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Research article2022Peer reviewedOpen access

Exploring the Influence of the Visual Attributes of Kaplan's Preference Matrix in the Assessment of Urban Parks: A Discrete Choice Analysis

Shayestefar, Marjan; Pazhouhanfar, Mahdieh; van Oel, Clarine; Grahn, Patrik

Abstract

A significant majority of the literature on natural environments and urban green spaces justifies the preferences that people have for natural environments using four predictors defined by Kaplan's preference matrix theory, namely coherence, legibility, complexity, and mystery. However, there are no studies implicitly focusing on the visual attributes assigned to each of these four predictors. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore the influence of nine visual attributes derived from the four predictors of Kaplan's matrix on people's preferences in the context of urban parks. A discrete choice experiment was used to obtain responses from a sample of 396 students of Golestan University. Students randomly evaluated their preferences towards a set of potential scenarios with urban park images. The results of a random parameter logit analysis showed that all of the attributes of complexity (variety of elements, number of colors, and organization of elements) and one attribute each of coherence (uniformity), mystery (visual access), and legibility (distinctive elements) affect students' choices for urban parks, while one attribute each of mystery (physical access) and legibility (wayfinding) did not affect the choices. Furthermore, the results indicated a preference for heterogeneity of the attributes. The findings of this study can provide instructions for designing parks.

Keywords

information processing theory; landscape design; multinomial logit model; predictors of preference

Published in

Sustainability
2022, volume: 14, number: 12, article number: 7357

SLU Authors

Associated SLU-program

Future Urban Sustainable Environment (FUSE) (until Jan 2017)
Built environment
SLU Future One Health
SLU Urban Futures

Global goals (SDG)

SDG3 Good health and well-being
SDG11 Sustainable cities and communities

UKÄ Subject classification

Landscape Architecture
Public Health, Global Health and Social Medicine
Epidemiology

Publication identifier

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127357

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/117536