Work

Mapping perceived sentiments in university campuses with varied landscape metrics and climatic conditions

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: A sustainable university campus should accommodate students to experience positive emotions, which can be evoked by sustainable landscape with green and blue spaces (GBS). This effect is location-dependent because local vegetative type is climate-determinative, but evidence is not sufficient for sentiments of people experiencing campus landscapes. Forty-seven university campuses were selected along a latitudinal gradient in mainland China, and 100 subjects were chosen per campus (50 indoor and 50 outdoor). Photos of the subjects’ faces on Sina Weibo were collected. Facial expressions were assigned happy, sad, and neutral scores (n = 4,334). The average temperature (AveT) and blue space area (BlueA) showed negative relationships with latitude, thereby generating neutral emotion scores for subjects at indoor and outdoor locations. The ratio of green space area to host campus was the only landscape metric that depressed the presentation of happiness and enhanced sadness levels. Large water bodies should be built on campuses to induce calmness, and a high ratio of green spaces should be avoided. Mapping results show that campuses in eastern regions (Beijing and Liaoning) tend to elicit positive sentiments more frequently.

Source: Frontiers in Psychology

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1467966

Authors: Qiyuan Yan, Yuxiang Sun

Institutions: Johns Hopkins University, Jilin University

Language: English

Topic: Urban Green Space and Health

Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,295