ABSTRACT

Tranquillity trails (TTs) are designed to provide a quiet and peaceful walk through mainly leafy lanes and roads and connect green open spaces where visitors can stop for thought and relaxation. There are numerous health benefits from being in close proximity to nature and TTs can facilitate this contact in mainly urban areas. This study involved the design of a trail in Tramore, a coastal town in south east Ireland. The trail links an old coastguard station, now converted to a cultural centre and coffee shop, with a Japanese garden. The trail includes a coastal path with fine views across a bay, wooded areas as well as leafy residential streets. The design of the trail was facilitated by the use of a previous developed tranquillity rating prediction tool (TRAPT) that involved the estimation of the level of man-made noise and the percentage of natural features in view. Participants who had completed the whole of the trail were encouraged to complete a questionnaire to gauge any benefits. As expected, it was reported that there were increased levels of relaxation and reduced stress. It was concluded that the approach can be used elsewhere to improve the well-being of residents and visitors.

摘要

宁静小径 (TT) 旨在提供安静祥和的步行，穿过主要是绿树成荫的小巷和道路，并连接绿色开放空间，游客可以在那里停下来思考和放松。亲近大自然有许多健康益处，而 TT 可以促进这种接触，主要是在城市地区。这项研究涉及在爱尔兰东南部沿海城镇特拉莫尔设计一条小径。这条小径连接着一个旧海岸警卫队站，现在改建为文化中心和咖啡店，还有一个日本花园。这条小径包括一条可以欣赏海湾美景的沿海小径、树木繁茂的地区以及绿树成荫的住宅街道。使用先前开发的宁静等级预测工具（TRAPT）促进了小径的设计，该工具涉及人为噪声水平和视野中自然特征百分比的估计。鼓励完成整个试验的参与者完成调查问卷以评估任何好处。正如预期的那样，据报道，放松程度有所提高，压力有所减轻。得出的结论是，这种方法可以在其他地方使用，以改善居民和游客的福祉。