Exploring the opportunities for biophilic design application in urban pedestrian environments in China under the context of climate change: A perspective of affective experience

Abstract

Rapid urbanization has led to the urban heat island effect (UHI), exacerbating cities' extreme temperatures and air pollution, thereby threatening residents' well-being. To address this issue, many countries are utilizing green infrastructure to improve urban walking environments, promote walking, mitigate climate change, and reduce the impact of UHI. However, pedestrian landscape design often overlooks residents' emotional needs and experiences. Biophilic Design (BD) offers a solution by promoting positive interactions between people and nature in urban environments, enhancing residents' emotional connection with nature. This paper, focusing on densely populated and highly urbanized China, employs systematic literature review and text analysis methods to summarize affective experiential (AE) factors that positively influence residents' walking intentions and corresponding environmental and landscape features. Based on this, a preliminary framework for applying Biophilic Design in urban pedestrian environments is proposed, aiming to provide scientific guidance for developing Biophilic Pedestrian Landscape Design (BPLD) schemes to enhance residents' willingness to walk. Although specific guidelines for implementing biophilic walking landscapes in urban environments are lacking, their potential to improve urban livability and residents' well-being is evident.