Isovist and Psycho-Physiological Stress at the Pedestrian Level: A Real-Time Measurement Case Study in a High-Density City

Xiang, Luyao and Papastefanou, Georgios (2019) Isovist and Psycho-Physiological Stress at the Pedestrian Level: A Real-Time Measurement Case Study in a High-Density City. IS THIS THE REAL WORLD? Perfect Smart Cities vs. Real Emotional Cities. Proceedings of REAL CORP 2019, 24th International Conference on Urban Development, Regional Planning and Information Society. pp. 463-471. ISSN 2521-3938

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Abstract

Modern city living can be burdensome to mental health. Statistics from the World Health Organisation indicate that depression will be the second leading cause of disability worldwide by 2020. Emotion is an important part of mental health. Prospect refuge theory is the most famous theory that explains environmental emotional influence in terms of urban planning and architecture. Calculating isovist indicators is a means to quantify the physical environment, and it exhibits a close relationship with the factors proposed by the theory. This study was conducted for the first time in Hong Kong. In April, 30 subjects were asked to walk a predefined route for an average of 1.3 h. The subjects wore a portable smart band to record their psycho–physiological stress 10 times/s. After data collection, a logistic regression model was applied to explore the relationships between isovist indicator level and emotional response. Results demonstrate the following. (1) An open space with a visual target at a distance is the dominant factor that creates positive emotions in Hong Kong. (2) Refuge is not a positive factor for happiness, which differs from the findings in Europe. (3) Prospect refuge theory restricts the interpretation of complexity. (4) A visual field of 120° is suitable for further analysis.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	prospect refuge theory, real-time measurement, skin conductance response, isovist, high-density city
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HA Statistics H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor H Social Sciences > HE Transportation and Communications H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Depositing User:	REAL CORP Administrator
Date Deposited:	28 Jan 2021 13:00
Last Modified:	28 Jan 2021 15:53
URI:	http://repository.corp.at/id/eprint/518

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