Landscape and soundscape quality promote stress recovery in nearby urban nature: A multisensory field experiment

• DOI: 10.1016/j.ufug.2024.128286
• Publication Date: 2024-03-16T16:37:17Z
• Authors: Silviya Korpilo; Elina Nyberg; Kati Vierikko; Ann Ojala; Janne Kaseva; Jenni Lehtimäki; Leena Kopperoinen; Gunnar Cerwén; Marcus Hedblom; Eugenia Castellazzi; Christopher M. Ra...
• Keywords: Soundscape; Environmental Quality; Social Connectedness

Cities have different benefits and risks, but are often stressful environments to live in.Everyday contact with nearby nature can be a crucial way alleviate stress increase the well-being of citizens. However, there is still limited evidence on how nature-health vary according type quality natural environments. This study integrated multiple landscape soundscape objective perceived assessments examine recovery in types neighbourhood nature. We used field randomised experiment (n=45) analyse effects various random fixed factors restoration including: environmental conditions (e.g. temperature, wind, air quality), personal characteristics age, gender, health, connectedness), presence other people Perceived Environmental Aesthetic Qualities Scale Sound Affective Quality scale). found that physiological psychological significantly greater sites higher visual (% elements) acoustic (Normalized Difference Soundscape Index (NDSI)) naturalness i.e. beach forest, compared urban park (control site). were strongly associated recovery, these results more pronounced for soundscape. highlights deserve systematic attention green infrastructure research planning. Finally, we important early reduction Electrodermal activity (EDA) only within 3 minutes exposure especially forest.