Exploring the association between neighbourhood streetscape vegetation and subjective well-being in a high-density built environment: evidence from Beijing, China

Many studies have disentangled the perceived benefits of vegetation on subjective well-being (SWB). Yet, scant attention has been paid to the joint effect of vegetation and building density on SWB. This study explores the relationship between streetscape vegetation (SV), building density and SWB in Beijing, China. Our analysis relies on rich measures of street view data to assess SV exposure at the neighbourhood level. Notably, we distinguish between trees (SV-tree) and grasses (SV-grass) when evaluating SV metrics. The results suggest that streetscape trees and grasses are positively associated with SWB, though estimated effects are dependent upon tree and grass density exposures. We also find that the effects of streetscape trees and grass are moderated by building density in the neighbourhood. Additional decomposition analysis provides the insight that the well-being implications of street vegetation and building density are varied significantly by individual sociodemographic characteristics such as sex, age and income. The findings of this study suggest the importance of considering density in SV planning and land use policies to enhance people's quality of life.