Effects of Landscape Types on Children's Stress Recovery and Emotion

This study provides insight into the effects of different landscape types on children's stress recovery and emotion regulation. Sixteen participants, aged 6–15, completed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). By assessing children's stress recovery in different landscape types (comprehensive parks, children's parks, urban squares), facial images were obtained to measure their emotions. The MEGVII Facial Emotion Recognition API was used to identify facial expressions, generating a dataset of facial emotion feature variables. Psychological reactions were recorded using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAI-S) and the Children's Perceived Restorativeness Scale (PRCS-C II). The results indicate that Zhongshan Square, as an urban square landscape space, exhibited the highest recovery potential. The differences in landscape spatial features can lead to significant changes in children's emotions, particularly in terms of “happiness,” “calmness,” and “disgust.” The appropriate proportion of green-leaf trees and shrubs, and increased proportion of sky may further enhance children's stress recovery experience, promoting a sense of “calmness” and reducing feelings of “disgust.” “Conversely, landscape spatial features by more trees and shrubs, a smaller proportion of sky is associated with higher levels of children's happiness.” This study reveals the different impacts of different landscape types on stress recovery and emotions in children. The findings offer insights for urban planning that consider the health needs of children, providing guidance for landscape designers in urban landscape planning.