Blue-Green Urban Oases: Assessing the Restorative Potential of Wooded Waterside Landscapes

Progressive urbanization is limiting residents’ access to areas conducive to short-term psychological restoration. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of various types of waterside and wooded landscapes on people’s levels of relaxation. The study involved 68 participants (38 women and 30 men aged between 21 and 24), whose psychological responses were analyzed at five locations/conditions in Warsaw: (a) baseline (Pre-test), (b) the undeveloped part of Fort Augustówka—an artificial reservoir with natural vegetation (Nat_fort), (c) the northern part of Czerniakowskie Lake—a natural body of water with natural vegetation (Nat_lake), (d) the southern part of Czerniakowskie Lake—a natural water body subject to significant human intervention (Develop_lake); and (e) Czesław Szczubełek Park—a revitalized site of a former fort with park infrastructure (Develop_fort). The analysis utilized standardized psychometric tools (PANAS, ROS, SVS, POMS) and repeated measures analysis of variance (RM-ANOVA). The results of the study revealed statistically significant changes in most psychometric indicators of subjective renewal and mood compared with the baseline, although patterns varied across specific measures and locations. The highest level of short-term psychological restoration among the study participants was recorded in the southern, developed part of Czerniakowskie Lake (Develop_lake, ROS = 5.29) and in its natural part (Nat_lake, ROS = 5.08). Specifically, Develop_lake achieved significantly higher values than both fort locations, while Nat_lake scored significantly higher than the undeveloped fort, in addition to their improvements over the baseline (Pre-test, ROS = 4.15; p < 0.001). Spending time in waterside areas also led to a significant improvement in overall short-term psychological well-being through a multidimensional reduction in negative emotional states. The Total Mood Disturbance (TMD) score decreased significantly at all locations compared with the baseline (Pre-test = 36.44; p < 0.001), although only the developed section of the lake (Develop_lake, TMD = 9.16) produced a significantly greater reduction in mood disturbance than the undeveloped fort (Nat_fort, TMD = 23.66; p < 0.05; with values for Nat_lake = 18.60 and Develop_fort = 14.96). A detailed analysis of the components of the mood profile (POMS) revealed a significant decrease in levels of tension, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion across all test locations (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the Develop_lake area exhibited the highest mean levels of positive affect (PANAS Positive = 3.28) and vigor (Vigor = 2.53; p < 0.01 compared to baseline), whilst there were no statistically significant differences in subjective vitality (SVS, p = 0.053). The data collected indicate that specific combinations of landscape characteristics are associated with different psychological responses. While the presence of a body of water is beneficial, its effects can be complemented by appropriate infrastructure facilitating time spent in natural surroundings. The synergy between the natural qualities of a body of water and functional land-use planning (as found in the Develop_lake area) appears to be a factor associated with highly favorable conditions for short-term psychological restoration, effectively reducing self-reported tension and improving the self-reported mood of those using these areas. These findings provide evidence-informed propositions for urban planners and landscape architects, suggesting that skillfully combining the protection of natural assets with accessible recreational infrastructure does not diminish restorative qualities and is associated with significant benefits in terms of creating a healthy and restorative environment for young adults in our sample.