Objective China’s urbanization has entered a new phase of improving quality and efficiency, with the demand of urban residents for high-quality natural spaces continuously increasing. Urban wildscapes, as informal natural spaces within cities, have attracted attention for their multiple values in ecology, culture, aesthetics, and economy. However, there is a relative lack of research on the value identity of urban wildscapes in China, leading to an underutilization of their value in urban planning and management. The purpose of this study is to construct a workflow for the identification and value assessment of urban wildscapes and to develop a choice experiment-based tool for assessing the value identity of urban wildscapes. This research aims to explore methods suitable for the identification, classification, and value assessment of urban wildscapes in Chinese cities, and develop a tool to comprehensively understand and evaluate the value of urban wildscapes, thus providing support for the protection, restoration, renewal, and creation of urban wildscape spaces, and guiding the management, planning, and design of urban wildscapes. The research also aims to enhance the public’s cognition of urban wildscapes, thereby promoting the effective utilization of their value.
Methods This research selects Yangpu District in Shanghai as the research site and utilizes a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods to identify and cluster urban wildscapes within the research area, as well as to categorize and evaluate the value identity of these landscapes. Initially, the research draws upon previous research to select appropriate indicators for identifying urban wildscapes. Panoramic streetscape images of the research site are preprocessed and formatted, followed by the use of image semantic segmentation technology to analyze the ratio of natural landscapes to human-made elements within the streetscapes, thereby determining the spatial relationships among various landscape elements. The K-means clustering algorithm and hierarchical clustering methods are applied to classify and summarize the results of the image analysis. An online image interview is conducted to survey the perception of wilderness degree, so as to identify the spatial distribution patterns, typical types, and characteristics of urban wildscapes in the streetscapes of Yangpu District, Shanghai. Subsequently, online questionnaires and statistical analysis are employed to conduct a choice experiment based on the dominant values of urban wildscapes. Two scenarios, road greening and idle plot along roads, are designed, and attributes such as vegetation coverage, visual characteristics, management methods, economic costs, and species richness are established as indicators for assessing the value identity of urban wildscapes. The willingness to pay for species richness is used to analyze the degree of identity of related attributes of urban wildscapes, and corresponding predictive models are constructed. The research explores the differences in value identity of urban wildscapes among individuals with various social attributes.
Results Through image analysis and public survey, the research identifies the spatial distribution characteristics of urban wildscapes, finding that they are primarily distributed in urban fringe areas, underdeveloped urban gaps, and some old industrial areas. The wildscapes in these areas tend to have a higher degree of naturalness and remoteness, and exhibit more pronounced wilderness characteristics. Concurrently, the research establishes an evaluation model that can identify the key attributes affecting the public’s identity with the value of urban wildscapes with respect to vegetation coverage, management method, economic cost, visual characteristic, and species richness. Additionally, the research finds that although urban wildscapes have an undeniable importance to the urban ecosystem in terms of ecological protection, biodiversity maintenance, and space provision for leisure and recreation, the public fails to be fully aware of and identity with their ecological value. Compared to ecological value, people often focus more on the impact on urban management and potential economic benefits when evaluating urban wildscapes.
Conclusion The research has constructed a system for the identification, evaluation, and utilization of the value of urban wildscapes, and has proposed planning and management strategies for urban wildscapes. The research emphasizes the importance of enhancing the public’s awareness of and identity with the value of urban wildscapes, and points out that by improving the ecological and aesthetic values of urban wildscapes through educational and technological means, their role in urban natural system planning can be better leveraged. Furthermore, the research highlights the potential value of urban wildscapes and provides theoretical and practical guidance on how to effectively utilize and protect these landscapes. The research suggests that through participatory public education and research development, the public’s value identity of urban wildscapes can be enhanced, and the potential of these landscapes as a supplement to urban green spaces in land-scarce urban environments can be explored, so as to fully realize their potential value in ecological and economic fields. Ultimately, these outcomes will play a role at the planning, design, and management levels in practical terms, providing support for the protection and utilization of urban wildscapes.
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