Visual-thermal interaction effects on perceived restoration in dynamic park routes: a time-series perspective on outdoor climate adaptation in hot climates

Abstract

The increasing frequency and spatial-temporal expansion of hot weather driven by climate change pose significant challenges to restorative environments in urban settings, negatively impacting stress relief and cognitive improvement. Therefore, it is crucial to enhance adaptation to dynamic outdoor thermal variations and improving health benefits. This study extracts thermal environmental trends, fluctuations, and lag features along park walking routes using time series analysis to analyze the impact of thermal changes on perceived restoration. Additionally, the deep learning models are used to identify visual factors, exploring how these elements mitigate thermal discomfort in dynamic thermal environments and enhance perceived restoration. The findings reveal that ground interface richness is a key factor in reducing the negative effects of rising air temperature and solar radiation trends. The incorporation of colorfulness, leisure facilities, plant community complexity, and an orderly spatial structure can buffer the impact of sharp thermal environmental fluctuations, enabling individuals to maintain a relatively stable perception of restoration. Moreover, low transparency—indicating reduced visual permeability and a higher sense of enclosure—effectively reduces the lagged effects of high temperatures and intense solar radiation. Compared to conventional physical adaptation pathways that adjust thermal parameters, this study proposes a sensory-mediated adaptation strategy as a flexible and cost-effective complementary approach for shaping thermally resilient communities.