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Updated: Apr 24, 2026
05:26
A Venturi Effect Can Help Cure Our Trees
Published on: October 1, 2013
17.6K
Does awareness effect the restorative function and perception of street trees?
Ying-Hsuan Lin1, Chih-Chang Tsai2, William C Sullivan3
1Laboratory of Healthy Landscape and Healthy People, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, National Taiwan University Taipei, Taiwan.
Frontiers in Psychology
|September 2, 2014
Summary
Urban street trees boost attention restoration, even when unnoticed. Increased awareness of these green elements further enhances cognitive benefits and perceived restorativeness in urban settings.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Psychology
- Urban Ecology
- Attention Restoration Theory
Background:
- Urban streetscapes offer opportunities for public engagement with nature.
- Green elements in urban environments are increasingly recognized for their psychological benefits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how awareness of urban street trees affects attention restoration.
- To determine the impact of varying levels of awareness on perceived restorativeness.
Main Methods:
- 138 participants were divided into four groups, exposed to streetscapes with varying degrees of tree visibility and awareness.
- Attention restoration and perceived restorativeness were measured through performance on attentional tests and self-reported evaluations.
Main Results:
- Streetscapes containing trees improved attentional performance, irrespective of participant awareness.
- Participants with heightened awareness of street trees exhibited the best attentional performance and rated the scenes as more restorative.
Conclusions:
- Even passive exposure to urban trees can aid attention restoration.
- Conscious awareness of natural elements in urban streetscapes amplifies their restorative effects, with implications for urban design and well-being.
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