Comparing the restorative effects of urban with green spaces: a laboratory study in VR

摘要: Increased exposure of humans to noise is one problem of ongoing urbanization, leading to a range of adverse health impacts. Green spaces have come into focus as a potential means to mitigate such negative effects. As part of the project RESTORE (Restorative potential of green spaces in noise-polluted environments), this laboratory study investigates pathways of (a) stress buildup from noise exposure/cognitive load and (b) stress reduction in recreational areas. During a stress phase, participants were exposed to road traffic noise scenarios of different sound pressure levels (LAeq of 35 dB, 55 dB, 75 dB). Half of the participants listened to the sound situations for 10 minutes attentively, while the other half completed different cognitive tasks. Afterwards, in the restoration phase, participants were audio-visually immersed in a VR environment for 20 minutes. Half of the participants experienced a quiet natural green space, the other an urban nongreen space with faint urban sounds of comparable level. Results show that perceived stress increased with cognitive load and—to a lesser extent—with LAeq. The beneficial effect of natural green was demonstrated by several measures of perceived restoration, all pointing towards a significantly higher psychological recovery in green spaces than built urban areas.