Perceived safety in urban restorative environments: a study with reference to prospect-refuge symbols

Abstract

The importance of the relationship between human and landscape has been the main focus of many studies as a result of the urbanization. The complex lifestyles of urbanites have proven the necessity of ‘the sense of belonginess’ while inhabiting common urban environments. Anxiety, distress or uneasiness due to the lack of sense of belongingness is the reason for seeking the sense of safety in urban spaces by the urbanites. The Habitat theory states that human feel safer in environments which assures the biological needs of man. Similarly, Prospect and Refuge claims that the environments which provides the ability to see (Prospect) without being seen (Refuge) is preferred by the human. With this; four scenarios have been developed as Strong prospect, inversely balanced, perfectly balanced and Strong refuge to assess the perceived safety. Information processing theory, Prospect and Refuge Theory and the derived framework of Biophilia Hypothesis were accompanied to build up a set of physical attributes (complexity, coherence, naturalness, mystery and locomotion) which were tested for the perceived safety in the selected case study, Beddagana wetland park, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and Diyasaru Park, Thalawathugoda. (30 experts from each case study). The users selected the perfectly balanced scenario (open view and closed observing point - conditions which support the ability to see without being seen) as the space with highest perceived safety. The coherence (the openness or the enclosure of the surrounding) has been selected as the most impacted physical attribute for the aforementioned perception. This proves the Appleton’s theory which claims that the human still feels safe in environments which assures the basic biological needs of human and; the openness and enclosure of the physical surrounding impacts mainly to this preference. The final result can be accommodated in the future planning and other related disciplines.