Environmental Sensory Characteristics of Urban Green Spaces and Their Associations With Green Exercise and Mental...

Urban environments play an important role in shaping opportunities for physical activity, yet less is known about how qualitative environmental characteristics relate to participation in green exercise (GE). This study examined associations between perceived sensory characteristics of urban green spaces and GE frequency and duration, perceived restoration, stress, and general mental health among adults.

Survey data were collected from 374 users of 7 urban green spaces in İzmir and Aydın, Türkiye. Site-level sensory characteristics were assessed using the perceived sensory dimensions framework, and multiple linear regression models were used to examine relationships with behavioral and psychological outcomes while adjusting for sociodemographic factors.

Greater openness ("prospect") was associated with more frequent GE and higher perceived restoration, whereas immersive environments ("space") were associated with lower perceived stress but less frequent participation. Socially oriented environments showed fewer visits but longer stays and with specific restoration components (particularly fascination) as well as higher perceived stress and poorer mental health outcomes. Greater residential distance to green spaces was associated with lower GE frequency but higher perceived restoration. Across models, higher GE frequency was associated with lower stress and better mental health, whereas duration of GE was more consistently related to perceived restoration outcomes rather than general mental health indicators.

These findings suggest that qualitative environmental characteristics of green spaces are differentially associated with patterns of physical activity participation and well-being, highlighting the relevance of environmental context in supporting GE behavior.