Aim <p>This study investigates the impact of the environment on residents’ psychological recovery, specifically within public multifamily housing complexes. To assess whether the residential environment influences psychological recovery, we provided empirical evidence based on Ulrich’s supportive design theory and Kaplan and Kaplan’s attention restoration theory (ART).</p> Subject and methods <p>We conducted a satisfaction survey on outdoor spaces, categorizing restorative elements of the residential community’s outdoor environment into accessibility, length of stay, sociality, and connectivity. To evaluate the recovery effects, we employed Hartig et al.’s Perceived Restorativeness Scale (PRS) based on ART to examine the impact of satisfaction with outdoor spaces on restorative effects.</p> Results <p>The results revealed that the elements of satisfaction with the outdoor environment significantly influenced overall satisfaction, with sociality having the most substantial impact. Additionally, overall satisfaction was found to have a positive effect on restorative outcomes.</p> Conclusion <p>These results reveal that satisfaction with the outdoor environment and its contributing factors are correlated with the restorative effect. It confirms the importance of outdoor environment elements in creating a healing environment for residents’ well-being.</p>