Introduction: Green spaces offer recreation, relaxation, and education, improving health, boosting positive emotions, strengthening community bonds, and increasing life satisfaction and subjective well-being. Not only do they benefit individuals, but they can also enhance community well-being. Symbolic green spaces, like Central Park with forest trails, can be especially effective, though these connections are not fully understood. Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between citizens' access to green spaces and individual and community well-being.
Method: Data were collected via an online survey of adults in Moriya City, Japan, which has promoted green space development (valid responses: 223, Mage = 53.60, SD = 13.38, male 67.71%). Respondents reported how often they visit symbolic and neighborhood green spaces and their satisfaction with living environment, and subjective well-being at both individual and community levels. Correlation and path analyses examined associations from green area visits to individual and community well-being, directly or through satisfaction with the environment.
Results: Respondents visited symbolic green spaces less often than neighborhood ones, both within a range of a few times a year. Visiting symbolic green areas was positively correlated with both individual (r = .12, p < .1) and community (r = .26, p < .001) well-being, while neighborhood green space visits also related to community well-being (r = .19, p < .01). Path analysis shows that visiting symbolic green spaces contributes to individual and community well-being through satisfaction with the living environment.
Conclusions: Green spaces can enhance residents' well-being at both the individual and community levels through satisfaction with their living environment. This is especially true for symbolic green spaces, even if they are visited less frequently.