Your five-star review of a park may have more weight than you think. Scientists just turned it into data, thanks to artificial intelligence.
Researchers at the University of Florida based in Fort Lauderdale used machine learning to analyze more than 30,000 Google Maps and TripAdvisor reviews for parks, gardens and greenways throughout Broward County. Their analysis identified 11 types of "cultural ecosystem services" or nonmaterial benefits provided by nature, such as beauty, recreation, relaxation and inspiration. By using this type of AI, they pinpointed which parks offer the richest mix of these services.
Their findings, published in the journal Ecosystem Services , show that parks with more trees, more space, diverse plants and wildlife and water features tend to deliver the most value.
AI also revealed that cultural benefits often overlap. For example, a trail popular for jogging might also offer birdwatching, family time and quiet reflection – all bundled together in one green pocket of the city.
"By applying AI to countless online reviews, we can now measure these cultural values and understand how park design and planning can be optimized for public wellbeing," said Haojie Cao, lead author and a doctoral student at UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center , or FLREC.
The study's authors suggest this AI-driven approach could be used anywhere, turning what people are already saying online into actionable insights for building healthier, happier communities.
It's a blend of cutting-edge tech and hometown values, the same kind of algorithms driving innovation in healthcare and business are now helping decode how people experience and value nature in one of Florida's most urban counties. For Broward, where nearly two million residents share limited open space, researchers found that certain parks offer the greatest boosts to well-being. Features like shade, trees, walking paths and water access emerged as especially important in shaping people's experiences.
"Social media data, empowered by AI, could provide a valuable means to understand where and how urban residents benefit most from parks and track progress towards management and planning efforts to optimize greenspaces that benefit both people and nature," said Jiangxiao Qiu , associate professor of landscape ecology at the UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center and the senior author of this work. "In some ways, the results could be considered citizen science data since the observations are right from the source."
Among other study takeaways, findings revealed that aesthetics, entertainment and physical and experiential offerings are the most reported cultural ecosystem services provided by urban greenspaces. Authors suggest these bundled benefits are opportunities to design and manage parks in ways that enhance the user's experience adding value to the park for the public.
Ultimately, the research offers an adaptable roadmap — powered by AI and big data — for studying, mapping and understanding the intangible cultural values of urban nature, said Qiu.
"These cultural ecosystem services are among the most valuable benefits that urban parks and greenspaces provide to its residents," he said. "As cities grow in size and population, sustainable greenspace planning and management can be informed and empowered by AI and big data to understand where and how to allocate efforts and resources to improve their cultural values and social wellbeing and to track progress towards these urban policy and intervention goals."
