Publications

Highlights

Jazi, E., Dietsch, A. M., van den Bosch, M., Triguero-Mas, M., Meitner, M. J., Atkisson, C., Thomson, A., & Park, K. (2026). Perceived naturalness and wellbeing: Differential benefits for marginalized and privileged groups. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 120, 129448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2026.129448

This quasi-experimental study investigated whether increased perceived naturalness of walking environments lead to immediate psychological wellbeing improvements, guided by a theory suggesting greater proportional benefits for marginalized groups (Mitchell & Popham, 2008). We focused on differential benefits for individuals of low socioeconomic status (SES) and people of color (POC). A sample of 475 undergraduates at a Midwestern U.S. university completed two self-directed 45-minute walks (self-rated on a 7-point scale of naturalness). Psychological wellbeing was measured pre- and post- walk using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS). Bayesian counterfactual simulations were used to estimate post-walk wellbeing across the naturalness levels with moderation by SES (Pell Grant recipient, low social class, first-generation students) and race/ethnicity.

Walks perceived as highly natural (levels 6 or 7) were associated with meaningfully higher post-walk wellbeing compared to more built walks (levels 1–5). Evidence of moderation by sociodemographic variables was mixed. At low perceived naturalness (levels 1–3), Pell Grant recipients (indicating low SES and eligibility for federal funding to attend college or university) had meaningfully lower post-walk wellbeing compared to non-recipients. This gap narrowed as perceived walk naturalness increased and became non-meaningful at level 4, consistent with an equigenic pattern. No meaningful moderation was observed for the other measures of SES. For race/ethnicity, results were not consistent with equigenesis as, at the highest level of perceived naturalness, gains potentially widened disparities, with non-POC deriving meaningfully greater wellbeing benefits than POC.

The findings indicate that higher perceived naturalness is associated with higher psychological wellbeing. While more natural spaces demonstrate potential to reduce certain SES disparities, the mixed results underscore that benefits are not universally equitable. This suggests that while naturalness should be prioritized, practitioners should consider inclusion, safety, and cultural relevance to promote gains across marginalized groups.

Park, K., & Khanal, A. (2025). Park Features, Neighborhood Environment, and Time Factors Affect Park Visitor Volume: A Meta-Analysis. Environment and Behavior, 57(3-4), 296–325. https://doi.org/10.1177/00139165251342974 [download]

Urban parks are essential for sustainable urban planning, but their usage patterns remain complex. This meta-analysis of 30 studies identifies factors influencing park visitor volume, focusing on park attributes, neighborhood environments, and temporal aspects. Random-effect models reveal positive associations with park size, diverse facilities, organized activities, trails, maintenance, and quality. Neighborhood population density and points of interest also increase visitation, while socio-economically disadvantaged areas see reduced use. Temporal factors, such as time of day and season, significantly shape patterns. However, features like water, greenness, crime safety, and transit accessibility show mixed or insignificant effects. Regional differences highlight stronger impacts of population density and transit accessibility in the U.S. compared to Asian studies. These findings provide actionable insights for urban planners and landscape architects to design parks that cater to diverse needs, boost visitation, and maximize their community benefits.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles (Since October 2021)

Note: Names of the lab members are in bold

  • Jazi, E., Dietsch, A. M., van den Bosch, M., Triguero-Mas, M., Meitner, M. J., Atkisson, C., Thomson, A., & Park, K. (2026). Perceived naturalness and wellbeing: Differential benefits for marginalized and privileged groups. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 120, 129448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2026.129448

  • Zhang, X., Chen, M., & Huang, Y. (2025). Who gets to use the street? Evaluate the utilization and inclusiveness using crowdsourced videos and vision-language models. Sustainable Cities and Society, 134, 106906. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2025.106906

  • Chen, M., Liu, Y., Liu, F., Chadha, T., Park, K. (2025). Measuring pedestrian-level street greenery visibility through space syntax and crowdsourced imagery: A case study in London, UK. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 105, 128725. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2025.128725 [download]
  • Luo, T., & Chen, M. (2024). Advancements in supervised machine learning for outdoor thermal comfort: A comprehensive systematic review of scales, applications, and data types. Energy and Buildings, 115255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2024.115255 [download]
  • Chen, S., Sleipness, O., Christensen, K., Yang, B., Park, K., Knowles, R., Yang, Z., & Wang, H. (2024). Exploring the Associations between Social Interaction and Park Quality: An Urban Case Study in Utah, USA, Cities 145: 104714. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2023.104714 [download]
  • Chen, M., Cai, Y., Guo, S., Sun, R., Yang, S., & Shen, X. (2024). Evaluating implied urban nature vitality in San Francisco: An interdisciplinary approach combining census data, street view images, and social media analysis. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 128289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2024.128289 [download]
  • Khanal, A., Abdelfattah, R. S., Alawadi, K., & Nguyen, N. H. (2024). Beyond streets: The role of alleys in Abu Dhabi’s and Dubai’s network systems. Journal of Urban Management, 13(1), 33-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jum.2023.10.002 [download]
  • Park, K., Garcia, I., & Kim, K. (2023). Who visited parks and trails more or less during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how? A mixed-methods study, Landscape Research Record 11: 157-171. [download]
  • Park, K., Singleton, P.A., Brewer, S. & Zuban, J. (2023). Pedestrians and the built environment during the COVID-19 pandemic: Changing relationships by the pandemic phases in Salt Lake County, UT, USA. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board 2677(4): 448-462. https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981221083606 [download]
  • Park, K., Nasr-Isfahani, H., Novack, V., Sheen, J., Hadayeghi, H., Song, Z., & Christensen, K. (2023). Impacts of disability on daily travel behaviour: A systematic review. Transport Reviews 43(2): 178-203. https://doi.org/10.1080/01441647.2022.2060371 [The editors’ choice] [download] 
  • Zhang, Y., Li, X., Jiang, Q., Chen, M., & Liu, L. (2022). Quantify the spatial association between the distribution of catering business and urban spaces in London using catering POI data and image segmentation. Atmosphere, 13(12), 2128. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13122128 [download]
  • Ren, B., Park, K., Shrestha, A., Yang, J., McHale, M., Bai, W., Wang, G. (2022). Impact of Human Disturbances on the Spatial Heterogeneity of Landscape Fragmentation in Qilian Mountain National Park, China, Land, 11: 2087. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11112087 [download]
  • Wang, L., Ding, J., Chen, M., Sun, Y., Tang, X., & Ge, M. (2022). Exploring tourists’ multilevel spatial cognition of historical town based on multi-source data—A case study of Feng Jing ancient town in Shanghai. Buildings, 12(11), 1833. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12111833 [download]
  • Shen, X., Chen, M., Ge, M., & Padua, M. G. (2022). Examining the conceptual model of potential urban development patch (PUDP), VOCs, and food culture in urban ecology: A case in Chengdu, China. Atmosphere, 13(9), 1369. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13091369 [download]
  • Chen, M., Zhang, Y.*, Yang, Y., Fang, Z. (2022). Application of data visualization in urban design based on Grasshopper. Landscape Architecture 陈铭泽,张洋,杨玉冰,方智果. 基于Grasshopper平台的数据可视化在城市设计中的研究与实践[J].园林, 2022, 39(05):44-51. [download]
  • Park, K., Sanchez, T., & Zuban, J. (2022). Evaluating scholarly productivity and impacts of landscape architecture faculty using citation analysis. Landscape Journal 41(1): 1-14. https://doi.org/10.3368/lj.41.1.1 [download]
  • Park, K., Chamberlain, B., Song, Z., Nasr-Isfahani, H., Sheen, J., Larsen, T., Novack, V., Licon, C., & Christensen, K. (2022). A double jeopardy: COVID-19 impacts on people with disabilities’ travel behavior and community living. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice 156: 24-35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2021.12.008 [download]
  • Abu Ali, M., Alawadi, K., & Khanal, A. (2021). “The role of green infrastructure in enhancing microclimate conditions: a case study of a low-rise neighborhood in Abu Dhabi”. Sustainability, 13(8), 4260. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084260 [download]