Factors Influencing Users’ Perceived Restoration While Using Treetop Trails: The Case of the Fu and Jinjishan Forest Trails, Fuzhou, China

Abstract

Studies have indicated that urban greenways promote physical and perceived restoration. However, there is a lack of research on the impact of treetop trails on human perceived restoration. In this study, two representative treetop trails in Fuzhou city were selected to investigate treetop trails’ impact on users’ perceived restoration. The study adopted a structural equation modelling approach to explore the influence mechanisms and pathways of treetop trails on users’ perceived restoration, through 412 questionnaires. The results showed that the perceived environmental quality of treetop trails had a significant positive effect on users’ overall psychological wellbeing. Place attachment had a significant positive effect on users’ perceived restoration and a significant mediating effect on users’ perceived environmental quality of trails. The results of this study revealed that the mechanisms of the impact of treetop trails on users’ perceived restoration and the construction of treetop trails can be enhanced in the future by improving trail facilities, enriching trail perception of elevated feeling, improving trail landscape quality, and optimising trail design.

Evaluation and Optimization of Restorative Environmental Perception of Treetop Trails: The Case of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, Xiamen, China

“…In this paper, we proposed and estimated a model in order to understand the antecedents of treetop trails on the restoration of recreationist perceptions. Many significant antecedents were consistent with previous studies, such as access perception [42,73], landscape perception [42,73,83], trail perception [42,73] and amenity perception [42,73]. In addition, the results of loyalty as place attachment confirmed previous findings [44,69].…”

“…On the other hand, perceived environmental quality perception strongly promotes perceived recovery, with each unit increase in environmental quality perception corresponding to a 0.75 unit increase in perceived recovery quality. This finding aligns with existing research [42].…”

“…This study expands our understanding of the perceived health benefits associated with treetop trails, specifically regarding trail quality, view quality, access perception and facility services. Firstly, different from the findings in Fuzhou, China [42], existing studies have concluded that trail design is the most important factor in enhancing perceived restoration. In our study, viewing quality was the factor that played the most important role in this segment, probably because higher visibility of blue space (mainly the ocean) reduces psychological distress among residents [81], as well as the special topography of Xiamen Island and the meandering aerial corridors combining to bring about a multivariable visual impact effect, bringing multiple experiences of both long-distance and close-up views.…”

“…Firstly, the improvement in tourists' perceived image of a destination is significantly influenced by both internal and external escape motives [41]. Perceived environmental quality of treetop trail environments has a positive effect on perceptions of restorative environments [42]. However, there is no research that demonstrates the relationship between tourist escape motivation, trail environment perception and restorative environment perception.…”

A Thematic Review on Relationship Between Recovery Perception Towards Place Attachment in Urban Environment

“…Place attachment predicted restorative potential in familiar urban parks (Liu et al, 2021). Wu (2022) broadens this perspective by stating that the treetop trail's quality encourages the user's attachment to the location and impression of recovery (Wu et al, 2022).…”