Global Green-Blue Aesthetics

203K images reveal what makes urban nature shareable

Explore the distribution of green-blue spaces across 186 cities worldwide:

💡 Click markers to explore photo counts and aesthetic features across cities

What makes a green space “Instagram-worthy”?

We analyzed 203,000 social media photos from 186 cities to learn what people love in urban nature.

The Approach

  • Computer vision + BERTopic NLP
  • Flickr API, GIS workflows
  • Global, city-level comparison

Water wins

8 of the top 10 most-photographed landscape elements involve water.

Cities with more “photo-able” green–blue spaces show higher subjective well-being
(correlation ≈ +0.43; stronger in high-income cities, p < 0.05).

Design takeaways

Planners

  • Treat social photos as real-time public space feedback.
  • Prioritize water access; high ROI for engagement.
  • “Shareability” often signals genuine appreciation.

Policymakers

  • Photo frequency ≈ proxy for cultural ecosystem services.
  • Track longitudinal change for policy evaluation.
  • Context matters—avoid one-size-fits-all.

Designers

  • Combine: water features, seasonal variety, wildlife moments, architecture–nature integration, and good lighting.

Publication
Wang, W. (2024). Edinburgh Architecture Research, 38(2), 49–64.

Tech
Python • CV • BERTopic • Flickr API • GIS