Effects of urban street vegetation on judgments of restoration likelihood

Knowledge of how to increase the restorative quality of residential streetscapes may help to offset problems entailed by urban densification. The present study considered the effects of trees, grass, and flower beds on ratings of restoration likelihood for streetscapes. We used digital-imaging techniques to systematically vary these natural elements in images of residential streets with different architectural characteristics. Using a web-based procedure, 103 images were rated by independent groups of Icelandic adults (N = 188) on either restoration likelihood, preference, being away, or fascination. Group mean scores on the psychological variables were calculated for each image, and the images were then used as the units of analysis in regression analyses. Ratings of restoration likelihood increased with increase in the number of street trees and the presence of flower beds. These effects were apparently mediated by perceptions of being away and fascination. The architectural characteristics of buildings along the streets had a strong independent effect on restoration likelihood ratings, but they did not moderate the positive effects of vegetation on restoration likelihood ratings. The results provide guidance for the design of more psychologically sustainable urban residential environments.