Disentangling the relationship between green spaces and citizens’ perceptions in Europe: the mediating effect of quality of life and role of per capita gross domestic product.

People perceive many health and well-being benefits from urban green spaces, including improvement in quality of life. So far, these benefits have been studied mainly at a city level, while research on a larger scale, such as a European one, is lacking. There is no evidence of the association between green spaces and benefits perceived by citizens based on socio-economic differences between cities. This study aims to clarify the relationship between urban greenery, perceived quality of life, environment, social inclusion and urban management in 51 European cities, and the role of per capita income in moderating the effects of greenery on the overall quality of life. Through structural equation modeling, we tested the effect of greenery on the overall quality of life perceived by citizens (i.e. on the environment, social inclusion and urban management). We also investigated the role of metropolitan gross domestic product per capita in moderating the relationship between greenery and citizens’ perceptions of overall quality of life. Our results confirm the influence of greenery on citizens’ quality of life. More importantly, the influence of greenery on the perceived overall quality of life was much more evident in low-income cities. This study represents one of the first attempts to explore complex mechanisms underlying the association between green space and citizen well-being at a continental level. Practical implications for urban planners and European policy makers are discussed.