New article in Nature Cities – Emotions overrule cognitive evaluations in urban neighborhood preferences
Peri-urban growth is reshaping rural areas and creating challenges. Using immersive experiments, this study finds that emotional reactions dominate over cognitive judgments, with people favoring urban and rural settings over peri-urban ones in neighborhood preferences
The rapid expansion of residential developments on city outskirts is significantly transforming rural landscapes. This low-density, fragmented urban growth brings notable social and environmental challenges, including increased land use and reduced sustainability. Despite these drawbacks, many people continue to migrate to peri-urban areas, often diminishing the qualities that initially attracted them. This study investigates how cognitive and emotional factors influence neighborhood preferences. Using immersive 360° simulations in cognitive psychology experiments, it reveals that peri-urban areas are generally less preferred than urban or rural environments. Importantly, emotional responses to visual stimuli consistently outweigh cognitive assessments of neighborhood features. These findings suggest that emotional engagement plays a crucial role in residential choice. Urban planning and housing strategies should therefore consider emotional responses to foster stronger place attachment and enhance community participation in shaping meaningful and satisfying living environments.
Find the article here: external page https://www.nature.com/articles/s44284-025-00232-y