Can Landscape make you happy? – Development and testing of perception based methods for evaluating landscape related wellbeing and recreation for spatial planning

• Applicant: Dr.-Ing. Daniel Münderlein
• Subject Area: City Planning, Spatial Planning, Transportation and Infrastructure Planning, Landscape Planning
• Term: from 2022 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 452329296

The presented thesis aims at answering the central research question “How can landscape related wellbeing be evaluated for spatial planning?”. In order to answer this question this thesis is structured into three main parts. Firstly, theoretical considerations are discussed. Secondly, a compilation of methods for evaluating human emotions in space is outlined. Thirdly, the empirical part of the thesis is presented, which includes a collection of wellbeing related data, analysis and synthesis. The theoretical chapters include fundamental principles of human perception as well as a systematization of contemporary landscape theory. Furthermore, the concepts of landscape, health, wellbeing and recreation are defined and theoretical as well as empirical interactions are presented. Results are being summarized and presented in a systematic framework for the subsequent steps. Finally, health, wellbeing and recreation are discussed as agenda items in spatial planning. In the methodological part of the thesis several methods are presented, which can be used to evaluate human emotions in a spatial context. This encompasses phenomenological research approaches like mobile methods and elements from strollology as well as photo-based research. Furthermore, established psychological methods like mood scales and questionnaires for self-reported emotions are discussed. This wide range of research methods is being structured in the according chapters and advantages and challenges are being illustrated by incorporating related empirical studies. Building upon these theoretical and methodological considerations, a multimethod research design is developed and is applied in several areas of the geo-nature park Bergstraße-Odenwald in Germany. This technical research design incorporates qualitative and quantitative research modules. Walking and photo-based methods are being implemented, as they are natural parts of recreational practice and combined with well-established evaluation strategies like questionnaires for self-reported emotions. The collected data is being analyzed by using self-developed evaluation strategies, spatially projected and synthesized by incorporating a theory driven framework as well as presented according to effective components. Finally, the results are discussed in regards to their usability in spatial planning and against the backdrop of instrumental frameworks.

• DFG Programme: Publication Grants