Psychological and Visual Perception of Campus Lightscapes Based on Lightscape Walking Evaluation: A Case Study of Chongqing University in China

The creation of lightscapes in colleges and universities are of great significance in enhancing the perception of the campus environment, improving physical and mental health, and shaping humanistic connotations. This research aims to examine lightscape perceptions and impacts of different campuses. At Chongqing University A and B Campuses, lightscape walking experiments, subjective questionnaires, objective luminance measurements, and HDR picture processing were used to examine lightscape perception and factors. The relevance and differences in the perception of circadian lightscapes in the two campuses were analyzed using SPSS software. The study found: (1) natural lightscapes such as sky light, cloud shadow, and lake water reflection were the most popular during the daytime, while artificial lightscapes, such as decorative lighting of buildings, were positively evaluated at night; (2) the frequency of visits by a crowd directly impacts the ambiance of the environmental area; (3) males showed strong emotional awareness and social interaction skills in daytime, leading to increased social activity and stronger emotional responses, but no differences in nighttime; (4) optimal nighttime luminance enhances the overall perception satisfaction of the illumination; (5) the amount and arrangement of outdoor space, vegetation, minor landscape design, and service facilities all affect the perception of circadian lightscapes. In conclusion, design concepts and proposals of landscapes were suggested to optimize college and university lightscapes.