Abstract
Curved streets have long played a crucial role in shaping the experience of urban space, affecting the visual perception and psychological expectations of pedestrians. This study examines how key geometric variables, such as curvature, wall spacing, and segmentation, affect spatial expectations in curved environments. To carry out the study in a real setting, a field survey of 78 curved-street cases in 14 countries was first conducted to extract representative spatial configurations as reference types. These are then abstracted into 3D computer graphics (3DCG) simulation models, which enable us to control the manipulation of geometric parameters while eliminating non-visual variables such as color and texture. A total of 223 participants, including professionals, students in design-related fields, and laypeople, took part in a perception-based experiment evaluating maximum desired position and desired intensity. Our setting is that participants have not actually visited these locations. The simulated environment captures universal spatial characteristics, focuses on universal perception mechanisms, and reduces the familiarity of specific locations to record the first intuitive feelings of participants. Multiple regression analyses were used to quantify the relationship between physical street attributes and psychological responses. The results show that streets with moderate curvature and well-spaced building elements enhance spatial depth and continuity, thus enhancing the sense of expectation. Based on the above, we construct a prediction model to link geometric street features with perceived outcomes. Through empirical observation, virtual simulation, and statistical analysis, this study provides a new perspective on how spatial morphology affects human cognition. These findings can contribute both theoretically and practically to the development of more attractive, psychologically resonant, and human-centered urban public Spaces.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all individuals and teams who supported this research. This includes those who contributed to data collection, technical assistance, and field investigations, as well as those who provided professional insights or constructive suggestions during the development of the study. We are also thankful to the participants who took part in the behavioral experiments and surveys. All contributors acknowledged here have provided their consent for the use of information related to their involvement. We confirm that all data and materials included in the manuscript have been used with appropriate permission, and that all individuals involved were fully informed of the research purposes. This paper was funded by the Key Laboratory of Intelligent Health Perception and Ecological Restoration of Rivers and Lakes, Ministry of Education Hubei University of Technology; This paper was fund by the Innovation Demonstration Base of Ecological Environment Geotechnical and Ecological Restoration of Rivers and Lakes (2020EJB004).
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Conceptualization, RW and WS; methodology, RW and WS; software, RW and WS; formal analysis, RW and WS; investigation, RW; writing—original draft preparation, RW and WS; writing—review and editing, RW and WS. All authors reviewed the manuscript. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
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This study involved human participants and therefore required full ethics approval. The research protocol, experimental procedures, data-collection process, and consent procedures were reviewed and approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of Hubei University of Technology. Approval Number: HBUT 20240087. Approval Date: [2024-05-18]Approval Body: Institutional Ethics Committee, Hubei University of Technology. The scope of the approval covered: (1) recruitment of adult participants; (2) administration of 3DCG urban-scene visual experiments; (3) collection of perceptual responses, cursor-based expectation-marking data, and questionnaire responses; (4) secure storage, anonymisation, and use of the data exclusively for academic research. The Ethics Committee confirmed that the study posed minimal risk, involved no physical or invasive procedures, and complied with all applicable ethical guidelines for human-subject research, including the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and institutional regulations. All components of the study—including pilot testing, participant briefing, data acquisition, and analysis—were performed in accordance with approved procedures. No part of the research commenced prior to obtaining formal approval.
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Written informed consent was obtained from all 223 participants prior to enrolment. The consent was administered in person from 2024-06-05 to 2024-07-05 by trained members of the research team. Participants were provided with full information regarding: (1) Purpose of the study – to examine perceptual expectation formation in curved-street environments; (2) Experimental procedures – viewing 3DCG street simulations, marking points of maximum expectation using mouse input, and completing a short questionnaire (total duration approx. 2 h); (3) Voluntary participation – participants could withdraw at any time, without penalty; (4) Potential risks – minimal visual fatigue possible; no physical, invasive, or high-risk procedures involved; (5) Data scope and usage – cursor-trajectory data, perceptual ratings, and questionnaire responses were anonymised, securely stored, and used solely for academic research and publication; (6) Confidentiality – no personal identifiers were collected or used in any part of the study or future dissemination. No minors or vulnerable individuals were included. No oral consent procedures were used; all consent was written and obtained prior to participation. Participants were explicitly informed of the purpose of the research, how their anonymised data would be utilized, and that their anonymity was fully assured. All consent procedures conformed to institutional ethics guidelines, and the approval was granted by the Institutional Ethics Committee.
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Wang, R., Shang, W. Exploring the psychological appeal of curved streets: a multivariate analysis of expectation formation in urban spaces. Humanit Soc Sci Commun (2026). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-06648-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-06648-8
