Citizens prefer landscapes that combine nature with built infrastructure
A pioneering study analyses the photographs shared by citizens in social networks to evaluate the aesthetic consideration of natural landscapes.
Land-use policies and landscape planning developed by public institutions are increasingly taking into account ecosystem services, that is, the benefits that nature brings to society and that improve health, economy and people's quality of
the presence of human-made infrastructures in green environments does not seem to negatively affect the aesthetic consideration that citizens have of the landscape
In fact, 57% of the photographs analysed presented "grey" infrastructure such as buildings, roads, bridges, railway lines or viewpoints, and the authors of the images sought the contrast between nature and buildings. Specifically, buildings appear in 41.4% of the photos, while forest and the sea elements appeared in 28.8%
Despite the distance from Barcelona, Montserrat was another favourite place. This is due to its tourist attraction and good access by public transport. And is that proximity and good accessibility by road and public transport are critical aspects when choosing a landscapes to enjoy.
The researchers highlight the importance of urban and periurban spaces as key providers of landscape aesthetics and stress the need for public institutions to take it into account when designing land-use and landscape planning.