Restorative urban forests. A study of nature affordances along forest bathing trails in Northeast Italy : a study of nature affordances along forest bathing trails in Northeast Italy

Abstract: In the framework of newly-emergent forest-based initiatives for health and well-being, forest bathing and the benefits deriving from this practice are widely explored in the fields of medicine, psychology, and forestry. However, besides the significant body of research about the impacts of forest immersions on human health and well-being, few studies investigate the physical characteristics of forests that support this activity. In Europe, there is still a lack of knowledge about the place dependency of forest care initiatives on specific forest settings. This thesis studies the use and the perception of two forest bathing locations in Northeast Italy from the perspective of forest bathers. Through the lenses of affordance and restoration theories, the scope is to clarify what types of human-environment interactions characterize the salutogenic experience of guided forest immersion, in relation to specific forest ecosystem characteristics. Twenty-six adults took part in two forest bathing sessions in an urban and peri-urban forest in Veneto, Italy. Participant observations were carried out and questionnaires were administered to participants during the experience. Results provide insights into the way different forest affordances were perceived. They also show that the assessment of specific forest ecosystem attributes along forest bathing trails could be relevant to design the activities and the setting where these take place.