Neuro-Urbanism: Measurement of the Street Enclosure and Its Influence on Human Physiology Through Wearable Sensors

Abstract

In this paper, we explore the influence of the visual qualities of street spaces on human physiology and perception of comfort at selected street corners (i.e., Fumin, Changde, Xinle and Donghu Roads, Jing’an district, Shanghai). The visual qualities of the street were identified by the physical space variations, sky visibility, wall continuity, and the cross-sectional proportion. These three variables contribute to the "enclosure index", a dimensionless numeral which defines the occupant perception of the street space. We used a custom biosensor kit to collect the average heart rate of 15 participants for one minute measured at the aforementioned street corners. We compared the heart rate of the participants when they looked toward the intersection (open street space) and looked down the street (enclosed street space) and asked them to complete a questionnaire on the level of comfort. The questionnaire data was then compared to the corresponding heart rates. The results showed that the heart rates of the participants who looked at the street view (more enclosed) were lower than those who looked at the corner view (less enclosed).