Biophilic urban interiors and stress in developing contexts: evidence from ten middle-income countries

Source abstract

This study examines whether biophilic urban interiors (UI) are associated with lower perceived stress, higher well-being, and more positive emotional responses among residents of middle-income developing countries (MIDCs). UI are defined as open or semi-open urban environments with interior-like qualities, including perceptual enclosure, coherent boundaries, structured circulation, and human scale. A cross-sectional online survey was administered through the Pollfish panel across ten MIDCs (N = 384) during 2025. Measures included the PSS-10, WHO-5 Well-Being Index, perceived UI quality adapted from Knöll et al. (2018), UI use frequency, emotional response after UI use, a 12-item biophilic exposure index (BIO_mean) based on Kellert (2008) and Browning et al. (2014), and three forced-choice image preference items. Intraclass correlation coefficients assessed cross-country clustering, while regression and mediation models tested biophilic exposure as a predictor of stress and well-being. Higher perceived biophilic exposure was associated with slightly lower perceived stress (B = −0.11, p = .006; R2 = .02) and higher well-being (B = 19.03, p < .001; R2 = .13). Respondents preferred biophilic UI scenes in 69-96% of cases. Findings support incremental, maintenance-feasible UI upgrades, particularly shade and visible greenery, as plausible everyday well-being interventions in MIDCs.