Perceived biodiversity, sound, naturalness and safety enhance the restorative quality and wellbeing benefits of green and blue space in a neotropical city

Urban land cover expansion and human population growth are accelerating worldwide. This is resulting in the loss degradation of green blue spaces (e.g. parks, waterways, lakes) cities, which provide resources to sustain biodiversity improve wellbeing. The specific characteristics these sounds, species, safety) that enhance or detract from wellbeing underexplored, yet this knowledge needed inform urban planning, management policies will ultimately benefit both people biodiversity. Research kind rarely conducted Global South, where rapid urbanisation threatens biodiversity-rich ecosystems worldwide significance. Here, we examine how perceptions green, waterway, dense relate Georgetown, Guyana. Specifically, use mediation models test sound, bird species richness, naturalness, safety concerns contribute sites being perceived as restorative which, subsequently, influences We assess accuracy site with objective measures sound (using a bioacoustic index), percent coverage vegetation, water, impervious surfaces. Results showed if were rich, containing natural sounds like birdsong, rather than artificial, safe, they more restorative, improved In general, people's consistent measures. Green, compared waterway sites, contained biophonic higher greater vegetation water coverage. Although waterways biodiverse, dominated by anthrophonic so artificial non-restorative. shed light on city planners might augment dwellers, implications for conservation. Our findings scientific evidence base design plans could deliver multiple co-benefits, particularly cities neotropical regions.