Determining predictors of satisfaction with green space and its management (case study of Mashhad)

Introduction: A key component of urban nature is urban forests. urban nature may lead to multiple social and psychological benefits. Urban forests dominate many people’s experiences of urban nature, support urban biodiversity, and generate important urban ecosystem services as well as health and wellbeing benefits. Experiences in different countries show that the only solution for developing cities is nature-based solutions. But such approaches depend on how societies think about nature. This issue is more important in projects to develop and equip urban green spaces. However, understanding these categories and using them in management and implementation poses problems. Therefore, despite the benefits of these tools in the development and equipment of green spaces, their use is not very common. The assumption of this study was that people's values through three categories of trust, knowledge, and belief are appropriate predictors for determining the level of satisfaction with green space and the management of this complex in the city of Mashhad.

Methods: The present research was carried out in a descriptive and analytical way to clarify some of the hidden angles of this field. The required data was collected using a researcher-made questionnaire from a sample of 385 people. Analysed these data to understand the differences in values, beliefs, and attitudes towards urban trees by metropolitan area using mean analysis approaches; and modelled the relationships between values, beliefs, and attitudes, as well as other cognitive and social-ecological context factors, using regression approaches. We measured people’s knowledge of urban trees related using a 4-item multidimensional scale based on Jones et al. (2013) and Davis and Jones (2014). Each item was rated in a 5-point knowledge scale. We measured two themes of knowledge, including stewardship (i.e., ‘planting a tree’ and ‘taking care of a tree) and species (i.e., ‘identify trees native to the area’ and ‘knowing the names of trees’).

Results: This study is a big step to understanding whether people’s perceptions of urban nature are context dependent or stable across different urban contexts. Furthermore, this study helps to reveal how these perceptions reveal cognitive links between nature experiences and human health and wellbeing. In general,this study is a small step to understanding whether people’s perceptions of urban nature are context dependent or stable across different urban contexts. In fact, in all sectors, there is a positive and significant relationship between values, beliefs, trust and satisfaction and other social and demographic characteristics. Of course, each of the variables has a different impact on the type of values and beliefs that exist. According to this information, except for residence in the main parts of the city, the way of environmental care and organization, at least one or more significant relationships are visible in all variables related to values and beliefs. The relationship between nature and this component is significant: Level of subjective well-being, care methods, attention to various species, etc. with categories of trust at the method and competence level; satisfaction with welfare components and ecological dimensions, and satisfaction index with the management of such spaces for the sections of appropriateness, timing, and adequacy of relevant measures, In this section, the only variable that did not establish a significant relationship with the categories of trust, satisfaction with green spaces, and the management sector in any of the sections was the gender variable. Connection with nature is considered the most important predictive element. So that in the section of cultural values and categories, this element is considered the most important factor, with the number 5 assigned to it. According to the calculations performed in this study, it can be stated that the model fit has been confirmed and the designed model can be used in relation to the use of values, beliefs, trust, and satisfaction in the organization and management of urban green spaces. Overall, the results showed that policies at the national and local levels affect the approaches people take, and satisfaction and trust are formed when urban green spaces provide the necessary socio-ecological benefits to residents. Therefore, understanding the connection with nature is essential for predicting abstract cognitions. Differences in the composition and structure of vegetation also affect people's attitudes and preferences.

Discussion and Conclusion: This study showed that, abstract perceptions about urban trees, expressed through the cognitive constructs of values and beliefs, were strongly held and were mostly positive. These findings are supported by previous research on people’s perceptions of the benefits of urban trees. Of course, differences in the composition and structure of vegetation affect people's attitudes and preferences. According to the findings of this study, despite the positive attitude observed towards green spaces, such a view is less conceivable in relation to officials. Perhaps the main reason for this is that top-down decisions generally lead to reduced participation. In fact, municipalities, like most public and government organizations, have not been very successful in attracting public participation. One of the most important reasons for this is the inattention of these organizations to the polar needs of the people. Based on the findings of this study, understanding the connection to nature is not only useful but also necessary for predicting abstract cognitions (i.e., values and beliefs) related to nature. Based on the results obtained in this study, satisfaction and trust are formed when urban green spaces provide the necessary socio-ecological benefits to residents. This concept can be measured through outward reactions and cognitive constructs. This research revealed that policies at the national and local levels incredibly influence the approaches people take. For example, the bottom-up approach makes it possible to know how much and what type of green space people consider and in which sectors they attach more importance to the need for development. In fact, people's values and beliefs about urban green spaces are often positive and usually sustainable, but this trend is not the case with regard to the management of this area. Nevertheless, Further conceptual and empirical work is needed to show how other cognitive or social-ecological context factors, such as level of community engagement related to urban forests, may influence the different cognitive constructs behind people’s perceptions.