| Title |
An Analysis of Physical Environmental Factors of Book Shelters in Parks for Restorative Environments - Based on Expert Evaluation - |
| Authors |
조성결(Cho, Seonggyeol) ; 유성민(Yu, Soungmin) |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.14774/JKIID.2026.35.2.151 |
| Keywords |
Restorative Environment; Neighborhood Park; Physical Environmental Factor; Attention Restoration Theory |
| Abstract |
While many studies have examined the restorative effects of parks and green spaces on people, little attention has been paid to reading facilities located within parks, known as book shelters. These facilities provide spaces not only for reading but also for relaxation and community activities within a nature-friendly environment. Despite their increasing presence in urban parks, it remains unclear whether book shelters function as restorative environments.
Therefore, this study evaluates whether the physical environmental characteristics of book shelters support visitors’ psychological restoration. Three book shelters located in Yangcheon, Eungbong, and Cheonwang neighborhood parks in Seoul were selected through site visits. An online survey was conducted with thirty experts in the fields of the built environment and design to evaluate each site. Based on a literature review, four physical environmental factors related to restorative environments?connection to nature, accessibility, comfort, and aesthetics?were used as evaluation criteria. The statistical analysis indicated that all three book shelters received above-average scores, suggesting that they generally provide satisfactory restorative environments. Among the four factors, ‘connection to nature’ and ‘aesthetics’ were significantly higher in the Yangcheon and Cheonwang book shelters than in the Eungbong book shelter, while ‘accessibility’ and ‘comfort’ showed no significant differences among the sites.
Overall, the Yangcheon book shelter demonstrated the highest suitability as a restorative space. The importance ranking of the environmental factors showed that ‘comfort’ was the most critical factor for restoration, followed by ‘connection to nature’, ‘accessibility’, and ‘aesthetics’. The findings of this study provide insights into how book shelters in parks can serve as supportive environments for citizens’ psychological recovery. Moreover, the study identifies important directions for future research on the actual impact of these spaces on visitors’ mental well-being. |