Designing for human-nature connectedness: A case study of the Barefoot Path Spalt, Germany

There is a need to bridge the disconnection between humans and nature through conscious landscape architectural designs. Recreation infrastructure can be a tool to guide humans towards a stronger connection with nature, improving health, welfare, and care for environmental issues. Considering Haraway's (2016) work on making kin with the more-than-human other and being with the trouble through cognisant presence of the self within a natural world, it appears that progress towards human-nature connectedness is stunted by commodification of the natural environment. This is reflected in nature discourse, and a risk perception driven by fear of nature which has become the unknown. A mixed methods study of the Barefoot Path Spalt, Germany, implementing document analysis, interviews, and criticism incorporating autoethnography and expert field assessments, generated knowledge on how trail designs can improve human-nature connectedness. The study based its findings on three major trail attributes, environmentally conscious trail design, the barefoot component, and interactive equipment and art. Results show that an intrinsic connection with the environment can be targeted with intentional trail design that entices curiosity, gradually guiding participants to build human-nature connectedness, contesting false risk perception. Results show that well designed trails have the potential to enhance human-nature connectedness with relatively cost-effective implementations. Future trail development and upgrades should consider (1) Conscious integration of a trail into the natural environment through a low-impact approach. (2) Using a creative feature that delivers a unique, nature-centric experience, for example through sensory immersion. (3) Installing both play equipment and art to mask the border between trail and context environment makes use of, and encourages more traffic to a trail, generating positive nature-contextual experiences.