Assessing human emotional responses to the design of public spaces around subway stations: a human factors research

Abstract

Abstract Transit-oriented development (TOD) is a powerful urban planning strategy to enhance sustainability and provide socioeconomic benefits for cities. The human-centered design of public spaces around subway stations is a critical issue in TOD. In this study, a socio-technical system-based perspective was adopted to investigate the impact of using different design strategies in public spaces around subway stations on human emotional responses. The novelty of this study lies in performing a human factors experiment to examine human emotional reactions to outdoor public spaces surrounding transit stations using a comprehensive method combining physiological assessment and subjective self-report. Thirty-four participants were recruited for the experiment, which was conducted at the catchment areas of two subway stations in Nanjing, China. Urban design characteristics related to open space enclosure and visual elements, natural elements, pedestrian access, surrounding buildings or walls, and land use and activities were tested in both semi-underground and above-ground public spaces. Additionally, human emotions were assessed using the pleasure, arousal, and dominance model and by investigating the four response systems that predominantly reflect people’s emotional states. These results led to design and policy suggestions that could assist practitioners and researchers in selecting relevant approaches for human-oriented and place-based TOD planning. Graphical abstract