Visual Preferences for Slope Greening and Stabilization Techniques: the Case Study of Northern Part of Okinawa Island, Japan

Recently, the use of forest roads for recreational activities has been increasing. High scenic quality is considered important to visitors. Therefore, the visual quality of the roadside is one of the important aspects in managing forest roads in addition to the functioning and durability for slope stabilization. However, knowledge about public's visual preferences for different roadside management is scarce, even if it is important knowledge for designing slope greening in order to balance the function and aesthetic quality. In this study, we conducted an interview survey to explore public visual preferences towards various roadside solutions in Okinawa, Japan, which is increasingly becoming a popular tourist destination. A total of 143 survey responses were received and the non-parametric analyzes (chi-square test, gamma coefficient) were applied to examine the effect of socio-demographic characteristics (age, gender, marital status, employment status, income level, education level, birthplace, and the current residential place) on their preferences. Our results show that the public's favorite roadside scenery is a forest vegetation without any visible man-made structures. The preferences for some slope greening and stabilization interventions depend on the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondent. Results from the responses reveal that visual quality on slopes of forest roads is highly important, but the "safety" is even more crucial.