Restoration outcome, perceived environmental quality, and greenspace characteristics: A path analysis of human-nature interaction

Human-nature interactions can act as transdiagnostic factors in the prevention and salutogenesis of adverse mental health conditions related to urban stressors. However, more research is needed to investigate the role of both environmental and individual characteristics for wellbeing outcomes. Using interdisciplinary methods, this study investigated relationships between restoration outcome and exposure to objectively measured physical greenspace characteristics with perceived environmental quality as a potential mediating factor. Based on greenspace and survey data (N = 728) from 48 plots within 31 greenspaces in the inner-city of Munich, Germany, mediation models with greenspace characteristics as predictors, perceived beauty, diversity, and naturalness as mediators, and restoration outcome as the dependent variable were tested. There was a partial mediation of the relationship between restoration outcome and greenspace size by perceived beauty and perceived diversity, respectively. Vegetation density of the subcanopy was positively associated with restoration outcome, but no mediation was apparent. Perceived beauty, diversity, naturalness, time spent in the greenspace and nature connectedness were positively related to restoration outcome. Results emphasize the importance of perceived environmental quality for restoration outcome.