**2. Background**

A number of interview studies conducted between 1995 and 2005 in landscape architecture/environmental psychology (Grahn, Stigsdotter and Berggren-Bärring, 2005) have revealed eight characteristics of the outdoor environment (Serene, Wild, Lush, Spacious, the Common, the Pleasure garden, Festive/centre and Culture) that correspond to basic human needs. The line of research in which the eight characteristics were discovered has existed for decades. Already in 1989, Kaplan and Kaplan pointed out that sounds of nature can reduce stress and improve well-being. Several investigations have shown that people are often afflicted by illnesses related to stress (Grahn and Stigsdotter, 2003; Ottosson and Grahn, 2005a; Ottosson and Grahn, 2005b; Ottosson and Grahn P. 2008).

Many studies have shown a relationship between urban green areas and health (Hartig et al., 1996; Ottosson and Grahn, 1998). When walking in a natural environment, people's blood pressure drops already after a few minutes (Hartig, 1993). Certain biotopes and habitats seem to have been of great importance during human evolution (Coss, 1991; Ulrich, 1993). When people are stressed or ailing and in pressed situations, the availability of such environments seems to be even more important. If people can visit environments with

<sup>\*</sup>Corresponding author

The Agricultural Landscape for Recreation 227

1. Serene A place of peace, silence and care. Sounds of wind, water, birds

2. Wild A place of fascination with wild nature. Plants seem self-sown. Lichen and moss-grown rocks, old paths.

3. Lush A place rich in species. A room offering a variety of wild species

4. Spacious A room offering a restful feeling of "entering another world", a coherent whole, like a beech forest.

of animals and plants.

5. The Common A green open place allowing vistas and stays.

7. Festive/centre A meeting place for festivity and pleasure.

8. Culture The essence of human culture: A historical place offering fascination with the course of time.

Table 1. Eight characteristics that meet recreational needs (from Grahn, Stigsdotter and

GIS data from the county administration were used to elaborate characteristics. Corine land cover data play a vital role in this classification, as do other data of relevance, such as topography, environmental protection, noise disturbance, etc. CORINE (Coordination of Information on the Environment) is a programme initiated by the European Commission in 1985 to compile information on the environment with regard to certain topics and to ensure that information is consistent and that data are compatible across member states. One main part of the programme is the Corine land cover project covering 12 countries with a working scale of 1:100,000, and the smallest mapping unit 25 hectares. Sweden, however, has used a more detailed working scale with 5 hectares as the smallest mapping unit (Lantmäteriverket, 2003). Since the inventory of Corine land cover data is a European project, data corresponding to the present data should be available for most European

 Other data sources for this project are administrated at the County Administration level and deal with, e.g., natural and cultural protection areas, key biotopes, a pasture land inventory, Nature 2000, a beach zone protection plan and a regional inventory of "silent areas" (a large-scale noise impact calculation). In addition to this topographic evaluation,

Of significance in assessing characteristics for recreation on a large regional scale is that only existing data sources can be used for evaluation. In the present study, no resources, neither time nor money, have been available for a detailed systematic process of ground truth validation of different classification methods. However, the studied region is well known to

**3.3 Assessing characteristics for well-being on a regional scale using GIS** 

freely.

data from the land survey administration were used.

6. The Pleasure garden

Berggren-Bärring, 2005).

countries.

and insects. No rubbish, no weeds, no disturbing people.

A place of imagination. An enclosed, safe and secluded place where you can relax and be yourself, let your children play

certain characteristics, their blood pressure, pulse, etc., can return to normal more quickly (Ottosson and Grahn, 1998).

That the landscape promotes well-being is a common feeling among most people, but more specific knowledge about different landscape qualities has been lacking, as have evidence from epidemiological research and hard facts that can be used in social economic calculations.

An epidemiological study was enabled by merging data from a large regional public health survey with regional GIS data on landscape, land-use, nature and cultural preservation, etc.
