Stimuli-directed emotions overrule cognitive evaluations in urban neighborhood preferences

Abstract The rapid expansion of residential areas in cities’ surroundings is drastically changing the character of rural landscapes. This spread of low-density, discontinuous urban development brings with it important social and environmental challenges. Despite these issues, people continue to migrate to these often-named peri-urban areas, even though the migration of large numbers of people irreversibly transforms the very qualities that initially drew them into these spaces. This study contributes to the understanding of the role of cognitive and emotional factors in neighborhood preferences. Here, using cognitive psychology experiments with state-of-the-art immersive 360° stimuli simulations of neighborhood scenes, we reveal that preferences for peri-urban neighborhoods are significantly lower than for urban and rural environments. Notably, stimuli-directed emotional signals clearly supersede cognitive evaluations of neighborhood characteristics. These findings emphasize the need for aligning available housing options with individuals’ emotions to foster place attachment and encourage active community engagement in shaping their neighborhoods.