An integrative psychophysiological approach for emotional assessment in outdoor urban settings

Urban environments elicit physical responses from an individual, and also shape their emotional experience. This paper presents an integrative, multidisciplinary methodology combining physiological, psychological and environmental assessments to evaluate citizens' emotional responses to urban spaces.

The study involved 59 participants walking a predefined route through the Universitá di Milano Bicocca campus while physiological data (ECG and EDA) and psychological self-reports (exp-EIA via mobile app) were simultaneously recorded. Multiple indices of autonomic activity were calculated to map affective states along the route. Polar histograms based on Russell's Circumplex Model visualized dominant emotions at key Points of View (PoVs).

Results revealed significant variations in sympathetic and parasympathetic activation across locations, correlating with environmental features such as green areas, social spaces, or obstructed views. Psychological data aligned with physiological trends, particularly in valence changes.

Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of using synchronized psychophysiological measurements to identify emotionally salient urban features, informing evidence-based, people-centered urban design strategies.