Exploring the Impact of Psychological Accessibility on the Restorative Perception in Urban Forests: A Case Study of Yuelu Mountain, Central China

Abstract

The recreational and restorative functions of urban forests are gaining increasing attention as people focus more on having a higher quality of life. While the rationale behind the spatial layout of urban forest parks is important, the real psychological perceptions of users cannot be ignored. This study has developed a structural equation model to examine the relationship between environmental restoration and psychological accessibility. Specifically, an empirical study was conducted on a random sample of visitors of the Yuelu Mountain, Central China, to investigate the effect of visitors’ psychological accessibility on their environmental restorative perception. The results show that psychological accessibility and the quality of experience have a significant positive effect on the perceived effectiveness of environmental restoration. Environmental attitudes indirectly influence the effect of environmental restorative perceptions through psychological accessibility and the quality of experience. Finally, comments on the development of green space planning in urban forest parks are also presented in this paper.