Objective In the face of urban landscape habitat fragmentation and ecological deterioration under the background of high-speed urbanization, more and more urban residents are in urgent need of contact with more diversified and enriched natural elements and open spaces, so as to improve the quality of living environment and safeguard their physical and mental health. As one type of green space connecting cities, human and nature, urban wilderness landscape has its unique ecological function, aesthetic significance and economic value, and has broad research prospects. This research analyzes the value cognition and landscape preference of Shanghai residents for urban wilderness, explores the positive and negative perception effects of different landscape elements that constitute the wilderness landscape, and provides more targeted and localized references and suggestions for the construction and development of ecological landscape in Shanghai.
Methods This research obtains landscape pictures of different kinds of sample plots through field visit, and designs Likert scale and other forms of questionnaires to collect data. The questionnaire survey is conducted simultaneously online and offline in combination with the public participation geographic information system (PPGIS), a self-developed WeChat mini program, which makes it more effective and convenient to collect information about the respondents’ demographic characteristics, landscape preferences, value cognition, spatial geographic positioning, etc. The collected data are further organized, compared and mapped using spatial analysis methods such as SPSS correlation analysis and ArcGIS kernel density.
Results 1) Most of the respondents have a low level of understanding of “urban wilderness”, but a high level of cognition and acceptance thereof. 2) Different groups of respondents have different preferences and concerns about wilderness landscape sites, but the public’s aesthetic preference for wilderness landscapes is generally neutral. Different natural landscape elements and artificial landscape elements in wilderness landscape sites, such as water bodies, plants, hardscapes, and facilities, have an impact on the public’s preference. 3) Respondents also have an approximate knowledge of the distribution of actual wilderness areas within Shanghai. Survey statistics show that, the distribution of wilderness sites familiar to the public is mainly concentrated in Minhang District, Qingpu District and the area outside the suburban ring. The openness and development of wilderness space may affect the cognitive impression of urban residents. 4) Respondents’ cognition of the distribution of wilderness landscapes is affected by the scope of activities, with the scope of daily recreation being highly overlapped with wilderness space. Some parks and green spaces with near-natural design are also regarded as wilderness sites and are widely praised. 5) Respondents’ acceptance of wilderness landscapes has a certain correlation with the urbanization level of the area they live in, for which there is typically a threshold value. Wilderness resources with high quality or convenient location generally have higher potential development value and are more likely to be accepted by the public.
Conclusion 1) Priority should be given to the renewal and transformation of wilderness space with a high degree of public cognition and convenient transportation, and the design and development of high-quality wilderness resources should be carried out by taking advantage of corresponding wilderness sites, such as well-designed country parks, or unused green spaces near residential areas. 2) When designing and optimizing specific urban wilderness landscapes, attention should be paid to the activity needs and recreational preferences of different groups of people, and relevant artificial landscape elements should be designed to enhance the interest and attractiveness of corresponding landscape sites, with such artificial landscape elements including artistic interactive devices for photo taking, plant and animal observation points, rest facilities, etc. 3) The maintenance and management of wilderness landscape entail paying more attention to water quality, garden paths and lines, as well as the natural growth of plants and the degree of wilderness, so as to ensure visibility and accessibility within a certain range while taking into account environmental wildness and safety. Zoning can be carried out to reduce human interference, and a sustainable nature-led ecological community can be constructed through the introduction of native species and pioneer plants. 4) It is supposed to increase the popularization and publicity of “urban wilderness”, especially with regard to ecological values, and cooperate with residential areas nearby to organize recreational activities, etc., so as to enhance the public’s connection with and understanding of the natural wilderness landscape, thus enabling the public to integrate into the natural wilderness landscape, which may help strengthen their sense of local identity and emotional connection. Based on this, the scope and influence of publicity can be expanded through the radiation effect of activities, and the concept of urban wilderness can be promoted to more urban residents. Designers and users are mutually reinforcing. A wider audience and demand for urban wilderness landscapes can, on the one hand, enrich the vitality and value of landscape, and on the other hand help designers and scholars in the field to better understand how wilderness landscapes are practically operated and optimized.
DownLoad: