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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Scientific Reports

Effects of street greenery and seasonality on health and wellbeing of cyclists: a Virtual Reality experiment

  • Silviya Korpilo1,2,3
  • Omkaranathan Ravindran1
  • Jussi Torkko1
  • Elias Willberg1,2,3
  • Sini Ruohomäki1
  • Elina Numminen4
  • Ashish Shete1
  • Ann Ojala5
  • Tuuli Toivonen1,2,3
5 affiliations
  1. 1Digital Geography Lab, Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
  2. 2Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
  3. 3Helsinki Institute of Urban and Regional Studies, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
  4. 4Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
  5. 5Natural Resources Institute Finland, Helsinki, Finland
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Abstract

Street vegetation can play an important multifunctional role in increasing green spaces for more just, healthy and sustainable cities. However, there is still limited knowledge on how greenery exposure and seasonal conditions affect health and wellbeing during everyday active travel. This study integrates Virtual Reality, biosensors and visual semantic segmentation to test and compare different green infrastructure scenarios: only built, low greenery, high greenery and a winter condition. Using a between-subjects design, 138 participants were randomised to cycle in one of the four conditions, while gathering data on various physiological (skin conductance, blink rate, pupil diameter) and psychological outcomes (self-reported pre and post measures of restoration, affective states, subjective vitality). The results provide important empirical evidence that street greenery can decrease negative emotions and provide momentary stress reduction even under rapid exposure during a cycling commute. The findings also demonstrate high reactivity to natural elements in virtual environments.

Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-64499-4.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{korpilo2026effects,
  title = {{Effects of street greenery and seasonality on health and wellbeing of cyclists: a Virtual Reality experiment}},
  author = {Silviya Korpilo and Omkaranathan Ravindran and Jussi Torkko and Elias Willberg and Sini Ruohomäki and Elina Numminen and Ashish Shete and Ann Ojala and Tuuli Toivonen},
  journal = {Scientific Reports},
  year = {2026},
  month = jul,
  doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-64499-4},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-64499-4},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Effects of street greenery and seasonality on health and wellbeing of cyclists: a Virtual Reality experiment
AU  - Silviya Korpilo
AU  - Omkaranathan Ravindran
AU  - Jussi Torkko
AU  - Elias Willberg
AU  - Sini Ruohomäki
AU  - Elina Numminen
AU  - Ashish Shete
AU  - Ann Ojala
AU  - Tuuli Toivonen
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/29
JO  - Scientific Reports
DO  - 10.1038/s41598-026-64499-4
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-64499-4
AB  - Street vegetation can play an important multifunctional role in increasing green spaces for more just, healthy and sustainable cities. However, there is still limited knowledge on how greenery exposure and seasonal conditions affect health and wellbeing during everyday active travel. This study integrates Virtual Reality, biosensors and visual semantic segmentation to test and compare different green infrastructure scenarios: only built, low greenery, high greenery and a winter condition. Using a between-subjects design, 138 participants were randomised to cycle in one of the four conditions, while gathering data on various physiological (skin conductance, blink rate, pupil diameter) and psychological outcomes (self-reported pre and post measures of restoration, affective states, subjective vitality). The results provide important empirical evidence that street greenery can decrease negative emotions and provide momentary stress reduction even under rapid exposure during a cycling commute. The findings also demonstrate high reactivity to natural elements in virtual environments.  Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-64499-4.
SN  - 2045-2322
ER  -