Will the restorative benefits of residential communities’ public spaces be affected by seasonal changes in severely cold regions?: A case study in Harbin, China

The public space in residential communities is one of the important places for stress relief and emotional restoration. Although the elements of these spaces in residential communities located in severely cold regions vary greatly with seasons, there are also significant differences in their restorative benefits. This study used questionnaire interviews, physiological index data and computer vision technology to investigate the impact of these spaces in severely cold regions on the restorative benefits of residents from two major perspectives: seasonal changes and environmental elements. The results showed that (1) the restorative benefits exhibited significant seasonal fluctuations, and the effect in non-cold seasons was better than that in cold seasons. (2) Physiological factors such as blood pressure, heart rate and step count, which affected the restorative benefits, were mediated by General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) scores. (3) Five types of environmental elements, including green view index and interface transparency, constituted the core influence system. (4) Seasonal changes could affect the restorative benefits of residents through environmental elements and environmental satisfaction. Finally, the research proposes optimization strategies for public spaces in residential communities in severely cold regions to enhance the health and well-being of residents.