The dissertation delves into the complex relationship between urban design, higher education, and public open spaces (POS) in the context of globalized cities, with a particular emphasis on the enhancement of the wellbeing of students in higher education. It examines the impact of POS on the non-physical wellbeing of graduate students in Seoul, exploring both their physical and perceived access to these spaces. The study aims to investigate how access to POS affects the non-physical wellbeing of graduate students in Seoul, comparing the experiences of local and international students and discussing the effectiveness of current POS regulations. The research primarily targets Seoul's graduate students, assessing their access to POS and hypothesizing about the potential impact on their wellbeing, with considerations for factors like awareness of POS benefits and image of POS. The methodology encompasses an extensive literature review, a structured research model, data collection through questionnaires, and a detailed statistical analysis.
The literature review chapter focuses on the vital role of POS within urban environments. POS are crucial in a way that it provides areas for social interaction and relaxation. Historically significant, from ancient Greek Agoras to medieval European town squares, POS have evolved with societal shifts. In contemporary settings, like Seoul, POS blend traditional elements with modern needs, reflecting sustainable urban planning principles. They offer not only ecological benefits, but also socio-cultural values, including communal interactions and property value enhancement. This is particularly relevant for international students, who face unique challenges that impact their wellbeing. The field of environmental psychology explores the relationship between humans and their environments, with theories like Affordance Theory and Attention Restoration Theory highlighting the interaction's dynamics.
The concept of"good" access to POS is vital for POS to have positive impacts on non-physical wellbeing. Theories like the Kaplan Effect highlight the psychological benefits of interacting with natural elements in POS. Case studies such as Harvard Yard demonstrate the importance of well-designed POS in supporting student wellbeing. POS enhance non-physical wellbeing by offering spaces for reflection and fostering social interactions. Empirical studies confirm the positive impact of visiting POS on mental health and social connections, emphasizing the role of design in these spaces. The chapter concludes by underlining the significance of POS in urban settings for student wellbeing. A notable literature gap identified in this study is the often overlooked specific needs and experiences of graduate student cohorts in POS research, particularly the lack of differentiation between local and international students and the distinct impacts of on-campus versus citywide POS.
This study utilized a cross-sectional, quantitative approach, focusing on the relationship between POS interactions and the non-physical wellbeing of graduate students. Quantitative methods were chosen for their structured environment and statistical tools, facilitating the identification of patterns and relationships. A questionnaire, available in English and Korean, was distributed across ten universities in Seoul after a pilot test, which refined the survey for clarity and context suitability. The survey aimed to understand graduate students' experiences and perceptions of POS and their influence on non-physical wellbeing. Hypotheses were tested using both descriptive and inferential statistics, with tools like SPSS v.24 and Tableau, to analyze demographic data and test hypotheses. The research included five stages: literature review and model development, questionnaire design and validation, reliability and validity assessment, data collection, and data analysis.
A key finding of this research is that perceived access to POS—encompassing factors like easy transport, awareness, visual accessibility, and proximity—has a more significant impact on students' non-physical wellbeing than the frequency of visits. This finding is mainly supported by the F-coefficient and p-value generated by the multiple regression analysis. Scatter plots between perceived access score, frequency of visits, and non-physical wellbeing score; as well as correlation heat maps, supported this finding further and showed the dominance of perceived access over the actual visit to POS. The finding challenges the prevailing focus in urban planning on physical visitation and highlights the need for a shift towards quality of interaction and perceived accessibility. The study also reveals contrasting experiences of POS between international and local students. First, international students score higher in both perceived access and frequency of visit to POS than the local counterparts. Second, local students consistently value safety highest and scale lowest for both campus and city POS, indicating uniform preferences, while international students diverge, rating safety high on campus but low in the city, and atmosphere the opposite.
The significance of this research lies in its contribution to urban planning and design, providing nuanced insights into the varying interactions with POS on different student demographics. It challenges traditional urban planning paradigms by demonstrating the greater influence of perceived access over actual visits to POS on graduate students' non-physical wellbeing. Furthermore, it serves as an empirical critique of current POS regulations and guidelines, suggesting the need for a more nuanced approach that considers both physical and perceptual aspects of POS utilization. This study underscores the necessity to prioritize the perceptual aspects of POS in urban design, reflecting the ideas of urbanist Jan Gehl who emphasized the human experience in planning: "First life, then spaces, then buildings - the other way around never works" (Gehl, 2011).