Research on the Healing Potential of Urban Parks from the Perspective of Audio-Visual Integration: A Case Study of Five Urban Parks in Chengdu

Abstract

In recent decades, rapid urbanization has been linked to negative impacts on people’s mental health. However, the healing potential of urban parks as central features of cityscapes has not been fully explored from the perspective of audio-visual integration. This gap limits designers’ ability to leverage parks’ healing systems to their full potential. To address this gap, this study used the Mindwave monitoring and recovery component scale to evaluate the healing function of urban parks in Chengdu, specifically focusing on audio-visual integration. Based on audio-visual scene combination samples collected through shooting and recording, we found that: (1) The visual and audio qualities of birdsong (the sky above the blue space and the green space) can significantly differ. (2) Birdsong and conversation seem to provide healing effects from seemingly contradictory dimensions of “quiet” and “social”, with gender differences as the primary influencing factor. (3) Visible children laughing at low levels (30% and 50%) has a more negative impact than invisible traffic noise at the same sound pressure level. (4) Audio-visual interaction does not always have a positive effect, with the visibility of the sound source as the primary influencing factor. (5) An increase in audio proportion did not necessarily correspond to a linear increase in the healing effect. Through exploring the influence of audio-visual combination scenes on healing effects in urban parks, this study provides an empirical basis for park design and planning that considers audio-visual healing effects. It offers insights into designing healing systems for parks and urban areas as well.

Evaluation of Rural Healing Landscape DESIGN Based on Virtual Reality and Electroencephalography

“…Xu Leiqing introduced the concept of healing space into street space design against the backdrop of urban renewal. Through a literature review, he defined healing streets and established a healing street model, analyzed its association with healthy streets, and proposed some ideas for the healing direction of community street renewal [16]. Currently, there are many studies on healing environments with diverse methodologies, yet there is a lack of a unified research framework, which poses difficulties for further research [17].…”

Key Area Recognition and Evaluation of Audio-Visual Landscape for Global Geoparks: A Case Study of Koktokay in China

“…Consistency between a soundscape and a visualscape usually enhances people's experience of a place [55]. The main research objects of audiovisual interaction include urban parks [56], urban centers [57], and residential areas [58], but few studies have focused on geoparks [59]. With the rapid development of geotourism, various artificial voices have been introduced and the geoheritage landscape has been destroyed, which has affected tourists' experience and reduced the value of landscape resources, affecting the healthy development of geoparks.…”