Search Results (89)

University students face sustained academic, employment, and social pressures. Campus pathways, as central linear spaces in daily routines, hold significant potential to influence well-being, yet existing research has largely overlooked how their environmental characteristics affect multidimensional health. Using Shenyang Jianzhu University as a case, this study identified frequently used pathways through GPS tracking and surveys, and quantitatively analyzed how environmental features affect walking willingness, emotional experience, and social interaction. By comparing high- and low-benefit groups, the key environmental thresholds were identified to inform health-oriented design. Beyond verifying some established understandings (e.g., daily commuting paths prioritize efficiency, while leisure paths focus on experiential quality), the study further revealed several mechanisms through quantitative analysis. For example, “road accessibility”—an indicator of convenience—showed a significant negative correlation with emotional experience. The study established quantifiable prediction models and identified design thresholds for campus pathways. A high aesthetic greenery was key to achieving high overall benefits, while low building enclosure and vegetation complexity promoted social interaction. This achievement transforms health-oriented campus pathway design from qualitative principles into a measurable and optimizable scientific practice, thus providing an empirical basis and practical guidance for the construction of health-supportive campus environments. Full article

Urban street greenery plays a crucial role in enhancing biodiversity, environmental quality, and human well-being. However, how different street greening strategies shape urban plant diversity across functional urban contexts remains insufficiently understood. Taking Jinan, a rapidly urbanizing city in China, as a case study, this research investigates the spatial patterns, compositional differences, and driving mechanisms of plant diversity between Green Streets (GS) and Non-Green Streets (NGS) across various Urban Functional Units (UFUs). A 1 km × 1 km grid was used to delineate UFUs, combined with field-based plant surveys, linear regression analyses, and the public space assessment framework of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11.7.1. Results indicate that plant diversity is strongly dependent on urban functional types, with higher species richness observed in residential and recreation/leisure districts, and lower levels in industrial, commercial, and transportation districts. The ecological effects of GS exhibit clear context dependence, being more pronounced in residential, educational, and public service areas, but limited in commercial and industrial zones. NGS recorded a significantly higher total number of plant species (346) than GS (116), with NGS dominated by native spontaneous species and GS characterized by introduced cultivated plants, reflecting the filtering effects of different management intensities. Management variables, particularly watering (positive) and fertilization frequency (negative), is primarily positively associated with plant diversity in GS, whereas diversity in NGS is more closely associated with socio-economic and spatial factors such as UFU area and housing prices. Furthermore, the current SDG 11.7.1 indicator emphasizes the quantity and accessibility of public spaces but insufficiently captures their ecological quality. This study highlights the need to integrate biodiversity and vegetation structural complexity into public space assessments, providing scientific support for quality-oriented urban green infrastructure planning and sustainable urban development. Full article

Forest recreation sites provide accessible settings for everyday leisure while accommodating multiple, and often competing, uses, making zoning both a central planning challenge and solution. This study advances micro-zoning as a novel, site-scale extension of established recreation zoning concepts, examining how zoning principles can be operationalized within intensively used forest recreation areas. Data were collected from 302 visitors using a structured questionnaire on visit patterns, valued forest attributes, disturbances, and socio-demographic characteristics. Descriptive statistics and tests of association were used to identify needs, disturbances, and recurring combinations of use. The results show that these forests function as everyday recreation spaces for diverse group visits, with high importance placed on peacefulness, shade, cleanliness, natural scenery, and basic infrastructure, alongside frequent reports of disturbance from music, crowding, and litter. Building on these patterns, the study develops a micro-zoning framework that delineates three interpretive planning micro-areas: Drive-in Forest Recreation, representing high-intensity, infrastructure-oriented social use; Low-Intensity Recreation, a moderate-use, low-noise nature-oriented area prioritizing separation from disturbance; and Active Recreation Use, comprising movement-focused routes for walking, running, and cycling. The study illustrates how visitor survey data can guide evidence-based micro-zoning and adapt zoning frameworks to the fine spatial grain of intensively used forest recreation sites. Full article

As urbanization accelerates in China, the protection and renewal of historical and cultural districts have become key issues. The Beiyuanmen Historical and Cultural District in Xi’an, with its long history and cultural significance, is a prime example. This study uses Beiyuanmen as a case study, employing Baidu heatmap data, Point of Interest (POI) data, and space syntax theory to examine the district’s spatial layout, crowd activity distribution, and functional structure. The purpose is to quantify its vitality and spatial characteristics, providing a basis for scientific planning. The methods involve analyzing spatiotemporal crowd activity intensity via heatmaps, assessing street network configuration through integration and choice values, and comparing POI data from 2014 and 2024 to track functional evolution. The research identifies the distinctive spatiotemporal patterns of crowd activity, revealing not only a southeast concentration correlated with urban functions but also distinct diurnal rhythms—a bimodal pattern on weekdays versus a sustained leisure-oriented pattern on weekends, underscoring a functional shift. It also explores the directed permeability of the spatial structure, identifying streets like Miaohou Street that form a highly integrated “cross-shaped backbone”. Analysis of POI data shows that commercial services dominate and have expanded outward, with the growth rate of POI density in the control area surpassing that of the core, indicating a trend of functional diffusion. Finally, the study highlights Miaohou Street, Beiguangji Street, Damai Market Street, Beiyuanmen, and Sajinqiao as key areas, and it concludes by proposing integrated planning recommendations that focus on four strategic aspects—spatial and crowd activity distribution management, functional zoning guidance, enhancement of public services and cultural displays, and alignment with broader urban policies—for prioritized landscape enhancement and tourism. Full article

In the context of rapid urban tourism expansion and the growing emphasis on equitable and sustainable transport development, understanding how transport systems support different types of attractions has become increasingly important. This study investigates how attraction hierarchy and functional type interact with public transport accessibility to shape urban tourism patterns and equity. Whereas prior work emphasizes objective metrics, the alignment between perceived accessibility and actual transport conditions remains understudied. Using Wuhan’s A-rated and popular unrated attractions as a case, we have developed an innovative “ objective–perceived coupling framework that integrates GIS network analysis, travel cost matrix, non-parametric testing, and online comment text mining methods to examine how scenic spot levels (A-level and unrated popular scenic spots) and functional types interact with the public transportation system from both objective and perceptual dimensions. Results show: (1) A-rated attractions cluster in suburbs with low accessibility, while unrated sites concentrate centrally with high rail-bus connectivity, revealing a “high-grade–low-accessibility” mismatch. (2) Accessibility varies by type: natural sites are lowest, cultural/leisure venues intermediate, and comprehensive sites highest due to multimodal hub proximity. (3) Sentiment and topic analyses based on transport-related review content suggest that some A-rated attractions receive less favorable evaluations of access conditions (e.g., transfers, waiting, last-mile walking, wayfinding, and parking), whereas many popular unrated sites are evaluated more positively in these transport-specific aspects. (4) Quadrant analysis shows many highly rated attractions fall into a “low objective–low perceived” disadvantage, while most unrated ones exhibit strong objective–perceived coupling. These findings underscore structural imbalances among administrative grading, attraction function, and transit provision, offering evidence for optimizing public transport service to tourist attractions. They help optimize the spatial structure of urban tourism, improve resource allocation efficiency, guide differentiated scenic spot development strategies, and promote sustainable and experience-oriented urban tourism governance. Full article

Urban green spaces (UGSs) are crucial for public health by supporting leisure-time physical activities (LTPAs), but the mechanisms by which micro-scale UGS features shape different LTPA types remain unclear. In this study, the relationship between the micro-scale features of UGSs and LTPAs was investigated in 63 sample plots of nine comprehensive parks in downtown Shanghai. Using the behavior annotation method and multiple linear regression analysis, we identified significant correlations between the UGS features and LTPA types. The results showed that sitting and chatting (SC) activities had the highest participation rate at 46.84%, while sports and fitness (SF) activities had the lowest at 9.82%. Walking and sightseeing (WS) activities and culture and entertainment (CE) activities accounted for 19.99% and 23.35% of participants, respectively. Spatial accessibility (SA) and canopy coverage ratios (CCRs) were significantly negatively correlated with SC, while seat number (SN), ground-cover density (D_GNC), and three-dimensional green quantity (TGQ) were positively correlated. For WS, SN and tree density (D_TREE) were positively correlated, while TGQ was negatively correlated. CE activities were positively associated with SN, D_TREE, and Shannon’s diversity index of ground-cover (SHI_GNC) but negatively associated with Shannon’s diversity index of trees (SHI_TREE). The regression models explained 65.9%, 38.3%, and 44.3% of the variance in SC, WS, and CE, respectively, while the overall model was not significant for SF. These findings highlight the need to optimize rest facilities, vegetation diversity, and spatial layout in UGS design to accommodate diverse LTPA needs and foster health-oriented environments. The conclusions are mainly applicable to seasons with mild climates, and LTPA characteristics in different seasons require further verification. Full article

Amid the growing convergence of leisure mobility, tourism, and rural development, second homes have emerged as a significant spatial phenomenon reshaping community structures in tourism-oriented rural areas. This study examines how second-home leisure practices contribute to place-making and community identity formation through land-use transformation and everyday spatial experience. Using the Mayangxi Ecotourism Area in Fujian Province, China, as a case study, this study develops a “space–sense of home–place identity” analytical framework grounded in Lefebvre’s theory of the production of space. A mixed-methods design integrating fieldwork, interviews, questionnaire surveys, and structural equation modeling is adopted. The results indicate that perceptions of physical, social, and cultural space significantly enhance second-home users’ sense of home. Physical and social spaces exert strong direct effects on place identity, with social interaction emerging as the most influential factor. Although sense of home positively mediates the relationship between spatial perception and place identity, this mediation is conditional rather than automatic. These findings suggest that second homes should be understood not merely as outcomes of land development, but as negotiated everyday spaces through which land-use transformation, social interaction, and emotional attachment collectively shape community reconstruction in tourism-oriented rural areas. Full article

Curiosity supports adaptive cognitive and psychological functioning across the lifespan, yet prior research suggests that some dimensions of curiosity decline with age, and little is known about the psychosocial and lifestyle factors that are associated with higher curiosity in later life. This study investigated age-related differences in joyous exploration (JE) and identified key correlates of high JE among older adults. Data were drawn from the 2018 Ageing as Future study (N = 435; age 19–89). JE levels were compared between younger (<60 years) and older (≥60 years) adults using both linear regression and independent samples t-tests. To identify correlates of high JE in later life, Random Forest (RF) classification models were applied within the ≥60 cohort using stratified train-test splits and repeated cross-validation. Older adults reported significantly less JE than younger adults (p < 0.001, d = 0.52). Across multiple model specifications and sensitivity analysis, high JE in older adults was consistently associated with leisure-time hobbies, engagement in interests outside work, meaning- and purpose-related factors, generativity, select future-oriented beliefs, and social embeddedness. These findings suggest that JE in later life tends to co-exist with emotionally meaningful, socially connected activities and offers valuable insights for geriatric interventions that promote healthy aging. Full article

Amid debates over internet penetration’s impact on leisure diversity—“macro-level entropy increase” vs. “micro-level entropy reduction”—this study explores their intrinsic link by introducing Shannon’s information entropy theory and constructing a three-tier framework (“micro-individual decision-making—macro-regional growth—macro–micro linkage”). Using microdata from the China General Social Survey and macro data from the China Economic and Financial Research Database, we adopt a multi-method approach (benchmark regression, mediation/nonlinear analysis) to test hypotheses. Key findings: micro-level internet penetration boosts individual leisure entropy; macro-level impact may follow an inverted U-shape, mediated by micro-level internet use; the entropy-increasing effect is strongest for learning-oriented leisure, weakest for social-oriented leisure; education, income, and internet penetration are core configurational conditions. This study contributes a quantitative leisure diversity framework, an integrated macro–micro model, and insights into the nonlinearities of internet penetration. Full article

The present study evaluates the performance of hotel companies in Romania using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) integrated with a hybrid weighted TOPSIS model (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution). This approach captures both technical efficiency and multidimensional competitiveness. The DEA included an output-oriented Variable Returns to Scale (VRS) model (with four inputs and one output). It was followed by TOPSIS aggregation with hybrid entropy weights to obtain a composite performance index. The research used cross-sectional financial data for 2023, specific to hotels in Romania, and allowed interpretation across five territorial categories based on predominant relief. The results show that the 852 analyzed hotels have a relatively homogeneous structure and moderate variations in performance scores. At the same time, top-performing units are strongly concentrated in economically or touristically dynamic counties. The integrated DEA–TOPSIS results indicate that high-performing hotels tend to cluster spatially, with plain counties hosting the largest number of hotels at the national level and also a substantial share of high-performance hotels relative to major urban centers; thus, their performance structure is not uniform but strongly polarized. In contrast, the other geographical areas show pronounced clustering, with top hotels concentrated around consolidated leisure destinations, such as Brașov, Sibiu, Constanța, and Prahova. Overall, research using the DEA–TOPSIS method highlights significant spatial disparities that influence both managerial decision-making and regional development policies, affecting the long-term sustainable performance and competitiveness of the Romanian hotel sector. Full article

Beautiful Leisure Tourism Villages (BLTVs) represent an effective pathway for advancing high-quality rural industrial development and promoting comprehensive rural revitalization. They are of great significance to enriching new rural business formats and new functions. The analysis is interpreted within an integrated location–distance attenuation framework. Based on the methods of spatial clustering analysis, geographical linkage rate and geographical weighted regression, the spatio-temporal evolution of 1982 BLTVs in China up to 2023 was examined to uncover the underlying driving mechanisms. Findings indicated that (1) a staged expansion in the number of villages across China, with the most pronounced growth occurring between 2014 and 2018, averaged 124 new villages per year; their stage characteristics showed an obvious “unipolar core-bipolar multi-core-bipolar network” development model; (2) the barycenters of villages were all located in Nanyang City of Henan Province; they migrated from east to west, and formed a push and pull migration trend from east to west and then east; (3) the spatial distribution of villages was highly aggregated and demonstrated marked regional heterogeneity, following a south–north and east–west gradient, with the highest concentration in Jiangzhe and the lowest in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region; and (4) natural ecology, hydrological and climatic conditions, socioeconomic context, transportation accessibility, and resource endowment collectively shaped the spatial layout of villages, exhibiting pronounced spatial variation in the intensity of these driving factors. On the whole, topography, social economy, traffic condition and precipitation condition had greater influences on the spatial distribution of villages in the western than in the eastern part of China. In contrast, the effects of resource endowment and temperature on the spatial distribution of BLTVs were stronger in eastern China than in western China. These findings enhance the theoretical understanding of tourism-oriented rural development by integrating spatio-temporal evolution with a location–distance attenuation perspective and provide differentiated guidance for the sustainable development of BLTVs across regions. Full article

Parental stress is a critical yet understudied dimension of childhood total blindness, a condition that imposes substantial developmental, emotional, and functional challenges on families. This cross-sectional study assessed parenting stress, maternal health symptoms, and children’s functional vision-related quality of life in 81 mothers of children aged 0 to 12 years with total congenital blindness. Parenting stress was assessed in the full sample using the Parenting Stress Index–Fourth Edition (PSI-4). Children’s functional vision-related quality of life was evaluated in age-specific subsamples using the Quality of Family Vision Impact (QFVI-3 for children aged 0–3 years and QFVI-7 for children aged 3–7 years). All participants also completed a sociodemographic and maternal health survey. Total Parent Stress showed moderately elevated percentile scores (mean ≈ 67), with the highest PSI-4 subdomains in Adaptability, Depression, and Health. Approximately 21% of mothers scored within the clinical range for high stress. Maternal symptoms including sadness, insomnia, headaches, forgetfulness, and musculoskeletal pain were significant (all p < 0.01). QFVI global scores indicated moderate impairments in functional vision-related quality of life across age groups. Life Stress demonstrated a small-to-moderate negative correlation with QFVI-7, suggesting that cumulative environmental stressors may adversely affect children’s functional outcomes. Several factors were associated with more favorable outcomes. Among children under three years of age, maternal engagement in physical activity was associated with higher QFVI scores, whereas among children aged 3–7 years, school attendance was associated with higher functional vision-related quality of life scores. In contrast, sociodemographic disadvantage, limited access to educational adaptations, and reduced maternal participation in work or leisure activities were associated with higher levels of parental stress. These findings highlight the importance of multidisciplinary, family-centered care incorporating psychosocial assessment, early stimulation, orientation and mobility support, and maternal mental health interventions in pediatric ophthalmology. Full article

Recreational spaces in industrial parks are essential components of sustainable urban development, as they contribute to environmental quality, social well-being, and the transformation of production-oriented areas into livable urban environments. This study aims to develop a spatial attractiveness evaluation framework tailored to recreational spaces in industrial parks, to identify and compare the key factors influencing attractiveness across different recreational space types, and to reveal the functional complementarity and underlying mechanisms among these spaces. Taking Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) as a case study, a three-dimensional evaluation framework integrating spatial attributes, experiential perception, and place identity was constructed using GIS-based spatial analysis, questionnaire surveys, and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The spatial attractiveness of nature-dominated, mixed-type, and artificial-dominated recreational spaces was systematically evaluated and compared. The results show that experiential perception and place identity exert a stronger influence on spatial attractiveness than objective spatial attributes. Nature-dominated spaces primarily support ecological restoration and psychological recovery, mixed-type spaces facilitate diverse social and leisure activities, and artificial-dominated spaces are more suited to short-duration, high-frequency use, demonstrating clear functional complementarity. These findings highlight the necessity of type-specific strategies for enhancing recreational spaces in industrial parks and emphasize their role in supporting environmentally, socially, and functionally sustainable urban development. The proposed framework provides a transferable approach for evaluating and optimizing recreational spaces in other functionally mixed urban contexts. Full article

Background: Incarcerated men experience disproportionately high levels of health inequities shaped by social determinants, including poverty, violence, family adversity, trauma, and limited access to healthcare. These long-standing disadvantages, added to the adverse conditions experienced in prisons, may be associated with elevated rates of suicidality in this population. This study examined the prevalence of suicidal ideation and lifetime suicide attempts among men deprived of liberty in Southern Brazil and investigated the role of cumulative adversities and current protective factors in these outcomes. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 496 incarcerated men. Participants completed a sociodemographic and background questionnaire assessing lifetime adversity (e.g., hunger, homelessness, sexual abuse, domestic violence, family substance dependence) and current protective factors in prison (e.g., family visits, education, leisure, physical activity, religion, positive self-perception). Cumulative adversity and protective factors were operationalized as composite indices. Logistic regression models tested whether cumulative adversities and protective factors were independently associated with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Results: Lifetime prevalence was 9.6% for suicidal ideation and 10.8% for suicide attempts. Cumulative adversities were associated with higher odds of both suicidal ideation (OR = 1.43; 95% CI = 1.11–1.84; p = 0.006) and suicide attempts (OR = 1.94; 95% CI = 1.50–2.52; p < 0.001). Protective factors were associated with lower likelihood of suicidal ideation (OR = 0.74; 95% CI = 0.58–0.96; p = 0.020) but were not significantly associated with suicide attempts. No significant interaction effects were observed, indicating that protective factors did not moderate the impact of adversity. Conclusions: Suicidal tendencies among incarcerated men were associated with cumulative structural and psychosocial adversities. Protective factors in prison were associated with lower odds of ideation but not attempts. These associations may inform person-centered and equity-oriented approaches and are consistent with the relevance of social determinants to mental health, although causal inferences are not supported by this project. Full article

This study empirically examines how organizational learning influences problem-solving competency and organizational effectiveness in the context of online travel agencies (OTAs) and tests the moderating role of digital empowerment. Using agency lists registered under Korea’s Tourism Promotion Act, we employed stratified sampling by region and simple random sampling within strata. Data collection was commissioned by the Tourism/Leisure HRD Council. A survey was carried out from 2 to 19 June 2025; of the 210 questionnaires returned, 204 valid responses were analyzed. Measures were adapted from prior studies on a five-point Likert scale. Analyses conducted in SPSS 27.0 included descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), reliability testing (Cronbach’s α), correlation analysis, and simple and hierarchical regressions. The results indicate that (1) organizational learning has a significant positive effect on problem-solving competency (β = 0.541, p < 0.001, R² = 0.293); (2) organizational learning positively affects organizational effectiveness (β = 0.436, p < 0.001, R² = 0.190); and (3) problem-solving competency positively influences organizational effectiveness (β = 0.624, p < 0.001, R² = 0.389). Regarding moderation, digital empowerment did not significantly moderate the organizational learning → problem-solving link but did significantly moderate the organizational learning → organizational effectiveness relationship (p < 0.05), suggesting that digital empowerment enhances the conversion efficiency of learning into performance. Theoretically, this study substantiates the learning–problem-solving–performance mechanism in a service/tourism setting and identifies digital empowerment as a catalytic moderator that strengthens the translation of learning into organizational outcomes. Practically, the findings imply that OTAs can amplify organizational effectiveness by building digital empowerment structures—data-driven decision systems, process automation, and real-time customer-response capabilities—which enable learned knowledge to materialize into performance. Future research should incorporate digital maturity, leadership, customer orientation, and related variables into extended models. Full article