The purpose of this study is to explore and analyse user perceptions of peri-rural landscapes in the Seoul metropolitan region, using Icheon City as a case study. While the multifunctionality of peri-rural areas—providing ecological, cultural, and socioeconomic benefits—is increasingly recognised, the perceptual and experiential dimensions remain underexplored in South Korea. To address this gap, 10,578 Naver Blog posts were collected and refined, resulting in 8078 valid entries. Methodologically, this study introduces an innovative approach by integrating centrality analysis with latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic modeling of user-generated content, supported by a bespoke dictionary of 170 local landscape resources. This combined framework allows simultaneous examination of structural associations and thematic narratives within user perceptions. The results indicate that resources such as Seolbong Urban Park, Seolbong Mountain, and the Cornus Fruit (sansuyu) Villages function as symbolic hubs in the perceptual network, while thematic clusters capture multi-dimensional concerns spanning leisure, ecology, culture, suburbanization, and real estate. Synthesised together, these findings demonstrate that user perceptions construct peri-rural landscapes not as isolated sites, but as spatially cohesive and thematically interconnected systems that mediate between urban and rural domains. Overall, this study contributes to metropolitan planning discourse by highlighting perceptual dimensions alongside functional and ecological dimensions. It shows that users cognitively construct peri-rural landscapes as systems that are both spatially cohesive and thematically interconnected, and that function as spaces that link urban and rural areas. Crucially, this study provides a replicable framework for using user-generated content to inform the planning and management of peri-rural landscapes in metropolitan areas.

This study analysed the greater Seoul area (GSA) in terms of naturalness, a representative indicator of natural scenic beauty, and created an assessment map, shifting from a traditional urban development perspective to a landscape perspective. It also developed a “normalised naturalness index” by combining the results of the expert metric score with the Hemeroby index, which was used as a naturalness assessment representative item. Then, it interpreted the naturalness status of the GSA landscape characteristics. As a result, the landscape of the GSA demonstrates the following five characteristics: First, the central business districts in the capital city of Seoul are densely developed areas with a very high degree of human intervention. Second, the satellite cities built to solve Seoul’s housing and logistics problems are rated as “a little less, but still heavily humanised” as a landscape characteristic. These areas are becoming increasingly humanised. Also, it is worth noting that the third characteristic, regarding moderate landscape areas, has a distinctly different meaning for areas outside of the city boundary, as well as those within the city boundary. Although these areas are in the same statistical category, they have two different meanings: one is the area where the average values converged on “moderate” by virtue of urban forests near the city centre, and the other is the area outside of Seoul that has a Hemeroby value of 0.5–0.6, which refers to open spaces such as agricultural lands, wetlands, or coastal areas. Fourth, suburban forests are reserved with legal restrictions to curb excessive urban sprawl, as well as parts of the demilitarised zone along the border areas of North and South Koreas. The last landscape characteristic is illustrated in the scenic area of the eastern woodlands. The normalised landscape naturalness index developed through this study provides an overall understanding of the environmental state of the GSA. Future research may build on the results of this study to refine methods for assessing public perceptions of naturalness.

This study aimed to explore Perceived Naturalness and diverse Landscape Appreciation based on landscape theory and to explore variations in naturalness perception among 25 users of Ansan city park using Q methodology. The results of the study identified six distinct groups representing different aspects of natural landscape appreciation, indicating significant variations in preferences for natural environments. The study found that while naturalness awareness had a common Processing model from an evolutionary perspective, it could be perceived differently based on individual experience and intimacy with nature. Overall, this study identified shared patterns in landscape perception related to perceived naturalness while highlighting individual differences in naturalness preferences.

The purpose of this study is to explore and analyse user perceptions of peri-rural landscapes in the Seoul metropolitan region, using Icheon City as a case study. While the multifunctionality of peri-rural areas—providing ecological, cultural, and socioeconomic benefits—is increasingly recognised, the perceptual and experiential dimensions remain underexplored in South Korea. To address this gap, 10,578 Naver Blog posts were collected and refined, resulting in 8078 valid entries. Methodologically, this study introduces an innovative approach by integrating centrality analysis with latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic modeling of user-generated content, supported by a bespoke dictionary of 170 local landscape resources. This combined framework allows simultaneous examination of structural associations and thematic narratives within user perceptions. The results indicate that resources such as Seolbong Urban Park, Seolbong Mountain, and the Cornus Fruit (sansuyu) Villages function as symbolic hubs in the perceptual network, while thematic clusters capture multi-dimensional concerns spanning leisure, ecology, culture, suburbanization, and real estate. Synthesised together, these findings demonstrate that user perceptions construct peri-rural landscapes not as isolated sites, but as spatially cohesive and thematically interconnected systems that mediate between urban and rural domains. Overall, this study contributes to metropolitan planning discourse by highlighting perceptual dimensions alongside functional and ecological dimensions. It shows that users cognitively construct peri-rural landscapes as systems that are both spatially cohesive and thematically interconnected, and that function as spaces that link urban and rural areas. Crucially, this study provides a replicable framework for using user-generated content to inform the planning and management of peri-rural landscapes in metropolitan areas.

This study aimed to explore Perceived Naturalness and diverse Landscape Appreciation based on landscape theory and to explore variations in naturalness perception among 25 users of Ansan city park using Q methodology. The results of the study identified six distinct groups representing different aspects of natural landscape appreciation, indicating significant variations in preferences for natural environments. The study found that while naturalness awareness had a common Processing model from an evolutionary perspective, it could be perceived differently based on individual experience and intimacy with nature. Overall, this study identified shared patterns in landscape perception related to perceived naturalness while highlighting individual differences in naturalness preferences.

Abstract This study aimed to develop a method for assessing landscapes using environmental data and user-generated data, which are commonly employed in landscape research. It focused on the Seoul metropolitan area in South Korea, devising evaluation indicators for five key concepts: naturalness, diversity, imageability, historicity, and disturbance. These indicators were used to assess the landscapes based on each index. We employed a self-organizing map, an artificial neural network technique, to categorize the landscape units and developed eight evaluation indicators for the five key concepts, organizing the study area’s landscapes into six distinct landscape units. This study identified landscape unit types with increased vulnerability to visual blight or heightened public awareness by considering both user characteristics and environmental attributes in the metropolitan area landscapes. Finally, we discussed future tasks for appropriate landscape management based on each landscape area’s characteristics to maintain and enhance landscape quality.

This study analysed the greater Seoul area (GSA) in terms of naturalness, a representative indicator of natural scenic beauty, and created an assessment map, shifting from a traditional urban development perspective to a landscape perspective. It also developed a “normalised naturalness index” by combining the results of the expert metric score with the Hemeroby index, which was used as a naturalness assessment representative item. Then, it interpreted the naturalness status of the GSA landscape characteristics. As a result, the landscape of the GSA demonstrates the following five characteristics: First, the central business districts in the capital city of Seoul are densely developed areas with a very high degree of human intervention. Second, the satellite cities built to solve Seoul’s housing and logistics problems are rated as “a little less, but still heavily humanised” as a landscape characteristic. These areas are becoming increasingly humanised. Also, it is worth noting that the third characteristic, regarding moderate landscape areas, has a distinctly different meaning for areas outside of the city boundary, as well as those within the city boundary. Although these areas are in the same statistical category, they have two different meanings: one is the area where the average values converged on “moderate” by virtue of urban forests near the city centre, and the other is the area outside of Seoul that has a Hemeroby value of 0.5–0.6, which refers to open spaces such as agricultural lands, wetlands, or coastal areas. Fourth, suburban forests are reserved with legal restrictions to curb excessive urban sprawl, as well as parts of the demilitarised zone along the border areas of North and South Koreas. The last landscape characteristic is illustrated in the scenic area of the eastern woodlands. The normalised landscape naturalness index developed through this study provides an overall understanding of the environmental state of the GSA. Future research may build on the results of this study to refine methods for assessing public perceptions of naturalness.

Though the activities in urban facilities have declined during the COVID-19, the demand for visiting open spaces and parks has increased. Visitors to city parks also increased in Seoul. People have realized that nature is an important space for safety, health, and leisure in their everyday life. This study implied that people intended to visit city parks as a natural space in the urban area. So, an assessment criterion of the quality of environments of city parks, naturalness is selected as one of the indicators. This study chose six parks as a study subject in Seoul and found differences for users in the perception of naturalness in city parks. Q methodology is a useful tool to identify differences between individual's perceptions of nature. Through the Q analysis, six groups have differences in the perception and the valuation of naturalness. The study found that differences have resulted from their past experiences, personal preferences, and psychological status. The first group can be named a dynamic type who enjoys various landscapes, and the second is the group of people who love to meditate in serene woodlands. The third group wants to observe the animals and consider the ecosystem as important, and the fourth group is those who love to feel the changing seasons with sensitivity. The fifth group recognizes nature through the contrast between the building and the natural environment in the city. The last group is those who pursue conservation for old trees or the existing nature environment itself. As a general, appraisal of perceived naturalness is subjective and individual. The perception of naturalness influences landscape preferences and attitudes to city parks. Therefore, the naturalness perceived by users should be a crucial consideration to maximize park services so that users can appreciate various tastes.

본 연구는 국내 주요 일간지 환경뉴스(2013–2022)에서 생태계 담론의 구조와 시계열 변화, 그리고 전환점을 분석하였다. ‘생태계’ 키워드로 수집한 기사 중 동음이의･비환경 맥락을 정제한 15,429건을 대상으로 Contextualized Topic Model (CTM)으로 잠재 토픽을 추출하고, 토픽 상관･공출현 관계와 연도별 토픽 비중 시계열을 결합하여 부상･쇠퇴 및 변화점을 탐지하였다. 분석 결과 국내 생태계 관련 환경담론은 13개 토픽(Topic Diversity=0.96)으로 구성되었다. 미세먼지･대기오염 담론은 10년간 지속적으로 강화된 반면, 문화생태계서비스 관련 토픽은 유의하게 감소하였다. 또한 2020년 이후 ESG･환경교육 토픽이 급증하여 담론의 중심이 ‘보전/활용’에서 ‘위기/책임’으로 이동하는 양상이 확인되었다. 변화점 분석을 통해 담론 변화는 (1) 활용･관리기(2013–2016), (2) 보전–위기 전환기(2016–2019), (3) 위기･ESG 확장기(2020–2022)의 3단계로 구분되었다. 본 연구는 뉴스 텍스트 기반 토픽–관계–시계열 통합 분석을 통해 환경담론의 구조적 재편과 전환점을 정량적으로 규명하였다는 의의가 있다.

This study aims to classify spatial living zones in remote island areas of Korea based on accessibility to basic services. Using QGIS-based network analysis and clustering methods, accessibility was measured at both local and regional levels for 321 inhabited islands with available, maritime transport data. Key services—healthcare, education, culture, commerce, and transportation— were used to derive accessibility indicators. Islands were categorized into four types: (1) Inland-connected Island Living Zones with easy land access, (2) Mid-distance individual Zones highly dependent on maritime transport, (3) Independent Island Living Zones with full internal service coverage, and (4) Remote Hub-Island-Connected Living Zones with core-periphery structures between central and surrounding islands. Each type exhibited distinct spatial and functional characteristics in terms of service dependency and geographic distribution. The findings highlight the need for differentiated strategies in service provision and spatial planning. This study provides empirical evidence to support customized policy development for improving quality of life in geographically isolated island regions.

This study utilized the Topographic Position Index (TPI) to quantitatively identify the spatial characteristics of ruralness in Gochang County, Jeollabuk-do, and proposed management strategies for different landscape types. In response to the implementation of rural space restructuring policies, this study aimed to complement the limitations of existing urban planning-centered approaches and move beyond amenity-based resource classification by attempting a landscape interpretation that reflects topography, water systems, and spatial structure. Using 30-m SRTM DEM data, we calculated TPI for circular neighborhoods with a 500-m radius, representing the basic living-area unit. Hilly areas were then delineated where the slope was ≤ 10° and TPI was ≥ 5. After correlation analysis and standardization (Z-score), K-means clustering analysis (K=3) was conducted to classify Gochang's hilly areas into forest-type, facility farmland-type, and grassland-type. The forest type has high elevation, slope, and forest coverage, making it highly valuable for conservation. The facility farmland type is characterized by low elevation and flat terrain supporting intensive agricultural activities. The grassland type has a mixed structure with no dominant land use, offering high potential for land use conversion. Differentiated management strategies, such as ecological conservation, agricultural environment management, and mixed-use development, were proposed for each type. This study presents a practical analytical framework for spatializing rural characteristics based on topography, demonstrating its potential as foundational data for region-specific rural spatial planning.