Abstract Summary
Urbanization, modern lifestyles, and technology addiction have disconnected us from nature, resulting in detrimental effects on individual well-being and social relationships. While the relationship between humans and the natural environment has been extensively studied, recent decades have witnessed a growing interest in the concept of Biophilia due to its multiple benefits of people-nature interaction. As an emerging research field, Biophilia presents various aspects that warrant further investigation. In this paper, we delve into the notion of Biophilic Perception (BP) as a global and local attitude across the main terrestrial biomes, and we propose new tools for measuring it. Assuming eight cities as case studies, we firstly employ Visual AI, specifically Dense Prediction Transformer (DPT) Model, to assess the presence of Biophilic settings within urban areas using 25-class segmentation applied to Google Street imagery; secondly, we calibrate our model using data collected from a survey involving over 400 participants to examine the correlation between BP and city-biomes; finally, we compare the outcomes from the previous phases in terms of quantitative and qualitative metrics. As results, we provide maps that visually depict the presence and perception of Biophilia on a global scale, and we deliver a transferable model that can advance the specific research field based on evidence. Furthermore, our research aims to contribute to city planning renewal by encouraging designers and decision-makers to prioritize the integration of people and nature at the core of the urban development agenda.
