The Influence of Multi-Sensory Perception on Public Activity in Urban Street Spaces: An Empirical Study Grounded in Landsenses Ecology

The design of street spaces significantly influences public behavior and quality of life. Understanding how various urban street spatial characteristics affect public behavior, alongside the role of multi-sensory perception, enables designers and planners to create more human-centered urban environments. Grounded in landsenses ecology, this study employs correlation analysis, regression analysis, and Partial Least-Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine the effects of different urban street spatial characteristics on public behavior and the mediating role of multi-sensory perception. The findings reveal that street spatial characteristics, particularly the Water Surface Ratio (WSR) and Waterfront Density (WD), have a pronounced impact on behavioral traits, with higher public activity frequencies in areas with elevated WSR and WD. Notably, WSR significantly affects static behaviors, such as sunbathing (β = 0.371, p < 0.001), and dynamic behaviors, such as walking (β = 0.279, p < 0.001). While road and water characteristics directly influence behavior, buildings and green spaces mainly affect public behavior through multi-sensory perception. Different sensory perceptions show varying effects, with olfactory perception playing a significant role in these experiences, alongside a notable chain-mediated effect between tactile perception and psychological cognition. These results provide valuable insights for integrating multi-sensory experiences into urban design.