Linking Perceived Biodiversity and Restorative Benefits in Urban Parks through Place Attachment—A Case Study in Fuzhou, China

Abstract

Enhanced understanding of environmental restoration can be achieved by examining how urban park visitors’ perceptions of biodiversity contribute to their sense of environmental rejuvenation. In this study, a questionnaire survey was conducted among 554 visitors from five representative urban parks in Fuzhou, China, and a structural equation model was used to explore the interactions among perceived biodiversity, place attachment, and self-rated repair. The main findings were as follows: (1) Perceived biodiversity had significant positive and direct effects on place dependence and self-rated restoration, but not on place identity. It is worth noting that place dependence has a deep and direct impact on place identity. (2) Self-rated restoration could be directly influenced by perceived biodiversity and place dependence. The direct impact of perceived biodiversity showed more intensity than place dependence. (3) Place dependence can be the only intermediary or link in the chain between perceived biodiversity and self-rated restoration. Conversely, place identity may not act as an independent intermediary but can play a key role in the chain of intermediaries. The study not only advances our understanding of the complex relationship between perceived biodiversity, place attachment, and self-assessed restoration; it also provides practical implications for urban green eco-design initiatives, thereby contributing to the field of urban landscape planning and formulation.

Keywords

• perceived biodiversity
• urban green spaces
• human well-being
• environmental psychology