Landscape, as an area of human perception, results from the interplay between nature and human activity. In this process, external environmental information is filtered and processed through the sensory system, ultimately forming perception and driving higher levels of cognition. Recent advancements in neurocognitive science have deepened our understanding of sensory perception mechanisms, particularly in the context of landscape experiences. The interaction of sensory dimensions such as visual, auditory, and olfactory perceptions in landscape experiences does not simply add up, but results from multilayered information processing. For example, Impression, Sunrise, Claude Monet’s Impressionist work, reveals the neurological principles behind how the brain processes landscapes through the clever use of color and light contrast. Research included in this edition focuses on the multisensory influences in landscape experience, exploring how they shape human behaviors, emotions, and health, particularly in urban green spaces and historical areas. While focusing on how urban construction should meet humans’ needs, the research also emphasizes ecological diversity to promote harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.
Visual quality assessment of urban green spaces is a major topic in landscape architecture research, yet traditional methods face limitations in practice. The rapid development of artificial intelligence and street-view big data offers opportunities for advancing green space perception studies. However, the lack of full street view image coverage of green spaces in China poses challenges for related research. Focusing on public landscape perception evaluation, this research took Zhujiang Park in Guangzhou, China as a case study. The research team utilized a convenient image collection method by panoramic camera and an effective processing workflow, and then employed the Segformer-B5 semantic segmentation model and the ViT-base-p16 image classification model to calculate four objective evaluation metrics (green view index, sky view factor, road visibility index, and artificial structure visibility index) and four subjective evaluation metrics (attractiveness, richness, naturalness, and depression) for visual quality assessment. Based on the spatial distribution results of these metrics, comprehensive analyses were conducted and low-score areas were identified. Research results indicate that vegetation and water features significantly enhance park attractiveness and positive perceptions, while excessive sky and artificial structures produce negative effects; oppressive artificial landscapes and constrained architectural views also lower overall landscape quality. The image collection and visual perception evaluation methods proposed in this study provide a scientific basis for the renovation and management of urban green spaces.
Plant landscapes play a vital role in promoting physical and mental health. Rosa chinensis, commonly known as "Chinese rose" and with diverse colors and fragrances, is widely used in urban landscaping and home gardening. However, its restorative benefits have yet to be explored from a sensory interaction perspective. This study investigated the effects of rose landscapes on stress relief, attention recovery, and emotional regulation. Participants (university students) were randomly assigned to 12 sensory groups combining six color series (white, orange, pink, red, yellow, and blue-violet) with two fragrance types—Fragrance of Rose (FR) and Fragrance of Fruity (FF). Through stress-inducing tasks followed by visual-olfactory recovery experiments, physiological and psychological data—including EEG and mood states—were analyzed. Results showed that white and blue-violet roses significantly alleviated stress, with the FF roses outperforming the FR ones. Warm colors (e.g., red, yellow), particularly the red–FR and yellow–FF combinations, excelled in boosting attention and positive emotions. Furthermore, visual stimuli had a greater impact on attention recovery and improvement of emotional health than olfactory stimuli. The study also confirmed the potential of sensory interactions in optimizing landscape perception and enhancing health benefits. Based on these findings, practical design strategies were proposed to maximize the therapeutic value of rose landscapes for various land uses. This research offers critical insights into leveraging plant landscapes for health promotion and provides new directions for designing urban green spaces and therapeutic environments.
Traffic noise is a typical negative sound source in urban environments with impacts on crowd behaviors. To explore the combined effects of auditory–olfactory interaction environments on crowd behaviors, this study conducted a covert behavioral observation experiment on a typical urban street uniformly planted with lilacs (Syringa spp.) to investigate the combined effects of plant odor and traffic noise on crowd path and crowd speed. The results showed that: 1) for crowd path, when the sound pressure level (SPL) was high, the path ranges and their mean values under different odor concentrations all showed a tendency to be farther away from the sound source than when it was low; the mean values of path ranges gradually moved towards the odor source as the odor went from none to strong, which was more significant at high SPL, with a maximum longitudinal movement of about 0.3 m. 2) For crowd speed, its mean values gradually slowed down from 1.24 m/s at high SPL as the odor went from none to strong and then stabilized at 1.18 m/s; however, those at low SPL were almost unaffected. This research puts forward new ideas to alleviate the negative impacts of traffic noise, and the study results can provide guiding significance for the improvement of the evaluation system of urban landscape quality and the optimization of urban design mode.
As important cultural service providers in urban ecosystems, historical blocks play a crucial role in ensuring the well-being of multiple stakeholders during the urban renewal process. Based on theories of Landsenses Ecology and literature review, this study systematically examined the landsense elements of historical blocks and their related cultural ecosystem services (CES) by proposing a landsense design practice framework for CES enhancement and further constructing a landsense evaluation indicator system. Using the Three-Lanes and Seven-Alleys Block in Fuzhou, China as a case study, this research analyzed the status quo and existing problems of the block according to the evaluation indicator system, and then proposed suggestions for landsense creation to enhance, preserve, and improve CES of the block. Finally, it qualitatively elaborated the evaluation indicators upon the practice framework of landsense design. This study provides an essential theoretical foundation and evaluation basis for enhancing CES in historical blocks from a perspective of multi-dimensional perceptions.
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is an essential infrastructure to support nighttime functions while serving as a significant indicator for urban vitality and economic development. However, the increasing prevalence of artificial lighting in urban areas threatens the health of urban residents of all kinds. Citizen science data are characterized by large sample size and complete spatio-temporal coverage, which have promising application prospects in ecological investigation and related research. In this context, focusing on Shanghai as the study area, this research explores the impact of nighttime light intensity on the distribution of urban birds. Using birding data from China Bird Report, from 2017 to 2023, ten common bird species were selected for the analysis. Based on ALAN remote sensing data, observed bird number varies as illumination radiance increases, revealing three patterns across species: decreasing, multimodal, and balanced. Specifically, most bird species were observed distributed in the lower light irradiance interval, i.e., 0 ~ 0.15 nW/(cm2·sr), while a few species, such as Nycticorax nycticorax and Passer montanus, exhibited an aggregation in higher light irradiance intervals at 75 nW/(cm2·sr) or above. The study revealed a preliminary correlation of the light irradiance and the distribution of urban bird species with a threshold of light irradiation for bird preference, providing evidences and strategic guidelines to reduce light pollution and improve bird-friendly nighttime environment in cities.
This research investigated the impact of social-networking service posts on the formation of image structure of cities, focusing on the spatial distribution of images and their content similarity. It aimed to delineate the image structure of cities created by numerous users, moving beyond traditional qualitative methods towards a more quantitative and objective approach with big data. Taking central Tokyo as an example, this study extracted geotagged image data of 33 major railway station areas from Flickr's API (Application Programming Interface). Four coverage types of viewpoint distribution, namely planar, intersecting linear, linear, and nodal, were identified, reflecting the unique urban structures respectively. Further investigation of the image contents, primarily consisting of "urban landscape" and "landscape/street trees, " showed that such contents significantly influenced the formation of the image structure of cities. The study concluded that as the number of photo posts increased and the representative viewpoints concentrated, the digital information received by users became more homogeneous, leading to strongly stereotyped images of urban landscapes. These findings highlight the role of social networking services in shaping perceptions of the urban environment and provide insights into the image structure of cities as formed by digital information.
This project delves into the establishment of place attachment in evolving landscapes through an interdisciplinary lens. It starts with the interpretation of the story of A-Fei, a mushroom forager in Yunnan, China from the perspective of multispecies ethnography, revealing that place attachment is tied to the nearby, where everyday interactions with the surrounding landscape can evoke memories of hometown and generate meanings of a new residence. Extending these insights, this project adopts auto-ethnography to examine the author’s experiences in the multicultural city of Toronto to explore how she as an immigrant builds an attachment to the local landscape. Through sensory engagement, cultural observation, and interviews of the other immigrants, how magnolias facilitate a new sense of belongings has been found. This project aims to transcend disciplinary boundaries and expand the realm of landscape architecture to anthropologic perspectives. By emphasizing the co-evolution of human and non-human lifeways, it seeks to explore how individuals perceive landscape and build relationship with it and proposes “ethnographizing landscape architecture” as a value-centered approach for socially impactful and contextually relevant design.
