JAILCD2025-010: An Assessment Study of Restorative Benefits and Recreationalists' Environmental Preferences in Forest Parks based on Audiovisual Perception

Abstract

As integral components of urban green spaces, forest parks not only fulfill essential ecological functions but also offer substantial psychological restorative benefits, serving as vital settings for urban residents to alleviate stress and enhance mental well-being. However, existing research on the restorative effects of forest parks has primarily examined individual sensory dimensions in isolation, with limited attention given to the integrated role of audiovisual perception and its relationship with visitors' environmental preferences. This study aims to bridge this gap by evaluating the influence of audiovisual perception on the restorative benefits of forest parks and exploring its association with recreationists’ environmental preferences. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted among visitors to Seita no Mori Park in Kitakyushu City, and a one-way ANOVA was employed to analyze the pathways through which different perceptual dimensions contribute to restorative benefits, alongside the moderating effects of environmental preferences and behavioral patterns. The results reveal that audiovisual perception significantly impacts the psychological restorative benefits of forest parks, with auditory perception playing a more dominant role in shaping restorative experiences. Furthermore, key environmental attributes, including charisma, remoteness, extensibility, and compatibility of urban forest trail environments—were found to strongly influence visitors' restorative evaluations, with charisma emerging as the most influential factor, accounting for 83.3% of the variance in restorative evaluations. These findings underscore the intricate interplay between audiovisual perception and environmental preferences, providing valuable insights into the evidence-based design and management of forest parks. Ultimately, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of how urban green spaces can be optimized to enhance public mental health and well-being.