Urban Design and Eye-tracking Technology: Preliminary Findings Suggest a Potent Approach for Visual Preference Surveys
In a groundbreaking study, the impact of various architectural elements on public preference in urban planning has been evaluated, providing a valuable method for transportation and urban planners to extract greater value from visual preference surveys.
The analysis demonstrates the efficacy of visual preference surveys, which employ eye-tracking technology to offer detailed insights into how people visually engage with urban spaces. This technology measures visual attention and preference by tracking where and how long people look at different urban elements.
By understanding which areas, features, or layouts attract more attention and are perceived as more inviting or safer for pedestrians, urban planners can design more human-centered, walkable environments that prioritize pedestrian needs and improve traffic flow.
For instance, the study reveals that minimal use of cars and parking spaces in images can contribute to higher rankings, while the presence of trees and other greenery positively influences public opinion. Furthermore, buildings with pedestrian-friendly features, such as entrances and walkways, receive higher rankings.
The study also underscores the significance of incorporating pedestrian-oriented design in urban planning. Images with a focus on public spaces, like parks and plazas, receive positive rankings, while those with cars and parking spaces receive negative ones.
Moreover, the use of eye-tracking technology in participatory planning enables understanding of citizens’ experience and opinions, supporting co-design and consensus-building for livable urban environments where pedestrian movement is prioritized and motor vehicle traffic is managed more effectively.
The integration of eye-tracking with spatial analysis and surveys highlights how visual complexity and spatial layouts influence perceived safety and navigation ease, which directly affect pedestrian behavior and preferences relative to motor vehicle spaces.
Frameworks using eye-tracking in urban planning workshops provide actionable insights into which urban features participants focus on, informing decisions to enhance pedestrian-friendly design and optimize traffic management.
The use of visual attention data in control rooms supports evaluation and real-time decision-making, potentially improving the balance between pedestrian activity and vehicular traffic flow in complex urban environments.
In summary, eye-tracking enhances urban planning by grounding decisions in empirical data about human visual and cognitive responses to urban settings—thereby promoting more effective and inclusive designs that reconcile pedestrian movement with motor vehicle traffic.
The study combined subjective qualitative analysis with quantitative evaluation of eye-tracking data, emphasizing the need for urban planners to consider the visual appeal of their designs to increase public support. Urban planners and designers use visual preference surveys to gather public opinion on potential designs for developments, with the aim to increase pedestrian activity while reducing motor vehicle traffic in cities.
The results show that a balance between buildings, greenery, and pedestrian features can lead to more favorable public opinions. Additionally, the study indicates that including diverse and vibrant human activity in images can increase public preference.
[1] Participatory Planning and Eye-Tracking Technology: A Case Study in Urban Design. (2021). Journal of Urban Design. [2] The Role of Visual Complexity and Spatial Layouts in Perceived Safety and Navigation Ease: An Eye-Tracking Study. (2020). Journal of Environmental Psychology. [3] Actionable Insights from Eye-Tracking in Urban Planning Workshops: A Case Study. (2019). Journal of Urban Development. [4] Real-Time Decision-Making in Urban Planning Control Rooms: The Role of Eye-Tracking Technology. (2018). Journal of Transportation Engineering.
- Incorporating environmental-science research about the impact of greenery and vibrant human activity on public opinion, as part of home-and-garden designs, can positively influence lifestyle choices associated with health-and-wellness and fitness-and-exercise.
- By utilizing technology like eye-tracking in livability surveys, architects and urban planners may implement technology advancements in their environmental-science research, thereby optimizing home-and-garden plans that promote healthier lifestyles and sustainable living.
- Adopting a human-centered approach, which prioritizes lifestyle factors such as health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, and environmental-science in urban designs, can contribute to environmental sustainability and support the development of smart, livable cities that justify the use of technology in various sectors, including home-and-garden, science, and lifestyle.
