chosen for qualitative studies. In most studies, either
questionnaire surveys or interviews are selected for analysis, with few using both. Since
closed-question surveys have limitations on the disclosure of information implicated be-
3.2. Data Collection and Analysis

Questionnaire surveys are a popular approach to obtain data for semi-quantitative
analysis, while interviewing is often chosen for qualitative studies. In most studies, either
questionnaire surveys or interviews are selected for analysis, with few using both. Since
closed-question surveys have limitations on the disclosure of information implicated be-
hind the data, personal interviews can be used to extract complementary information [39].
The surveys for this study were designed based on the literature [11,23,40–43], with con-
sideration of the characteristics of the case city. Data was collected to advance this study
through an online survey and interview among the selected participants to represent the
population of Wuhan. Further, a web questionnaire was created using Questionnaire Star.
The questionnaire link was then delivered by snowballing through WeChat, a popular
social media platform in China. The snowballing began with acquaintances, colleagues, stu-
dents, family, neighbors, etc. Data were collected automatically as participants completed
the questionnaire, and the results could be downloaded.
The questionnaire was split into four parts, with closed-ended questions. It consisted
of questions regarding personal information, residents’ preferences of using green open
spaces, and their perceptions of ecological services provided by, and improvement necessity
of, those spaces.
The questionnaire survey provided an overview of the perspectives towards the
ecological roles of green open space. However, more information was needed to fully
address our research questions. Thus, we interviewed selected respondents based on their
social variety and willingness to participate. The interview was held using WeChat one-one
audio or video chat mode, and the content of the interview was typed based on the consent
of the participants.
When analyzing the questionnaire data, we used percentages to assess the structure
of perceptions in each category. We further quantified the perceptions with a Likert 5-
scale coding. That is, “strongly disagree, somewhat disagree, neutral, somewhat agree,
strongly agree” are coded as 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. A “a nonparametric rank-based”
Kruskal-Wallis test was then conducted to determine in which social groups perceptions
were significantly different. This helped to decide if the differences “between two or more
groups of an independent variable” were statistically significant [44]. We took demography,
preference, and experience information of respondents as independent variables, including
gender, age, occupation, length of residence, preference of visiting green open space, and
experience of green space changes.
To briefly describe the detailed differences between different groups, we further
calculated a mean score to rank the perceptions. In statistics, it is often believed that data
collected at the ordinal level should not use measurements at the interval level [45]. Many
statistical theorists believe that it is impossible to calculate the mean of the codes denoting
individual categories of the Likert scale [46]. However, in Advances in Health Sciences
Education, Norman (2010) affirms that means and other parametric statistics can be utilized
for Likert scale data analysis without concern of “getting the wrong answer”, based on
the dissection of critical arguments and empirical literature dating back to the 1930s [47].
In a psychological study, Uher (2018) also claims that parametric methods are effective
for quantitative analysis of rating scale data [48]. Many empirical studies show that the
mean score is even robust for ranking of Likert-scale data [49]. They simplify the ranking
provides more information despite the differences of the structures behind the mean score
being wrapped with no disclosure. Thus, we adopted the mean score to further identify
the differences of perceptions between social groups and only used the scores to rank.
The mean score is equal to the sum of “the proportion of respondents at different degrees
agreeing multiplied by the corresponding value code” meaning that a smaller mean score
would reflect a greater disagreement from respondents.
3.3. Information of Respondents

In total, 418 participants were recruited. Those who failed the attention check (n = 93)
for their residence in Wuhan were dropped. A total of 325 participants constitutes our
final sample, with 44.31% male and 55.69% female: 17.23% aged 18–25 (young), 59.08%
aged 25–54 (middle-aged), and 23.69% aged 55 and over (elderly) (Table 1). Of the young
respondents, 76.80% are students, whereas among the elderly group, 29.90% are civil
servants, 18.20% are factory workers, and 14.30% are intellectuals. Occupations in the
middle-aged group are relatively even, compared to the young or senior groups.
Table 1. Personal characteristics of respondents.
Personal Characteristics Percentage (%) Personal Characteristics Percentage (%)

Male 44.31 Factory worker 10.15
Gender
Female 55.69 Businessperson 10.46
Age 18–24 17.23 Civil servant 12.00
Occupation
Age Age 25–54 59.08 Intellectual 15.08
Age 55 and over 23.69 Student 23.08
Middle school or less 2.15 Other 29.23
Education High school 10.15 Less than 5 years 25.85
College or above 87.69 5–10 years 18.46
Residential length
Urban Hukou 76.31 10–20 years 9.54
Hukou *
Rural
RuralHukou
Hukou 23.69
23.69 20years
20 yearsand
andover
over 46.15
46.15
* Hukou refers to the household registration status in China. It implicates where the person was raised. Hukou
* Hukou refers to the household registration status in China. It implicates where the person was raised. Hukou is different from is different
from districts/areas.
districts/areas. In urbanInareas,
urban areas,
there there
are also are Hukou
rural also rural Hukou
residents who residents
are livingwho are living
in urban in urban
villages. Hukou villages.
implicatesHukou impli-
respondents’
experience with nature in
cates respondents’ childhood, with
experience that is,nature
respondents with rural that
in childhood, Hukou,
is, to a great extent,with
respondents haverural
experience withto
Hukou, more natural
a great interaction
extent, have
rather than those with an urban one.
experience with more natural interaction rather than those with an urban one.
Respondents
Respondents with
withdifferent
differentoccupations
occupationsandandresidential
residentiallengths
lengthshave
havedifferent
differentage
age
structures.
structures.The
Theyounger
youngergroup
grouphas a higher
has proportion
a higher of students
proportion andand
of students hashas
lived in Wuhan
lived in Wu-
for
hana for
shorter period,
a shorter whilewhile
period, the elderly groupgroup
the elderly has higher proportion
has higher of factory
proportion workers
of factory and
workers
has
andlived in Wuhan
has lived for longer
in Wuhan periods
for longer (Figure
periods 2). 2).
(Figure
Figure2.2.Age
Figure Agestructure
structurefor
forrespondents
respondentswith
withdifferent
differentoccupations
occupationsand
andresidential
residentiallengths.
lengths.
4.4.Preferences
Preferencesand
andPerceptions
PerceptionsofofGreen
GreenOpen
OpenSpace
Space
Green open space provides many ecological services.
Green open space provides many ecological services. TheThe
results demonstrate
results howhow
demonstrate se-
lected participants use these spaces and link it to their perceptions toward the improvement
selected participants use these spaces and link it to their perceptions toward the improve-
ment of such areas. Moreover, how respondents perceive the benefits is also shown. The
findings help to understand the relations between perceptions and their social character-
istics, as well as links between various facets of such views.
of such areas. Moreover, how respondents perceive the benefits is also shown. The findings
help to understand the relations between perceptions and their social characteristics, as
well as links between various facets of such views.
4.1. Benefits Provided by Green Open Space

4.1.1. Use of Green Open Space: Enjoying Benefits in Person
Regarding the frequency of visits to green open space, 24.62% report that they visit
daily; 28.31% visit weekly, 16.00% monthly, and 31.08% seldom visit. The structure in
different ages, occupations, and residential length groups (Figure 3) shows that the elderly
are likely to visit green spaces frequently, with 42.90% visiting daily. The young group8 has
Sustainability 2021, 13, x FOR PEER REVIEW of 24
higher proportions (39.30%) of weekly visits. Among occupation groups, civil servants
report the most frequent visits.
Figure 3.
Figure 3. Frequency
Frequency of
of visits
visits by
by different
different social
social groups.
groups.
In terms of experiences with green space loss or gain in their neighborhoods, 12.00%
of respondents report a great loss and 23.08% a slight one. Over a quarter (26.46%) claim
no changes have occurred. Of all respondents, 28.92% and 9.54%, respectively, have seen a
slight
Figureand great gain
3. Frequency (Figure
of visits by 4).
different social groups.
Figure 4. Perceived loss or gain of green space.
Respondents were asked their main reasons for visiting green open space. The ques-
tion contains multiple choices, which means a respondent may visit with multiple mo-
tives. For example, one may visit green open spaces to walk, enjoy nature, and socialize
at the 4.
Figure same time. loss
Perceived Thus, the of
or gain intentions
green are overlapping and not mutually exclusive. The
green space.
space.
data were then coded into dichotomies based on each intention, in which “Yes (Y)” means
Respondents
to choose
Respondents were
one option,
were asked
such
asked their
as to main
walk,
their “No
main reasons for
for visiting
(N)” means
reasons green
green open
that option
visiting is notspace.
open chosen.
space. The ques-
Overall,
The ques-
tion
mostcontains
tion contains multiple
respondents visitchoices,
multiple choices, which
green open which means
space a respondent
to enjoy
means may visitvisit
nature (71.08%),
a respondent may withwith
walk multiple
(64.62%), motives.
or exer-
multiple mo-
For example,
cise (43.08%).
tives. one may
Bicycling,
For example, visit
one may green
social open spaces
interactions,
visit green open to
child’swalk,
spacesplay,enjoy nature,
or other
to walk, enjoy and
purposes socialize
are less
nature, and at the
com-
socialize
same
mon
at time.
theatsame Thus,
19.69%, the intentions
15.08%,
time. Thus, 14.77%, are overlapping
and 13.23%,
the intentions and not mutually
respectivelyand
are overlapping (Figure exclusive.
5).
not mutually The data were
exclusive. The
data were then coded into dichotomies based on each intention, in which “Yes (Y)” means
to choose one option, such as to walk, “No (N)” means that option is not chosen. Overall,
most respondents visit green open space to enjoy nature (71.08%), walk (64.62%), or exer-
cise (43.08%). Bicycling, social interactions, child’s play, or other purposes are less com-
Figure 4. Perceived loss or gain of green space.
Sustainability 2021, 13, 1558

Respondents were asked their main reasons for visiting green open space. The ques- 8 of 23
tion contains multiple choices, which means a respondent may visit with multiple mo-
tives. For example, one may visit green open spaces to walk, enjoy nature, and socialize
at the same time. Thus, the intentions are overlapping and not mutually exclusive. The
thenwere
data coded into
then dichotomies
coded based on based
into dichotomies each intention, in which in
on each intention, “Yes (Y)”“Yes
which means tomeans
(Y)” choose
toone option,
choose onesuch as such
option, to walk,
as to“No (N)”
walk, “Nomeans that option
(N)” means is not is
that option chosen. Overall,
not chosen. most
Overall,
respondents
most visitvisit
respondents green open
green space
open to enjoy
space nature
to enjoy (71.08%),
nature (71.08%),walk
walk(64.62%), or or
(64.62%), exercise
exer-
(43.08%).
cise Bicycling,
(43.08%). social
Bicycling, interactions,
social child’s
interactions, play,play,
child’s or other purposes
or other are less
purposes arecommon
less com-at
19.69%, 15.08%, 14.77%, and 13.23%, respectively (Figure
mon at 19.69%, 15.08%, 14.77%, and 13.23%, respectively (Figure 5). 5).
Figure 5. Green open space visit intention.
Social groups in the categories of age, Hukou, and occupation have significant differ-
ences in in-person enjoyment of green open space (Table 2), while gender and education
have little influence. Younger and middle-aged participants tend to visit more to walk,
enjoy nature, socialize, and ride their bicycles. Middle-aged respondents and elders mainly
go for exercise and child’s play. Urban Hukou participants enjoy visiting green open space
to exercise, which links to individuals’ health, whereas those with rural Hukou prefer
going for walks, enjoying nature, socializing, and bicycle riding.
Table 2. p Values of Kruskal–Wallis test: Social differences in intentions to visit.
Walk Enjoy Nature Exercise Child’s Play Socializing Biking Other

Intentions to Visit
Y N Y N Y N Y N Y N Y N Y N
Age 0.00 *** 0.00 *** 0.29 0.03 ** 0.02 ** 0.00 *** 0.86
Hukou 0.05 * 0.07 * 0.03 ** 0.11 0.02 ** 0.11 0.49
Occupation 0.09 * 0.39 0.20 0.00 *** 0.06 * 0.37 0.30
Residential length 0.08 * 0.01 *** 0.35 0.02 ** 0.01 ** 0.29 0.10
p Value: ***, **, * indicate the significance at the level of 0.01, 0.05, and 0.10, respectively. “Y” means “Yes” for the choice of that visit purpose
and “N” means “No” with no selection of that purpose.
Selected social differences of visit intention are shown in Figure 6. Civil servants
have the greatest intentions to visit green open space for exercise while students have
the lowest. Intellectuals have the highest interest in enjoying these spaces for child’s play
while students enjoy it for bicycle riding. This suggests that intellectuals consider the
developmental benefits children may gain from green open space, compared to other
occupational groups. Socializing in green open space is preferred the most by students,
followed by businesspeople and intellectuals. The groups who rarely visit to socialize are
factory workers, followed by civil servants.
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Other
Other
Student
play
Student
play
Intellectual
Child's
Intellectual
Civil servant
Child's
Civil servant
Businesspeople
Businesspeople
Factory worker
Factory worker
Other
Other
Student
Student
Biking
Intellectual
Biking
Intellectual
Civil servant
Civil servant
Businesspeople
Businesspeople
Factory worker
Factory worker
Socializing
Age 55 and over

nature Socializing
Age 55 and over

Age 25–54
Age 25–54
Age 18–24
Age 18–24
Age 55 and over
Enjoy
Age 55 and over

Age 25–54
nature
Enjoy
Age 25–54
Age 18–24
Age 18–24
Age 55 and over
Age 55 and over
Walk
Age 25–54
Walk
Age 25–54
Age 18–24
Age 18–24
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Yes No
Yes No
Figure 6. Purposes of visits by different occupational respondents.

Figure 6.
Figure 6. Purposes of
of visits
visits by
by different
different occupational
occupational respondents.
respondents.
4.1.2. Perceptions of Benefits
4.1.2.
4.1.2. Perceptions
Perceptions of of Benefits
Benefits
Respondents’ awareness of ecological services is reflected by the importance of na-
Respondents’
Respondents’ awareness
awareness ofofecological
ecological services is is
reflected by bythethe
importance of nature
ture in their daily life [34]. Answers to the services
question “Toreflected
what extent importance
do you agreeofthat
na-
in their daily
ture inopen life
their spaces [34].
daily life Answers to the
[34]. Answers towithquestion
the the “To
question what extent
“Toand
what do you agree that
extent do you services?”green
agree that
green
open spaces provide provide
residentsresidents
with the with
natural andnatural social–ecological
social–ecological services?” show that
green
show open
that spaces
the key provide
concerns residents
arenoise
air quality, the
noise natural and
reduction, social–ecological
and mitigation of services?”
urban heat
the key
show thatconcerns are
the(Figure air quality,
key concerns aredecidingreduction,
air quality, and
noisespacemitigation
reduction, of urban
and mitigationheat island
of urbaneffects
heat
island
(Figure effects
7). When 7).
deciding When
if “green spaceif “green
and wetland and wetland
significantly significantly improve
improve air quality”,
island effects
air quality”, (Figure 7). When
87.69% of respondents deciding
agreeif “green space
and 1.23% and wetland
disagree. significantly
Natural improve
spaceshabitats
are crucial
87.69%
air of respondents
quality”, 87.69% of agree and 1.23%
respondents agree disagree.
and 1.23%Natural spaces
disagree. are crucial
Natural spaces for
are crucial
habitats for
biodiversity, biodiversity,
while 4.92%whilewhile 4.92%
of respondents of respondents disagree,
disagree, showing showing
less concernless concern about
habitats for
habitats thanbiodiversity,
for airimprovement, 4.92% of respondents
quality improvement, disagree,
noise reduction, andshowing lessabout
mitigation concern
ofheat
habitats
urban about
heat
than for
habitats air
than quality
for air quality noise
improvement, reduction,
noise and mitigation
reduction, and of urban
mitigation of urbanisland
heat
island
effects. effects.
island effects.
Figure 7.
Figure Perceptions of
7. Perceptions of ecological
ecological services
services of
of green
green open
open spaces.
Figure 7. Perceptions of ecological services of green open spaces.
Figure 8 provides the mean score of perception based on different social groups. In
detail, gender affects perceptions of noise reduction by green open spaces, as fewer males
(4.15) agree than females (4.33), which is the same when evaluating the services of storm
flood reduction (male 4.05 and female 4.25). Hukou, which implies more experience with
nature, influences how the benefits of urban heat island effect relief are perceived, with
urban Hukou people (4.33) agreeing more than rural (4.06). Differences in age groups are
only significant when they perceive primary product supply by green open spaces, for
which elders agree (3.61) more and young people disagree (2.95) more. This is concurrent
with differences by occupational categories as well as educational background. People
with a higher educational background (3.31) tend to be more neutral than those with
lower educational background (i.e., high school-educated population (4.14) and middle
school-educated population (3.88)). Among occupation groups, those with the most neutral
perceptions are students (2.93). Students also disagree with the services of noise reduction
(4.00) and urban flood risk mitigation (3.89), compared to other occupations. A longer
period of residency in Wuhan leads to a greater appreciation of the benefits of urban heat
island mitigation and noise reduction by green open spaces. In-person visits to green open
spaces affect residents’ perception of services, such as primary product supply, air quality
improvement, urban heat island relief, etc.
Experience of green space changes is reflected significantly in residents’ perception
of ecological services. Those who reported experiences of decreased green space tend to
agree more strongly with natural space and a scattered distribution increase than those
without, followed by those with experience of a great increase in green space.
From a social perspective, green open spaces benefit residents by promoting health
and providing them with a place to relax. They also affect the value of residential properties.
The benefits for physical and mental health are most important to residents, with 46.46%
strongly agreeing and 42.15% somewhat agreeing (Figure 9). Only 1.54% participants
opposed. It indicates that respondents recognize the vitality of green open space for their
health in an urban context, with the least disagreement, no matter how frequently or for
what purpose they visit the space. Of all respondents, 81.54% agree and 3.38% disagree
that green open space acts as a place for daily leisure and recreation which benefits their
daily lives. Much different from the three aspects above, green open spaces’ effects on real
estate value gained lower approval, with 22.77% of respondents disagreeing, suggesting
that the other factors play more important roles.
Evaluating the social difference based on mean score (Figure 10) shows that in regard
to gender, females (4.17) tend to agree more strongly with green open spaces’ ability to
promote community safety, while males (3.95) are more neutral or disagree. Age plays a
significant role in the feeling about the daily use of green open space. Elders (4.27) and
middle-aged respondents (4.25) tend to agree more strongly than younger respondents
(3.89). Those with urban Hukou agree more than those with rural Hukou with social–
ecological services being a place for residents’ daily leisure and recreation, conducive to
physical and mental health, as well as for increasing real estate value. Discrimination is not
significant when perceiving the community safety benefits provided by green open space.
Educational background does not influence social–ecological services perceived, while
occupation does. When evaluating the services of green open space for daily relaxation,
students (3.83) tend to be more neutral or disagree, compared to the other occupations.
Students thought similarly of other possible benefits like health, safety, and real estate
value. When evaluating community safety benefits provided by green open space, those
most neutral and in disagreement are students (3.73), followed by intellectuals (3.98) and
civil servants (4.00), while factory workers (4.36) and businesspeople (4.21) are in greatest
agreement. Students present the lowest mean score (3.11), followed by civil servants (3.31),
when evaluating green open spaces’ function to increase real estate value. Those who have
lived in Wuhan for a long time more strongly agree with these social services than newer
residents, with significant discrimination when evaluating services of daily relaxation
and health provided by green open space. The frequency of visits has little influence on
with differences by occupational categories as well as educational background. People
with a higher educational background (3.31) tend to be more neutral than those with lower
educational background (i.e., high school-educated population (4.14) and middle school-
educated population (3.88)). Among occupation groups, those with the most neutral per-
Sustainability 2021, 13, ceptions
1558 are students (2.93). Students also disagree with the services of noise reduction 11 of 23
(4.00) and urban flood risk mitigation (3.89), compared to other occupations. A longer
period of residency in Wuhan leads to a greater appreciation of the benefits of urban heat
island mitigation and noise reduction by green open spaces. In-person visits to green open
spaces affectparticipants’ perceptions
residents’ perception of these services.
of services, People who
such as primary visitsupply,
product green open spaces for child’s
air quality
play pay great attention to the
improvement, urban heat island relief, etc. improvement of related facilities in these spaces.
ainability 2021, 13, x FOR PEER REVIEW 12 of 24
Experience of green space changes is reflected significantly in residents’ perception

of ecological services. Those who reported experiences of decreased green space tend to
agree more strongly with natural space and a scattered distribution increase than those
without, followed by those with experience of a great increase in green space.
From a social perspective, green open spaces benefit residents by promoting health
and providing them with a place to relax. They also affect the value of residential proper-
ties. The benefits for physical and mental health are most important to residents, with
46.46% strongly agreeing and 42.15% somewhat agreeing (Figure 9). Only 1.54% partici-
pants opposed. It indicates that respondents recognize the vitality of green open space for
their health in an urban context, with the least disagreement, no matter how frequently or
for what purpose they visit the space. Of all respondents, 81.54% agree and 3.38% disagree
that green open space acts as a place for daily leisure and recreation which benefits their
daily lives. Much different from the three aspects above, green open spaces’ effects on real
estate value gained lower approval, with 22.77% of respondents disagreeing, suggesting
that the other factors play more important roles.
Figure 8. Social
Figure differences
8. Social in perception
differences of ecological
in perception services
of ecological (based
services onon
(based mean scores).
mean scores).
Figure 9. Perceptions
Figure 9. Perceptions of social
of social services services
provided byprovided by green
green open space.open space.
Evaluating the social difference based on mean score (Figure 10) shows that in regard
to gender, females (4.17) tend to agree more strongly with green open spaces’ ability to
promote community safety, while males (3.95) are more neutral or disagree. Age plays a
significant role in the feeling about the daily use of green open space. Elders (4.27) and
middle-aged respondents (4.25) tend to agree more strongly than younger respondents
(3.89). Those with urban Hukou agree more than those with rural Hukou with social–
ecological services being a place for residents’ daily leisure and recreation, conducive to
physical and mental health, as well as for increasing real estate value. Discrimination is
not significant when perceiving the community safety benefits provided by green open
Experience of green space changes significantly affects participants’ perceptions of
Sustainability 2021, 13, 1558 services for daily relaxation, promotion of health, and community safety. Those who
12 ofex-
23
perienced great changes, both decreases and increases, demand more for the social–eco-
logical services.
Figure 10. Differences

Figure in social
10. Differences service
in social perception
service (based
perception on mean
(based scores).
on mean scores).
Experience of green space changes significantly affects participants’ perceptions of

4.2. Disadvantages of Green Open Space
services for daily relaxation, promotion of health, and community safety. Those who
A person’s
experienced view
great towards
changes, bothgreen open space
decreases and quality
increases,depends
demand on their
moreintentions when
for the social–
visiting the area.
ecological services. People are more interested in benefiting from specific elements that meet
their requirements. For example, those who visit to walk or enjoy nature will be more
likely
4.2. to recognizeof ifGreen
Disadvantages it lacks
Open green
Spacespace. Those who mostly go to walk can also distin-
guish Awhen
person’swalking
view trails
towards are green
limited, whereas
open space those
quality who go foron
depends bicycle
their rides noticewhen
intentions bicy-
cle trails. It also suggests that respondents are more likely to perceive
visiting the area. People are more interested in benefiting from specific elements that meet the shortage of ex-
ercise facilities, regardless of the reason for which they visit the
their requirements. For example, those who visit to walk or enjoy nature will be more green open space.
likely to recognize if it lacks green space. Those who mostly go to walk can also distinguish
4.2.1. Perceptions
when walking trails toward Naturalwhereas
are limited, Space Improvement
those who go for bicycle rides notice bicycle
trails.The
It also suggests
question forthat respondents
perception towardaregreen
more open
likelyspace
to perceive the shortage
improvement is “Toof what
exercise
ex-
facilities, regardless of the reason for which they visit the green open
tent do you agree that improvement of natural elements and auxiliary facilities are essen- space.
tial in your neighborhood?”
4.2.1. In
Perceptions toward space
terms of natural Natural Space Improvement
improvements, participants are concerned most with the
Theofquestion
quality for perception
water bodies, followedtowardby the green open space
development improvement
of wetlands is “Toareas
and green what(Figure
extent
do
11).you
Of agree that improvement
all respondents, 75.08% agreeof natural elements and
that developing auxiliary green
additional facilities
spaceareisessential in
important
your neighborhood?”
to their communities while 8.31% do not. Furthermore, 79.07% and 64.00% of respondents
agreeInthat
terms theofenhancement
natural space improvements, participants
of vegetation richness andare theconcerned
dispersion most with the
of green qual-
space is
ity of water bodies, followed by the development of wetlands and
significant. Of the respondents, 75.38% recognize that developing or restoring wetlands green areas (Figure 11).
is
Of all respondents, 75.08% agree that developing additional green space is important to
their communities while 8.31% do not. Furthermore, 79.07% and 64.00% of respondents
agree that the enhancement of vegetation richness and the dispersion of green space is
significant. Of the respondents, 75.38% recognize that developing or restoring wetlands
essential for their neighborhoods while 10.15% disagree. In terms of improving water
quality and restoring wetland, 4.00% and 8.31% disagree that it is necessary.
Those who disagree mainly report an improvement or no change in the quality of
water bodies. The results show that a person’s experience with natural space change af-
fects their view
is essential of theneighborhoods
for their necessity of improvement. Andisagree.
while 10.15% increaseIn
in terms
natural
ofspace may reduce
improving water
the perceived necessity of the improvement, while a decrease may play an
quality and restoring wetland, 4.00% and 8.31% disagree that it is necessary. opposite role.
Figure
Figure11.
11.Perception
Perceptionofofgreen
greenopen
openspace
spaceimprovement.
improvement.
Those who mean

Comparing disagree mainly
scores report
(Figure 12), an improvement
gender or noperceptions
and age affect change in of thethe
quality
need toof
water bodies.
improve The results
the quality show that
of bodies a person’s
of water, experience
for which maleswith natural
(4.22) agreespace
less change affects
than females
their view
(4.41), of the necessity
and elders (4.05) are of improvement.
less likely to agree Anthan
increase in natural
middle-aged space
(4.41) may
and reduce
young the
(4.41)
perceived necessity of the improvement, while a decrease may play
residents. Hukou affects residents’ perception of improving vegetation richness and de-an opposite role.
Comparing
veloping meanwetland;
or restoring scores (Figure
urban 12), gender
Hukou and(2.50)
people age affect
are inperceptions of the need
greater disagreement
to improve the quality of bodies of water, for which males (4.22)
that improving vegetation richness is needed than rural Hukou residents (2.66) but agree less than females
more
(4.41),that
agree anddeveloping
elders (4.05)
or are less likely
restoring to agree
wetland than middle-aged
is important (urban Hukou (4.41)4.08
andandyoung
rural(4.41)
Hu-
residents.
kou 3.82). Hukou affects residents’ perception of improving vegetation richness and
developing or restoring wetland; urban Hukou people (2.50) are in greater
In terms of preferences, respondents’ visiting frequency affects their evaluation of the disagreement
that improving
necessity vegetation
to increase richness is
the dispersion ofneeded than rural
green space. ThoseHukou residents
who visit often (2.66) but more
disagree more
than those who visit less. In-person services enjoyed by visitors are associated withrural
agree that developing or restoring wetland is important (urban Hukou 4.08 and the
Hukou 3.82).
need for improvements to green open spaces (Figure 12). Enjoying green open space to
In terms of preferences, respondents’ visiting frequency affects their evaluation of the
walk, enjoy nature, and exercise is significantly associated with perceptions of improving
necessity to increase the dispersion of green space. Those who visit often disagree more
vegetation richness, increasing the dispersion of green space, developing wetland, and
than those who visit less. In-person services enjoyed by visitors are associated with the
improving the quality of bodies of water.
need for improvements to green open spaces (Figure 12). Enjoying green open space to
Regarding reported experience of green space changes, respondents that experienced
walk, enjoy nature, and exercise is significantly associated with perceptions of improving
a great decrease in green space present the strongest agreement with the necessity to de-
vegetation richness, increasing the dispersion of green space, developing wetland, and
velop additional green space in their neighborhoods. A similar perception also represents
improving the quality of bodies of water.
the importance of developing or restoring wetland.
Regarding reported experience of green space changes, respondents that experienced a
great decrease in green space present the strongest agreement with the necessity to develop
additional green space in their neighborhoods. A similar perception also represents the
importance of developing or restoring wetland.
4.2.2. Perceptions of Needed Facility Improvement

In terms of improving auxiliary facilities in green space, the survey focuses on the
importance of enhancing trails, exercise facilities, bicycle lanes, and children’s playgrounds.
Of the respondents, 76.31% agree and 4.62% disagree that improving trails is significant
(Figure 13). Regarding the increase in exercise facilities, 72.92% of respondents agree that
it is important in their neighborhoods and 8.62% disagree. Among those who disagree,
92.86% use green space for a variety of reasons except exercise. Of the respondents, 67.38%
agree and 8.92% disagree that improving bicycle trails is obligatory. Of those who disagree,
89.65% visit green open space by foot to walk, with no motive of bicycling; only 10.35% visit
for bicycling but none notice a lack of trails. Furthermore, 62.46% agree and 9.23% disagree
that improving children’s playgrounds is important. However, none of the interviewees
who visit green open space for children’s play disagree. In summary, the necessity for
auxiliary facilities improvement in green open space relies on the residents’ intention for
visiting, indicating a practically oriented demand for improvements.
Sustainability
Sustainability 2021,
2021, 13,
13, x1558
FOR PEER REVIEW 15
14 of
of 24
23
Figure
Figure 12.
12. Social
Socialdifference
difference of
of natural
natural space
space improvement
improvement perceptions
perceptions (based
(based on
on mean
mean score).
score).
4.2.2. Perceptions of Needed Facility Improvement

In terms of improving auxiliary facilities in green space, the survey focuses on the
importance of enhancing trails, exercise facilities, bicycle lanes, and children’s play-
grounds. Of the respondents, 76.31% agree and 4.62% disagree that improving trails is
significant (Figure 13). Regarding the increase in exercise facilities, 72.92% of respondents
agree that it is important in their neighborhoods and 8.62% disagree. Among those who
disagree, 92.86% use green space for a variety of reasons except exercise. Of the respond-
ents,
Figure
Figure
67.38% agree and
Perception
13.Perception
13.
8.92%improvement
ofoffacility
facility disagree that
improvement improving
iningreen
greenopen bicycle
space. trails is obligatory. Of those
openspace.
who disagree, 89.65% visit green open space by foot to walk, with no motive of bicycling;
onlyGender,
10.35%
Gender,visit
age,for
age, and
and bicycling
education
education but do
do none notice a lackimpact
notsignificantly
not significantly of trails.
impact Furthermore,
residents’
residents’ 62.46%of
perceptions
perceptions agree
of the
the
and 9.23%
needed disagree
improvements that improving
to facilities children’s
in urban playgrounds
green spaces is important.
(Figure 14).
needed improvements to facilities in urban green spaces (Figure 14). Hukou is of greater HukouHowever,
is of none
greater
influence,
of
influence, withrural
the interviewees
with ruralwho
populations
visit green
populations more
moreopenlikely
space
likely tobe
to be neutral
forneutral ordisagree
children’s
or disagree thatfacilities
play disagree.
that facilities should
In summary,
should
be improved.
necessity Different
for auxiliary occupations
facilities face significant
improvement in discrimination
be improved. Different occupations face significant discrimination when evaluating resi-
the green open when
space evaluating
relies on the the
the
necessity of
dents’ intention
necessity improving facilities.
for visiting,
of improving Students
indicating
facilities. Students tend to
a practicallybe the most
tend to beoriented neutral
the mostdemand and
neutral for likely to disagree
andimprovements.
likely to disa-
gree on increasing walking trails (3.75) and children’s playgrounds (3.28). Intellectuals
agree most with increasing walking trails (4.35) and children’s playgrounds (4.04), fol-
lowed by businesspeople (4.15). The length of residency also influences perceptions of
facility improvement; those who have lived in Wuhan longer are more in favor of facility
Figure 13. Perception of facility improvement in green open space.
Gender, age, and education do not significantly impact residents’ perceptions of the
needed improvements to facilities in urban green spaces (Figure 14). Hukou is of greater
influence, with rural populations more likely to be neutral or disagree that facilities should
be improved. Different occupations face significant discrimination when evaluating the
necessity of improving facilities. Students tend to be the most neutral and likely to disa-
gree on increasing walking trails (3.75) and children’s playgrounds (3.28). Intellectuals
agree most with
on increasing increasing
walking trailswalking
(3.75) and trails (4.35) and
children’s children’s(3.28).
playgrounds playgrounds (4.04),agree
Intellectuals fol-
lowed by businesspeople
most with (4.15).trails
increasing walking The (4.35)
lengthand
of residency
children’salso influences(4.04),
playgrounds perceptions
followed of
by businesspeople
facility improvement; (4.15).
thoseThe
who length of residency
have lived in Wuhanalsolonger
influences perceptions
are more facility
in favor of facility
improvement; those
improvements who have
than those withlived in Wuhan
shorter longer
residency. are more
In terms in favor
of the of facility
reported improve-
experience of
ments than those with shorter residency. In terms of the reported experience
green space changes, those who have witnessed a great decrease in green space agree of green
space more
much changes, those who
strongly with have witnessedofa facility
the necessity great decrease in greenthan
improvement space
theagree
othermuch more
respond-
strongly with the necessity of facility improvement than the other respondents.
ents.
Figure14.
Figure Socialdifference
14.Social difference in
in perception
perception of
of facility
facility improvement
improvement (based
(based on
on mean
mean scores).
4.3. Interview Results

We interviewed eighteen participants. The interviewees included seven (almost 40%)
males and eleven (slightly over 60%) females. Their occupations vary, with one factory
worker, four businesspeople, three civil servants, five researchers, and five students. They
live in various districts with different lengths of residency, ranging from 3 years to more
than 20 years. Eight of the interviewees visit green open space daily, four visit weekly, and
the other six visit monthly or less. The objectives behind the interviews were to gain more
insight into what affects respondents’ visiting frequencies to green open space, how they
perceive benefits, impacts, and improvements of green open space, and their willingness
to participate in green open space planning and management. The interview results are
briefly presented in Table 3.
Table 3. Summary of interview.
Question Theme Summary Example Quote(s)

Twelve interviewees claim that the “In my neighborhood, the green open space is
proximity of green open space in their close by and very convenient to be accessed. I
neighborhoods is the most important go there every morning and evening for
factor affecting their visit frequency. dancing. It is very important for my health,”
Six interviewees do not believe the expressed a 50-year-old female researcher.
Proximity of green open space
proximity is a determinant for their visit “I am very busy with my business and hardly
frequency. Four of them said they do not have leisure time to visit the green open space,
have much flexible time due to busy even though it is not far away. But I really
schedules. The other two rarely visit enjoy the green environment as I walk by,”
since it is not a habit. said a 32-year-old businessman.
“I would prefer to increase the green open
space and fitness facilities in my
Fourteen participants approve of neighborhood. I visit the space 2–3 times per
improving natural space as well as week to walk and enjoy nature, often I use the
auxiliary facilities in their neighborhood. facilities to exercise. This mitigates my back
Four participants did not express their aches and promotes my health,” a
Green open space improvement demand view on the necessity. Two of them enjoy 38-year-old civil servant said.
high-quality green open space close to “In my neighborhood, there is ample green
their residential community and the other open space, with exercise facilities such as
two have witnessed a great increase in basketball court, tennis court, etc. I enjoy the
green space in their neighborhoods. space and facilities very often. So I don’t
think it is necessary to make improvement,” a
32-year-old researcher.
“Green open space is very important for
high-quality life. I reside close to JiangTan
park and visit there almost every day, for
Fourteen participants express that green enjoying nature and relaxation. I notice that
open spaces in their neighborhoods are it is really good for my health,” said a
important for their daily relaxation and 50-year-old civil servant.
Daily relaxation and health benefits promote residents’ health due to the “Green open space is of great significance to a
social–natural interaction. The other four high-quality environment and is beneficial to
are neutral and seldom visit the green the daily life of residents. But for me, green
open space. space does not mean a place to relax every day,
because I am too busy at work and rarely go
outdoors in my free time,” a 35-year-old
businessman.
“The green open space I usually visit is only a
5-min walk away from my apartment. I am
used to going there every day. In the morning
Fourteen participants share positive
and evening, many residents living nearby
opinions regarding the benefits provided
dance here, which is very lively. But
by green open space. They hardly express
sometimes it is too noisy,” an interviewee
Negative impacts of green open space concerns of any negative effects.
who lives in an apartment near the Street
However, four participants note the noise
Park.
caused by visitors and safety risks in the
“The open green space in the community
green open space they visit.
where I live is a bit remote and lacks lighting,
so for safety, I usually go there during the
day,” a 22-year-old student said.
Table 3. Cont.
Question Theme Summary Example Quote(s)

“I am very enthusiastic to be involved in the
configuration and maintenance of green open
spaces in the community. For example, I often
collect residents’ needs and provide
suggestions to the Property Management
Board. If more residents participate, the
Nine participants show willingness to be community will have a better environment. I
engaged in green open space believe many hands make light work,” a
configuration and maintenance. They are 45-year-old female researcher. She is a
more likely to be middle aged. member of the owners’ committee in her
Five participants doubt the effectiveness community.
Willingness to participate of the public’s contribution since they feel “Volunteers participating in the maintenance
decision makers will not take residents’ of community green space can promote the
opinions seriously. beautification of the community. I often
The other four participants did not give engage in this type of voluntary work. I am
clear opinions about their participation also willing to provide feedback for the
willingness. configuration and enhancement of
landscaping in the community, but there are
few such channels. I don’t think these
proposals would be taken seriously by
decision-makers. Economic interests are often
sought first by developers,” said a
24-year-old student.
5. Discussions
5.1. Respondents’ Preferences of Green Open Space and Link with Perceptions
The survey results show that respondents most enjoy visiting green open space to
be around nature, go walking, and exercise. This is coincident with the findings for
Guangzhou in China [35] and for Gyeongsan City in the Republic of Korea [41]. However,
perceived benefits of green open space differ between this study and Jim and Shan’s [15]
results. For example, while popular in Jim and Shan’s study, child’s play is not a most
common benefit enjoyed by residents in this research. This is due to differences in sampling
as the sampling in this study focuses on those over 18 years old and a small proportion have
minors, whereas the literature includes samples aged 14–18. Socializing is recognized as a
minor function that fewer people enjoy. The results support findings in Guangzhou [15]
and in Malaysia [50] that residents might not use urban green open space as an important
place for social interaction, although it offers the environment for it.
Intentions to visit in person are connected to respondents’ perceptions of improve-
ments of natural space, distribution, and corresponding facility improvements. Those who
visit to go walking, enjoy nature or exercise prefer the improvement of natural elements
such as increasing greenness and water areas in green open spaces, while those who go
for child’s play are interested in the improvement of auxiliary facilities such as children’s
playgrounds. An understanding of needed facility improvements demonstrates a practical
orientation demand which has also been found in Chinese cities such as Guangzhou [15]
and Zhengzhou [51]. The improvements then attract more visits which further enhance
people’s cognition of the corresponding services.
Similar findings in the literature focusing on other regions, such as cities in the
Netherlands, [38] show that youth prefer to use green open space for socializing more
than elders do. Meanwhile, businesspeople and students tend to socialize more than
other occupational groups. Elders mostly prefer going to green open space for exercise,
indicating a health concern associated with age, which is also reflected in the literature
about elder visitors’ behaviors or concerns [39,52].
Rural Hukou implicates more natural and social interaction in residents’ growing
experience. It also results in higher preferences for walking, enjoying nature, and socializ-
ing. This finding implies that growing up in a more natural environment has an inherent
effect on adults’ preference for green open space. It is in line with the claim that childhood
experience influences adults’ green place visiting behavior, which has been studied in cities
of Britain [53].
Intellectuals, who mainly have highly educated backgrounds, prefer child’s play in
green open space the most, compared with other occupational respondents. This is mostly
caused by the greater proportion of intellectuals with children in the survey. It further
implies that the amount of time a child is exposed to nature can have a long-term impact
on their preferences and perceptions.
The findings are relevant to urban planning with its practical yet socially dynamic
demands of green open space. Thereby, it suggests that green open space configuration
planning should be organized with particular attention to the social structure of neighbor-
hoods being served close by. For example, in neighborhoods with more youth, bicycle trails
and more social interaction facilities should be considered. In neighborhoods with more
minors, children’s playgrounds should be addressed, and parking lots might be a potential
demand. In neighborhoods with more elders, daily exercise facilities should be stressed.
Social–natural interactions have been changing along with urban evolution. Re-
spondents’ preferences relate to their childhood experiences with the social and natural
environment and are affected by the actual environment they are in currently. In terms of
social interaction, those who live in a traditional neighborhood or a workplace neighbor-
hood have more familiarities and prefer more socializing rather than those in a modern
neighborhood. However, increasing developments of new technology and high-rise verti-
cal residential structures, to a great extent, decreased social contact. Therefore, designing
people-friendly green open space is helpful for the promotion of social interaction.
In current neighborhoods, the feasibility to add more green space or wetland is largely
constrained by reality, even though respondents express strong demands. In the regener-
ated neighborhoods, a soft landscape has been improved according to the planning criteria
about property ratios and green space percentages. In upcoming neighborhoods, decision
makers should consider the census information regarding population structure, which
is the subject of green open space usage. Corresponding designs should be introduced
according to the population structure and the surveyed demands for green open space.
5.2. Social Factors’ Influences on Residents’ Perceptions

The ecological services closely related to daily life and enjoyment, such as fresh
air, urban heat island relief, and urban noise mitigation, attract more agreement than
other services that relate indirectly. The results in Guangzhou, China express similar
beliefs [41]. Through these services, green open space benefits respondents’ daily life
and health [54]. Demands for improvement to green open space from the perspective of
area, richness, configuration, and auxiliary facilities are rooted in residents’ appreciation
for daily relaxation and health benefits. An improved green open system then provides
better benefits for respondents’ daily leisure as well as their health. However, even though
participants strongly agree that green open space is beneficial for daily relaxation and
health, it does not reflect upon their use of these spaces when looking at frequency and
intention of visiting. It reveals that green open space benefits people without relying on an
in-person visit.
Participants mostly agree that green open spaces are consistent with their health and
needs for daily leisure or relaxation. Differences between those with urban versus rural
Hukou, as well as in terms of length of residency, show that nature interaction background
and knowledge of nature development affect perception of daily use and health-related
services provided by green open spaces. This supports studies of experiences in nature [55].
These differences are also found when residents evaluate the benefits of urban heat island
relief by green open space. In Wuhan, the “Furnace City”, which has extremely high
temperatures in specific seasons, the heat island relief function is recognized as being very
important. The perception of this service is also demonstrated in another “Furnace City”,
Nanjing [56].
Compared with other occupational groups, factory workers agree the most that green
open spaces reduce noise. In neighborhoods relying on the traditional secondary industry,
improvements to green open space have been outstanding since the 2000s [57]. The transi-
tion influences workers’ feelings about the improvement of the environment, especially
regarding noise mitigation. It supports studies in cities that have similar traditional in-
dustrial transformation and upgrading. Noise reduction services are also strongly agreed
upon by those living in Wuhan longer and those who have experienced great changes in
natural space.
A relatively higher proportion of respondents disagree that green open space is
conducive to community safety. Disagreements, according to the interviews, are due to
some negative impacts by the visitors or by the space itself, such as too many visitors,
noise caused by visiting, environmental degradation, etc. Findings on Chinese cities
mainly stress the positive contribution of green open space to a high-quality residential
environment, which support literature on south-east Asian cities [58] and North American
cities [59]. In China’s high-density cities, the scarcity of green open spaces means that
these spaces have more positive effects on the living environment than negative impacts.
Further, more conveniently accessible green open space (based on increased dispersion) and
rich greenness may increase real estate value, though a higher proportion of respondents
disagree with this claim than with other social services.
5.3. Influence of Experience on Cognition

Hukou, residential length, and reported green space change are three factors referring
to respondents’ experiences. Rural Hukou implies that respondents were raised in an
environment with more interaction with the natural environment and people. Regarding
length of residency, those who have lived in Wuhan longer may have more experience and
knowledge about urban landscape evolution as well as its ecological services. Another
experience-related factor is reported green space changes in the neighborhoods in which
respondents reside. Respondents who were raised in an urban environment tend to agree
more with the claim that green open space is important for both natural and social services
than those in a rural environment and those who have lived in Wuhan longer agree more
with the improvement than those with a shorter length of residency.
Experience of development in green space alters perspectives toward the areas. Taking
it as an independent variable is effective to get clear results about its influences on one’s
perception. Nonetheless, since it is perceived information, it is better to interpret the
findings combined with those based on objective information. Respondents share a variety
of experiences with natural space changes. How someone uses and sees natural space
changes directly affect how important they think the space and resources are, as well as how
involved they are in contributing to a healthy urban ecological system. Respondents who
experienced a great decrease in green space approve more of green open spaces’ significance
for ecological services, indicating a bigger magnitude of environmental degradation has a
greater impact on the benefits perceived by residents. The increasing awareness of natural
environment promotes more demands for more widely dispersion of green open space in
areas near respondents’ places of residence.
When determining the differences between services, participants express greater con-
cern about air quality, noise, and flood-related services than hydrological regulation and
habitat conservation. One reason is that the former aspects are more directly linked to life
quality that residents can directly feel than the latter. Another reason is that most who
strongly approve of those benefits have had an experience with environmental degradation
at the former stage of urban construction and upgrading at the latter stage. The personal ex-
perience of environmental quality dynamics strengthens their agreement with the benefits
green open space provides.
5.4. Implication on Public Participation

Respondents’ perceptions toward the improvement of green open spaces show that the
public can provide suggestions on upgrading those spaces based on their visits, experience,
and overall expectations. Public involvement in community green open space configuration
and management is common in cities of high-income countries [60]. This approach is
gradually being implemented in Chinese cities. Starting in the mid-2000s, large cities in
China began an inclusive system for city planning [61], in which capacity ratio and green
open space configuration for residential layout are open to the public. This is a remarkable
step towards public involvement in China’s city planning. In addition, at the community
level, residents are encouraged to participate in the maintenance and management of green
open spaces, by contributing to popular science activities, cleaning parks, adopting trees,
and providing suggestions.
The participants’ suggestions to improve green open space demonstrate the potential
benefit that could be obtained through their engagement in micro-spatial natural open
space management. Their concerns link with the intentions of natural space visits. However,
it does not mean they necessarily have a strong willingness to participate in the decision-
making process, even though valuable information can be obtained from the public. As
shown in the interview results, residents’ views on the effects of this process are mixed.
These differences are caused by varying occupations and experiences with the policy-
making institution as well as how public participation plays a role in the system. To
promote public participation in a more practical and inclusive process, pre-training needs
to be stressed to update information about public processes as well as other stakeholders’
concerns.
6. Conclusions
This study provides an in-depth analysis of both the social and iconological dimen-
sions of green open space. It refers to the public’s involvement with natural landscape
evolution and how the landscape can shape people’s preferences and perceptions, with a
comprehensive understanding of ecological services of, and importance to improve, green
open space. It considers Wuhan’s characteristics of bodies of water, which are typical in
central or southern Chinese cities.
It can be concluded that green open spaces play an important role in maintaining
a good quality of residents’ daily life and outdoor activities, based on the respondents’
preferences and perceptions in the study area of the Wuhan UDZ. Green open space
provides many services, such as being an outdoor venue for walking, enjoying nature,
exercising, child’s play, social interactions, and so on. Preferences vary among different
social groups, which results in different perceptions of ecological services provided by
green open spaces and the necessary improvements to such spaces. Green open spaces offer
an environment for society to connect with nature. How respondents use those spaces for
socializing attracts relatively less concern compared with other services. Social interactions
are important for healthy social ecology. In order to encourage residents to enjoy more
of the services urban green open spaces provide, it is better to learn planning and design
from other large cities. The natural ecological services enjoyed by respondents reflect
their concern about relative environmental disadvantages. This is related not only to their
usage, but also to their experiences with the evolution of the natural subsystem. Even
though the ecological services are enjoyed and recognized by respondents, this does not
necessarily indicate voluntary participation in green open space management. Cities with
relatively mature institutes of volunteer enrollment and training may offer their advice
and experiences with public engagement to Chinese cities, even though there may be
differences in culture and institutes.
The research provides findings that support the literature from social perspectives.
In terms of theory, it also highlights the contributions of environmental experience-based
knowledge to perception and the impact of residents’ use of green open space on their
perception. It enriches ideas regarding social–natural subsystem interactions within an
urban area. Moreover, a semi-quantitative (questionnaire survey) and qualitative (inter-

view) analysis are combined to eliminate the drawbacks of either approach. Therefore, this
research should be considered an upgrade of other approaches in the literature.
Author Contributions: Conceptualization, L.Z. and H.C.; methodology, L.Z. and H.C.; data analysis,
L.Z.; writing–original draft preparation, L.Z.; writing—review and editing, L.Z., H.C. and R.H.;
supervision, H.C.; project administration, H.C. and L.Z.; funding acquisition, H.C. All authors have
read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding: This research was funded by the International Council of Canadian, Chinese, African
Sustainable Urban Development (ICCCASU), a think tank jointly established by UN-Habitat and the
University of Ottawa.
Institutional Review Board Statement: The study was conducted according to the guidelines of the
Declaration of Helsinki, and approved by the Ethics Committee of University of Ottawa (S-02-19-2749
on 23 April 2019).
Informed Consent Statement: Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.
Data Availability Statement: The data presented in this study are available on request from the
corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to ethical restrictions.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design
of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or
in the decision to publish the results.
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Sustainability 2021, 13, 1558. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031558 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability

urbanization, leading to a range of perceived environmental problems [8–10]. In China, a

3. Study Area and Methods

3.2. Data Collection and Analysis

3.3. Information of Respondents

Table 1. Personal characteristics of respondents.

Personal Characteristics Percentage (%) Personal Characteristics Percentage (%)

4.1. Benefits Provided by Green Open Space

Sustainability 2021, 13, x FOR PEER REVIEW 8 of 24

Figure 4. Perceived loss or gain of green space.

Sustainability 2021, 13, 1558

Figure 5. Green open space visit intention.

Table 2. p Values of Kruskal–Wallis test: Social differences in intentions to visit.

Walk Enjoy Nature Exercise Child’s Play Socializing Biking Other

Age 55 and over

Age 55 and over

Age 55 and over

Figure 6. Purposes of visits by different occupational respondents.

ainability 2021, 13, x FOR PEER REVIEW 12 of 24

Experience of green space changes is reflected significantly in residents’ perception

Figure 10. Differences

Experience of green space changes significantly affects participants’ perceptions of

Those who mean

4.2.2. Perceptions of Needed Facility Improvement

Sustainability 2021, 13, x FOR PEER REVIEW 16 of 24

4.2.2. Perceptions of Needed Facility Improvement

4.3. Interview Results

Table 3. Summary of interview.

Question Theme Summary Example Quote(s)

Question Theme Summary Example Quote(s)

5.2. Social Factors’ Influences on Residents’ Perceptions

5.3. Influence of Experience on Cognition

5.4. Implication on Public Participation

urban area. Moreover, a semi-quantitative (questionnaire survey) and qualitative (inter-

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