Short answer

Designers should intentionally incorporate a rich variety of landscape elements and greenery, paying close attention to visual scale, to create urban green spaces that maximize psychological restoration and positive emotional experiences for users.

Field: User-Centred Design
Source: Land (2025)
Method: Mixed-methods research (Text mining, content analysis, questionnaire survey, statistical analysis)
Evidence: Strong effect

The diversity of landscape elements, visual scale, and types of greenery within Suzhou Gardens directly correlate with visitors' positive emotional and cognitive restorative experiences. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2025 study published in Land. Using Mixed-methods research (text mining, content analysis, questionnaire survey, statistical analysis), researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Designers should intentionally incorporate a rich variety of landscape elements and greenery, paying close attention to visual scale, to create urban green spaces that maximize psychological restoration and positive emotional experiences for users.

Study

User-Centred DesignNew This WeekStrong effect

Suzhou Gardens' spatial elements significantly influence visitor emotional restoration

The diversity of landscape elements, visual scale, and types of greenery within Suzhou Gardens directly correlate with visitors' positive emotional and cognitive restorative experiences.

Land · 2025

Key Findings

01Majority of online comments expressed positive emotions (e.g., 'tranquil', 'quiet', 'serene').
02Significant differences in emotional and cognitive dimensions were found among different gardens.
03These differences were closely related to spatial factors like landscape element diversity, visual scale, and types of greenery.

Application

Design takeaway

How to apply

When designing parks, gardens, or other public green areas, analyze existing successful examples to identify common spatial features that elicit positive emotional responses. Use this information to inform the selection and arrangement of landscape elements in new designs.

Project actions

01When researching user preferences for a design project, consider analyzing online reviews or social media comments for insights into emotional responses.
02If your project involves a natural or outdoor space, think about how different elements like plants, water, and structures contribute to the user's overall feeling.

Method & Evidence

AimTo investigate how the spatial characteristics of Suzhou Gardens influence visitors' emotional perceptions and restorative experiences.

MethodMixed-methods research (Text mining, content analysis, questionnaire survey, statistical analysis)

ProcedureOnline reviews of Suzhou Gardens were collected and analyzed using text mining techniques (high-frequency word extraction, semantic network analysis, sentiment analysis) to understand public emotional perceptions. This was combined with questionnaire data to quantitatively assess visitor preferences and restorative experiences. Statistical analyses (ANOVA, Pearson correlation) were used to identify relationships between spatial factors and visitor responses.

ContextUrban green space design, landscape architecture, therapeutic landscapes

Variables

IV["Landscape element diversity","Visual scale","Types of greenery"]

DV["Emotional perception (e.g., positive/negative sentiment)","Restorative experience characteristics (cognitive and emotional dimensions)"]

CV["Specific garden visited","Time of visit","Weather conditions"]

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Combines qualitative text analysis with quantitative survey data for a comprehensive understanding.
+Utilizes real-world user feedback from online platforms.

Limitations

Online reviews might be biased towards very positive or negative experiences. The 'restorative effect' is subjective and hard to measure precisely without controlled experiments.

Reliability & validity

Reliability could be enhanced by using multiple coders for text analysis and ensuring consistent survey administration. Validity is supported by the triangulation of data from online reviews and direct surveys, and by correlating findings with established theories of landscape perception.

Think critically

How might the cultural context of Suzhou Gardens influence the generalizability of these findings to Western urban green spaces? What other factors, beyond spatial characteristics, might contribute to a visitor's restorative experience?

Design Principles

"The restorative potential of a designed space is directly proportional to the thoughtful integration of diverse natural elements and the careful consideration of spatial composition."

Understanding how specific spatial characteristics evoke positive emotional responses is crucial for designing urban green spaces that effectively promote mental well-being. This research provides empirical evidence for designers to prioritize certain landscape features to maximize restorative benefits for users.

What This Means for Your Design

Suzhou Gardens make people feel good because they have lots of different plants and features, and the way the space is laid out makes it feel peaceful. Designers can use this idea to make other parks and gardens more relaxing.

How to use in your project

1.Use this study to justify design choices related to landscape elements and spatial layout, linking them to user emotional benefits.
2.Cite this research when discussing the importance of user perception and emotional response in your design process.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

Research indicates that the spatial characteristics of designed environments significantly impact user emotional well-being. For instance, studies on Suzhou Gardens reveal that a diversity of landscape elements, thoughtful visual scale, and varied greenery contribute to positive emotional perceptions such as tranquility and serenity (Zhang et al., 2025). This highlights the importance of integrating these factors into urban green space design to maximize restorative benefits.

Source

Land

Empirical Study on Emotional Perception and Restorative Effects of Suzhou Garden Landscapes: Text Mining and Statistical Analysis

journal · 2025

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about suzhou gardens' spatial elements significantly influence visitor emotional restoration?: Designers should intentionally incorporate a rich variety of landscape elements and greenery, paying close attention to visual scale, to create urban green spaces that maximize psychological restoration and positive emotional experiences for users. Evidence: Land (2025).
Why does "Suzhou Gardens' spatial elements significantly influence visitor emotional restoration" matter for design?: Understanding how specific spatial characteristics evoke positive emotional responses is crucial for designing urban green spaces that effectively promote mental well-being. This research provides empirical evidence for designers to prioritize certain landscape features to maximize restorative benefits for users.
How can designers apply this research?: Designers should intentionally incorporate a rich variety of landscape elements and greenery, paying close attention to visual scale, to create urban green spaces that maximize psychological restoration and positive emotional experiences for users.
What were the main findings?: Majority of online comments expressed positive emotions (e.g., 'tranquil', 'quiet', 'serene').. Significant differences in emotional and cognitive dimensions were found among different gardens.. These differences were closely related to spatial factors like landscape element diversity, visual scale, and types of greenery.
What research method was used?: Mixed-methods research (Text mining, content analysis, questionnaire survey, statistical analysis).
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2025 journal from Land.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When designing parks, gardens, or other public green areas, analyze existing successful examples to identify common spatial features that elicit positive emotional responses. Use this information to inform the selection and arrangement of landscape elements in new designs.
What are the limitations?: The study relies on online reviews, which may not represent all user demographics or experiences. The specific cultural context of Suzhou Gardens might limit direct generalizability to all types of urban green spaces without adaptation.