VOL.11, NO.2
HOT SPRING LANDSCAPE BECOMING CULTURAL COMMODITIES: CREATING A PAID-FOR EXPERIENCES LEISURE SPACES
Jing-Shoung Hou
This study is based on observations of social changes and transformations of how human activities are influenced by commercial and consumption behaviors. The aim is to explore how this change of behavior and culture production affect future trend in landscape design. Taiwan is in the process of post-modernism transformation, from industrial production to culture production. In this new era, the characteristics of products include commodities of hedonism subjects and culture resources marketing. In the process of post-modernization, the main trend was commoditization of paid-for experiences, commodities changed from physical substance to intangible experiences. Consumers are more willing to paid-for experiences and disburse for intangible experiences such the atmosphere or cultural service, therefore new and developing industry included bath and SPA. Hot spring will become a new cultural industry, which can be categorized as experience industries. Commodities not only include "hot water" and "hot spring", but it also involved the whole hot spring experiences of setting, and atmosphere in landscape. SPA commodities of paid-for experiences included commodification of body (internal part of experience) and commodification of space (external pall of experience). The inherent nature of commodification of this experience not just modifies the functional sector but also includes format and service. Consumer SPA experience always attain their demand and purpose (to show off, identification, self-confidence), though space experience and body perception they could really feel pleasure (physical pleasure, sexual imagination). Two main subjects constitute a hot spring SPA space: 1. shopping center culture of hot spring place experience; 2. space subjects changed from education to leisure. In atmosphere and decoration of SPA resort center, the place may offer exotic experience and comforting atmosphere, and make best constitute of shops and most appropriate shopping environment; popularization of SPA changed from solemn body privacy to a joyful body experience of self-figure esthetics learning, its recreation or pleasure value were reinterpret again. Hot spring SPA commercial affairs in process of products and service marketing, transforming to commercial relationships, cultural production, and supply for life experience, now landscape design of hot spring and SPA is became a new paid-for experience consumption culture in Taiwan.
PEDESTRIAN'S PREFERENCE FOR TREES AND PAVEMENTS OF SIDEWALK ON URBAN STREETSCAPE OF TAIPEI CITY
Yu-Yuan Chiu, Yann-Jou Lin
The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of elements of urban streetscape such as street vegetation and sidewalk pavements on pedestrian's preference. The regarch conducted experiments by using computer-simulated images as virtual alternative of street design projects in Taipei City. The elements selected various types of street trees species, interval of trees, height of shrubbery, material, pattern and color of sidewalk pavements. The respondents participating in this experiment were asked to evaluate preference-based values of thirty-two alternatives by questionnaires. The respondents included students and landscape professions. The results indicated: 1. Street trees species, interval of trees, height of shrubbery, pavements material, pavements pattern and pavements color of sidewalk would significantly influence preference. The shrubbery had more and the interval of trees had less effects on preference. 2. Street trees species, interval of trees and height of shrubbery had significant interactive influence on respondent's preference for streetscape. 3. Pavements material, pavements pattern and pavements color of sidewalk had significant interactive influence on respondent's preference for streetscape. 4. Partial personal characteristics of the respondents had significant influence on preference for streetscape.
A STUDY ON THE INFLUENCE OF COLOR RENDERING AND COLOR TEMPERATURE OF OUTDOOR ARTIFICIAL LIGHT ON VISUAL PERCEPTION —USING A SIMULATION OF THE TRAIL OF THE URBAN PARK AT NIGHT AS THE EXAMPLE
Ting-Hui Chen, Yu-Bin Lin
The light for lighting urban parks is as diverse in variety as high in maintenance cost, and dictates the visual environment quality. Meanwhile the lighting's colour rendering and colour temperature determine the effect of the environment's colour showing, and are the primary conditions to achieve the desired visual quality of colour showing. This study adopted on-the-spot lighting simulation, and employed the Semantic Differentiated Method and questionnaire survey in conducting the visual perception experiment, and then carried out the income data statistical analysis. The result of the experiment showed that the testees had lower receptiveness (50.4%) for High-Pressure Sodium Lamp than other sorts of lamp. Furthermore gender and education level influenced visual perception. The testees were affected by the colour rendering of environment and had common predilections of colour rendering index. Which meant they preferred warm colour light of low illuminant, and the predilection of colour rendering index was around 2700°K. Secure feeling also rose as the colour-rendering index increased. In the same environment, receptiveness for colouring rendering index of 69 was over 78%. However when the colour-rendering index reached 81 Ra, the testees could not perceive any difference even though the index had been increased.
THE POST-OCCUPANCY EVALUATION OF RECREATIONAL FACILITIES IN NATIONAL PARK-A CASE STUDY OF BULUOWAN RECREATIONAL AREA IN TAROKO NATIONAL
Wen-chin Huang, Yu-ching Chen
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the service quality and the effectiveness of management performance of recreational facilities of Buluowan Recreational Area in Taroko National Park by the method of Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE). The performance of Buluowan was assessed by data collected from in-depth interviews of managers, physical environment investigation, on-site participant observation and visitors questionnaire. The study results showed that performance of the environmental planning, landscape design, services and managements of Buluowan was very satisfactory, especially the interpretation services and public facilities. The study concluded that the POE is feasibility to evaluate the performance of national park services and managements, and evaluation results are helpful to establish the strategies to improve the management. Hence the government should establish a POE model and continue periodical evaluating the effectiveness of management performance of recreation area for improving national park service quality.
VOL.11, NO.1
A STUDY ON SOCIAL CARRYING CAPACITY AND EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES OF VISITORS IN THE HISTORICAL STREETS
Lee-Hsueh Lee, Kuo-Yu Lo
The computer dynamic simulation of Lu-gang's Pu-tou Street and An-ping's Yan-ping Street in, which is representative of historical street area in Taiwan. The research is to investigate the social carrying capacity· and emotional experience of visitors in the two streets. In previous study it reveals both the two streets uncrowned perception lies below the number of 15 persons; In Pu-tou Street the moderate perception lies between 16 and 40 persons and in Yan-ping Street it lays between 16 and 60 persons; the crowded perception in Pu-tou Street lies above 41 persons and in Yan-ping Street it lies above 61 persons. Hence the perceived crowding of visitors in Pu-tou Street is stronger than in Yan-ping Street. The result of research regarding the emotional experience of visitors to historical streetscape can be described by the tour factors of emotional experiences. The analysis of when the visitor contacts other visitor's tour around historical streets is related to the emotional experience in historical streetscape. And the index of perceived crowding will affect the emotional experience of visitors.
A STUDY ON VISITORS' PREFERENCES FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL ATTRIBUTES OF HOT SPRINGS
Chia-Chi Chang, Yann-Jou Lin
The purpose of the study was to investigate which environmental attributes of hot springs visitors take into consideration to. Four important attributes were identified from literature as well as a pilot study. They were converted into nine alternatives. A questionnaire consisting of verbal descriptions of the nine alternatives was used to collect data. The respondents were asked to rank the nine alternatives according to their preferences, and then an OLS regression was used to analyze the data. The results show that the form of the hot spring pool is the most important attribute and is followed by the degree of nature around the pool, the scenery, and the price. For the purpose of market segmentation, a k-means cluster technique with similarities of preference models was employed to categorize the visitors. Three segments were clearly identified and were named as "price sensitive," "pool from oriented," and "nature oriented," respectively.
THE CONSTRUCTION OF ASSESSMENT CRITERIA FOR RECREATIONAL USAGE OF WILD HOT SPRING APPLICATION FOR PAYIAN HOT SPRING AREA IN YAMINGSHAN NATIONAL PARK
Jia-jyYen
The recreational usage of hot spring in wild stream is a critical issue for conservation groups and public agencies. Because of environmental fragility, many location of wild hot spring do not open for public recreational usage. Therefore the purpose of this study is to set up a systematic procedure to evaluate the possibility of openness for wild hot spring area. Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is the evaluated procedure used in this research, the hierarchy to be analyzed has three level and seventeen sub-criteria. All these sub-criteria are rooted from three criteria of the first level, which are nature resources, management, and public demand criteria. The research engaged a penal of specialists to determine the priority and related weight of these criteria. This penal include the scholars from geography, natural preservation, recreational planning, and forest areas, as well as personnel from conservation groups and from related public authorities. The results showed the top three important ones among these criteria are 'control of visitors', 'rule and regulation', and 'the amount of stream flow of hot spring'. When applied the criteria to the case study area, the result shows Ba-yean hot spring area is not suitable for open for public. Therefore the research suggests this area shall remain in wildness status.
USES AND BENEFITS OF TAIPEI URBAN PARKS
Tsung-Chiung Wu, Ting-Chen Chuang, Ping-Tsan Ho
The quantity and quality of urban parks greatly influence the life quality of residents. This study intends to study the uses and benefits of Taipei park (system), and further examines relations among park uses, benefits and users' characteristics. Four major issues are examined: (1) to illustrate the levels and types of park uses, (2) to explore the types and importance of park benefits, (3) to examine the relations among users' characteristics, park uses, and perceived park benefits, (5) to compare the findings with the previous U.S. studies. The study found that people heavily relied on parks for their leisure life. About 80 percent of people used Taipei park (system), especially their neighborhood park. Leisure walking, chatting, and resting were the most frequent activities in the park. About 40 percent of people were very appreciated park benefits delivered by the Taipei park (system). The other 50 percent of people also recognized the park benefits. Among them, air condition, city landscape, and open spaces were the most identifiable benefits. This study also verified the empirical relationships between users' characteristics and park uses and benefits. Finally, this study suggested the implications for urban park provisions and management.