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From the user's perspective, emotional elements are increasingly being used in design. Researchers have indicated that healing landscapes in rural areas play a positive role in soothing human emotions. In this study, a landscape with healing functions was designed, and 32 subjects experienced emotions in a virtual reality (VR) scene while their 32-channel electroencephalography (EEG) signals were collected. This study compared the brain responses with and without the presence of healing landscape elements and conducted correlation coefficient analysis using eight different regression prediction models to examine the relationship between security, comfort, positivity, and corresponding healing landscape elements. The results show significant improvements in emotions of security, comfort, and positivity post-exposure to the landscape design, especially with certain elements, such as seating, shrubs, and tree pools. EEG data indicate enhanced emotional and cognitive states, particularly relaxation, with increased activity in specific brain regions. The decision tree regression model is the most suitable for our data. It reveals strong correlations between specific healing landscape elements and emotional responses. In the comfort category, "shrubs" show the highest correlation (R² = 0.82), while in the security category, "trees" have the highest correlation (R² = 0.77). Similarly, in the positivity category, "trees" again exhibit the highest correlation (R² = 0.71) with EEG data, indicating their significant impact on these emotional dimensions. This study demonstrates the importance of using scientific methods, such as EEG technology, to validate the principles of emotional design and also underscores the role of green environments in enhancing psychological health and emotional comfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of city parks is an effective way to ease the tension between people and nature in cities, where the pace of life is fast and the pressure of work is high, relieving pressure and relaxing body and mind has become a common demand of urban residents. In view of this, the study constructs a quantitative model of spatial association to quantitatively analyze the spatial association structure and intensity of park green space and its service objects, create conditions for the measurement of park green space structure and land use efficiency, and fully combine the physiological and psychological characteristics of human beings in the four aspects of Park Components, Park Furniture, Park Zoning and Park Ecological Environment of Brillon Landscape Healing Park, it creates an environment for people to relax and release mental pressure, and plays an auxiliary role in treating psychological and physiological diseases.

From the user’s perspective, emotional elements are increasingly being used in design. Researchers have indicated that healing landscapes in rural areas play a positive role in soothing human emotions. In this study, a landscape with healing functions was designed, and 32 subjects experienced emotions in a virtual reality (VR) scene while their 32-channel electroencephalography (EEG) signals were collected. This study compared the brain responses with and without the presence of healing landscape elements and conducted correlation coefficient analysis using eight different regression prediction models to examine the relationship between security, comfort, positivity, and corresponding healing landscape elements. The results show significant improvements in emotions of security, comfort, and positivity post-exposure to the landscape design, especially with certain elements, such as seating, shrubs, and tree pools. EEG data indicate enhanced emotional and cognitive states, particularly relaxation, with increased activity in specific brain regions. The decision tree regression model is the most suitable for our data. It reveals strong correlations between specific healing landscape elements and emotional responses. In the comfort category, “shrubs” show the highest correlation (R² = 0.82), while in the security category, “trees” have the highest correlation (R² = 0.77). Similarly, in the positivity category, “trees” again exhibit the highest correlation (R² = 0.71) with EEG data, indicating their significant impact on these emotional dimensions. This study demonstrates the importance of using scientific methods, such as EEG technology, to validate the principles of emotional design and also underscores the role of green environments in enhancing psychological health and emotional comfort.

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Healthy longevity is becoming the main element in assessing the quality of the formed urban environment. The relevance of creating a comfortable urban environment is of great importance for leveling the negative processes of urbanization, burdened by globalization and COVID-19. The article presents the results of designing health-improving landscapes with their integration into the urban-ecological framework of the urban greening system of Sevastopol. The study of the design area was carried out using generally accepted methods of field research.

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.

This article discusses how to sustainably manage and protect the Alpine landscape from the risk of extreme weather events due to climate change. The authors present the results achieved by applying the Conservation and Management Plan (CMP) method in the case of a large terraced healing park built in the Central Alps in the 1930s and damaged in 2018 by the effects of Storm Adrian (also known as Vaia). We thoroughly analysed the state of preservation through historical documentation, aerial shooting with a drone, a tree-by-tree evaluation, and a GIS platform for integrated information management. Such a CMP approach is usually applied to assess the state of decay and plan for the sustainable conservation of historic buildings and gardens. The method of analysis and the performed activities allowed us to evaluate the park's landscape values and identify the elements of risk, leading to the drafting of a monitoring map and guidelines of intervention. This experience made it possible to test its effectiveness in protecting the Alpine landscape and its specific fragility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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From the very beginning of his creation, the man began his life in the nature and the effects of natural elements and joyful gardens have been enjoyed considerably in the beliefs and culture of the public. With today's industrialized societies and declining relationship between human and nature, serious issues concerning physical and psychological conditions of human have been raised. The process of urban and industrial life have left negative effects on all human's physiological, physical and mental processes and many of the problems that the human experiences as anxiety, depression, mental fatigue, etc, stem from it. Long period of time after the establishment of human settlements, healing places were always found to be associated with the elements of nature, sometimes in the form of healing river, sometimes in the form of woodlands or sacred springs or even a cliff with a special cave or a tree that were sacred to the people. Over the time, the idea of healing and healing gardens became propounded. Having helped to establish the relationship between human beings and nature, healing gardens came to help to resolve the spiritual problems of humans. Healing Gardens is an ancient and longlasting idea and is a place in which the health of human spirit and soul is satisfied through contacting the elements of nature. Construction of healing gardens for patients as a part of the treatment sites goes back to the medieval period, and such gardens have always been a part of the hospitals, hospices, rehabilitation centers and the public recreational sites in recent years. There is a fundamental difference between healing and curing and that is in curing, drug treatment conditions is recommended for the treatment of the patients, while in healing which is a multidimensional process, several factors including psychological and physical factors are considered as well. Psychological factors are associated with spiritual, mental, emotional and social needs. Among these, the Persian garden is regarded as an example of healing landscapes in which through the use of the human senses and through the garden formation patterns, it gives a sense of peace and comfort. Using the senses of sight, hearing, smell and touch to perceive the surrounding environment, the Persian garden provides an environment for human that is free of nervous tensions and stresses and provides the presence in a fancy space for him. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landscape architecture elements are the product of different architectural approaches. Proportions, contrasts, conjunctions, elevation and other aesthetics parameters abound as in any other art. But in most cases, the functional approaches to landscape architecture elements have been ignored. Therefore, the present paper attempts to compare the healing effect of the architecture of Iranian gardens with that of other modern gardens. The healing parameters which boost general mental health are introduced and the results of case studies with these parameters are given herein. On the one hand, taking joy in gardens is a special feature of human meaning that man has a tendency toward nature and reaches peace and tranquility in it and on the other hand it can be obviously understood that architecture doesn't just aim at beautifying the environment but also designs scenes and natural elements in a way to induce positive effects upon man's soul. This feature is considered as motivation of mans' contact with nature. Development of this relation can be searched in healing gardens. Goslar ( 1991), in his book entitled "cultural geography of health and cure" considers this healing perspective and the influence of environment on individuals . He believes that factors such as nature , constructed environments and green spaces are influential in man's spiritual health. Throughout this investigation, we refer to some cases of influence of vision on soul such as Ulrich's theory of decreasing stress and anxiety. He thinks that natural environment creates a sense of refreshment and relief from nervous tension. In general, stress or spirit pressure is an interior mood which rises from physical wishes or social situations and is potentially destructive, uncontrollable and is dependent on more that one's accommodation. So he introduced the mentioned descriptions for this word as a process not as a result. Also Kaplan explains the environmental influence on human and emphasizes that we can reach spiritual restoration by change in natural environment. According to this viewpoint, natural environment can decrease spiritual pressure and is influential in spiritual improvement. Injuries arising out of tension and nervous crisis are the result of environmental change. Physical and spiritual consequences as well as pressures and exhaustion resulting from this crisis has encouraged the investigators to focus on nature and its effects on man's mental health. Through these efforts and using mental health theories, one can achieve reorganization of spaces and improvement in the environmental quality. Since the aim of a healing garden is spiritual tranquility, the goal of this study is recognizing the healing effect of Iranian garden model. Perhaps this model can be used in contemporary urban designing. By means of connection with man through different senses, a healing garden creates a healing effect which is influential in decreasing spiritual pressures of daily life .It can be said that the secret lies in in man's attraction toward nature, liveliness and tranquility. In this paper, in addition to describing the quality concepts of healing landscapes, I will explain the principles and factors shaping up these landscapes through seven sections from and will study these seven sections in three historical periods (Teiemouri, Qajar and Safavieh) of Iran. Analysis of healing landscapes in Iranian garden model indicates that there is a close relation between these landscapes and man's health. Through this comparative study we recognized the values of healing Iranian gardens. However, a lot of improvements have been achieved in our understanding and knowledge about the relation between landscape and human health. A key question is that how landscape can be influential in spiritual health? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Based on Analytic Hierarchy Process, an evaluation model of healing landscape plants was built. • In this model, the importance order of evaluation index was: psychological healing, physiological healing, plant scenery. • Selected 86 species of plants which are suitable for healing landscape for in northern China; Pointed out four factors which need to be considered in the plant design of healing landscape. The scientific evaluation system of plants is an important premise in the design of healing landscapes (HLs) for improving the quality of life of the elderly. Based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), the weights of the HL evaluation indicators for the elderly were calculated, and the comprehensive values of 150 species of plants in northern China were evaluated using this model. The results showed the following: (1) The model selected 16 representative and objective indicators as the sub-criteria level; (2) The results of the relative weights of the vector of criteria level to the focus level were as follows: Psychological Rehabilitation C 1 (0.5537) > Physiological Rehabilitation C 2 (0.2570) > Plant Scenery C 3 (0.1893); (3) The comprehensive evaluation value results showed that the values of 86 plants were higher than the standard value that was suggested to be applied in HL for older adults in northern China. Of these plants, 55 species have superior values for application while 31 species have high values. The values of a further 64 plants were lower than the standard value, among which 41 species had a general application value, while 23 species should be selectively applied. (4) Using a questionnaire survey, the elderly participants expressed high preferences for the top 55 species of plants, and the favorite characteristics of the plants for the elderly included well-known traditional Chinese flowers with large and rich colors, as well as edible flowers. Factors that require consideration in planting designs, including the climatic conditions, the physiological and psychological characteristics of the elderly, cultural aspects of the plants, the relationship between the plant and five senses, and horticultural therapy activities, are discussed. This evaluation of HL plants provides a theoretical basis for plant selection in landscape design in nursing institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]