Influence of objective and perceived exposures to urban nature on people’s happiness

Exposure to nature influences urban dwellers’ well-being and happiness, thereby impacting urban sustainability. However, urban dwellers are exposed to nature in different ways: indirect exposure through window views, incidental exposure when walking along streets, and intentional exposure when visiting parks. Moreover, objective exposure does not necessarily align with how people perceive their exposure to nature. This study examines how three types of objective nature exposure—indirect, incidental, and intentional—provided by greenery and water bodies, along with perceived exposure, impact happiness in Tokyo, Japan. To measure the objective exposure, we use 3D photorealistic city information models, street view imagery, road network datasets, and remote sensing imagery. To measure happiness and perceived exposure, we use data from a national survey, focusing on the results from 10,798 residents in 801 neighborhoods in Tokyo. We first examine the associations between objective exposure and happiness using linear regression and non-linear machine learning models, and then the mediation of perceived exposure through Structural Equation Modeling. Results showed that perceived nature exposure has higher explanatory power for happiness than objective exposure. Views of greenery from windows (indirect exposure) and accessibility to parks (intentional exposure) influenced perceived nature exposure and happiness the most. The quantitative evidence suggests that urban planning align with human behavior, e.g., by prioritizing the improvement of greenery views from windows and park accessibility in Tokyo, to facilitate urban dwellers’ universal nature access for urban sustainability.