Seasonal variations in psychophysiological stress recovery from street greenery: A virtual reality study on vegetation structures and configurations

The benefits of street greenery for well-being in urban development are widely recognized. However, few studies have explored seasonal variations in the psychophysiological stress recovery effects of different street greenery. To address this gap, we conducted field research in the Guanzhong region of China and created virtual streetscapes representing different seasons using Mars 2020 software. This study categorized vegetation into various layers based on their biological attributes: deciduous and evergreen trees for the arbor layer, evergreen and colourful foliage hedges for the shrub layer, observable and unobservable flowering herbs for the herb layer. They were then classified into Tree, Tree-Shrub, Tree-Herb, and Tree-Shrub-Herb structures, all of which had different seasons and vegetation configurations. 1,136 participants were recorded for psychophysiological changes in different street greenery virtual reality scenarios. The results were as follows: 1. Streets with greenery exhibited greater stress recovery effects than those without greenery. Seasonally, the physiological stress recovery effects were greater in autumn and winter, and there was an interaction between season, structure, configuration factors. 2. Overall, the Tree-Shrub structure was most effective for stress recovery, the Tree-Shrub-Herb structure was least effective. However, the Tree-Shrub-Herb structure proved to be the best in winter. 3. Rich color and stable green coverage were most effective for improving psychological and physiological stress recovery, respectively. However, the optimal vegetation types and configurations for stress recovery vary with specific viewing periods within each season. These findings offer a theoretical foundation and practical reference for designing health-oriented street greenery and seasonal landscapes in future. •Street greenery can provide stress recovery benefits, with better performance in autumn and winter.•Stress recovery varied across vegetation structures, with Tree-Shrub performing best overall, while Tree-Shrub-Herb was optimal in winter.•The stress recovery of individual vegetation or vegetation configurations increased during a specific ornamental period.•Abundant color variations and a stable amount of green are the optimal vegetation configurations for psychological and physiological stress recovery effects, respectively.