Determinants of psycho-comfort in urban outdoor spaces: A Narrative review using latent dirichlet allocation (LDA) algorithm

Abstract

There is a growing body of evidence that urban environment stimuli play a pivotal role in determining human psychological comfort, especially concerning the adverse effects on mental-emotional health. This study sets out to synthesize existing evidence regarding the influence of built environment characteristics on human psychological reactions through a narrative review. This consolidates understanding of psychological experiences in urban contexts by identifying determinant factors and investigating their effects. Through topic modeling and an intensive review of 72 studies, three key themes emerged: Perceived Physical Built Environment Attributes, Mental-emotional Cognitive Mapping, and Sustainable Urban Spaces and Society. Psychological experiences, while inherently subjective and influenced by various factors, can be optimized to alleviate negative feelings and enhance spaces that promote positive emotions, thereby improving user comfort and satisfaction. Herein, developing a comprehensive ‘psycho-comfort’ metric is crucial for urban planners to understand how environmental factors affect psychological well-being and to design spaces that support mental as well as physical health. This direction presents opportunities for future research but requires interdisciplinary approaches and comprehensive evaluations to assess how urban environments influence human psychological comfort and well-being. Such a metric is essential in designing sustainable and engaging urban environments that align with community needs. © 2025 International Journal of Sustainable Building Technology and Urban Development.