Perceived Urban Green and Residents’ Health in Beijing

Abstract Green space serves urban residents in various functions including promoting health, but the roles of different types of green space are unclear. A survey titled “Healthy Neighborhood” was conducted in Beijing from May to July 2019 to examine and compare the associations between three types of perceived green space (park green, public-square green and utility green) and three aspects of residents’ health (physical health, mental health and social health). Results from the multilevel modeling (MLM) analysis show that the perceived park green has a positive correlation with mental health, and all three types of perceived green space correlate with social health positively. No significant correlation of any type of green space is detected on participants’ physical health, nor any relation of public-square green or utility green to their mental health. Overall the role of urban green space is stronger on social health than physical and mental health. The findings support the complementary roles of different types of green space, and suggest that expansion in utility greens could be as effective as investing in more costly park and public-square greens, especially in their benefit in promoting social health.