International Journal of Geoheritage and Parks (Mar 2022)
Therapeutic plant landscape design of urban forest parks based on the Five Senses Theory: A case study of Stanley Park in Canada
Abstract
As an important part of urban development, urban forest parks (UFPs) are critical community resources for supporting physical activity of people of all ages, and are also crucial for connecting people to nature, specifically for mental health benefits. During the COVID-19 pandemic, urban parks have experienced exponential increases in the volume of users as people have sought ways to enjoy green spaces and their benefits safely. As the park environment provides a pleasant, healthy and comfortable atmosphere for people of all ages, UFPs have a vital impact on human health, which has been recognized by more and more people all over the world. The five senses, seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting, are the most direct ways that humans perceive external information and assess experiences. Notably, Canada has a strong presence in and a long history of designing and conserving UFPs. Therefore, we used Stanley Park in Canada as a case study to analyze the therapeutic functions of and design methods for plant landscape in UFPs. We conducted an on-site survey of tourists to investigate their perception, level of satisfaction, possible inadequacies, and suggestions regarding potential therapeutic plants in Stanley Park. The results show that the high plant diversity in the park has created a functional therapeutic landscape that can be perceived by the five senses. The overall satisfaction level of visitors and their dependency on these therapeutic landscape components are high. The inadequacies are relatively simple vegetation structure and lack of wetland plants. The plant species in Stanley Park were categorized according to their sensory influences. Based on the survey results and the literature, we have provided feasible recommendations for the design and management of therapeutic landscapes in UFPs.
