Research / PhD Landscape Architecture
–
The importance of biodiversity in supporting urban ecosystem services, mitigating climate change, and enhancing wellbeing of urban residents is increasingly acknowledged. In Shanghai, China, biodiversity enhancement has been emphasised in local urban greening policies, and biodiversity-friendly design has been implemented in some park projects. However, there is an important knowledge gap on public attitudes towards biodiversity in urban parks.
Using conjoint analysis, the research found that in parks, rich flora and fauna species was preferred over moderate and poor flora and fauna species. When comparing with other park attributes, the research showed that biodiversity was less preferred than facilities, almost equally preferred as maintenance and woodlands, but more preferred than seasonal views.
This research revealed an appreciation of biodiversity in parks among Shanghai residents, providing supportive evidence for related biodiversity-based urban greening policies and practices in Shanghai to a certain degree. At the same time, when implementing biodiversity-based urban greening policies in the future, the research calls attention to the importance of good facilities, generally well-maintained appearance, and moderately dense trees/vegetation. The research contributes to an understanding of people-biodiversity interactions in Shanghai, China, and provides recommendations in building urban parks which are biodiverse but also socially desirable.
Supervisors: Dr Francisca Lima, Ross McLean