Perceived Effect Of Urban Park As A Restorative Environment For Well Being In Kuala Lumpur

Abstract

A restorative environment tells how certain types of environment help heals people mentally and physically, and many studies in the related field have drawn connection that natural and green places are more likely to be restorative to a person’s health, especially when compared those living in cities. In Kuala Lumpur, rapid urbanization and previous poor city planning result in residents becoming increasingly susceptible to mental fatigue and urban stress. Residents frequent for the very few urban parks available as a place to restore themselves, thus the restorative qualitiesof the urban parks are critical to elevating the quality of life. This study investigates the theory of restorative environment and highlighting its criteria in the context of Kuala Lumpur, by analyzing an existing urban park as a case study: the Perdana Botanical Garden. The methods used include site observation, interview, and a questionnaire to evaluate the quality of the environment as well as user perception. Data from finding confirms the restorative theories as perceived by users and its suggested space criteria and shows that most users come to the park as green therapy and to relieve stress and relax, as they find that the natural scenery and engaging landscaping inside the park are restorative to their overall well-being

Keywords

• healing garden
• urban parks
• well-being
• green therapy
• restorative environment