The influence of interactive soundscapes on soundscape perception and emotional changes in urban parks

This study takes the interactive soundscape of urban parks as the research object to explore the differences in soundscape characteristics (sound source composition and sound pressure level) under the optimal sound coordination degree and their impacts on the temporal changes of soundscape perception and emotions. Field experiments were carried out in four types of spaces in the park: square, lawn, understory, and waterfront. Through the subjects’ independent design of soundscapes, objective sound environment data, subjective soundscape perception evaluations, and emotional feedback were collected. The study found that there are significant differences in the characteristics of interactive soundscapes among different landscape spaces, and the total sound pressure levels also vary significantly. The sound pressure level in the understory space is significantly lower than that in other spaces. Compared with the original environment, the interactive soundscape significantly improves the sound environment quality. Except for the square, the sound satisfaction in the remaining spaces has been upgraded to a relatively satisfied level. The analysis of emotional evaluations shows that spatial types and temporal factors have different influences on emotional dimensions: the emotion of control is mainly affected by time, while the emotion of arousal is mainly influenced by spatial types, and there is an interaction between the two. The research results provide a basis for the refined soundscape design of multi-sensory-oriented parks, emphasizing the need to optimize soundscape interaction strategies by combining spatial functions and temporal dimensions to enhance the public’s mental health benefits.