The Influence of the Architectural Environment on the Psycho-Emotional State of a Person on the Example of the City of Voronezh

Abstract

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between the architectural environment of the city of Voronezh and the psychoemotional well-being of its residents. This study, which is at the intersection of architecture, psychology, and history, is based on data from a sociological survey, which was conducted using the works of R. Plutchik, A. Maslow, C. Ellard, S. Freud, G. Fechner, and A. Stamps as a methodological framework. The focus of the article is on a comparative analysis of two types of urban development. On the one hand, the historical center (the triad of Revolution Avenue, Central Park, and Sovetskaya Square) is being studied, which demonstrates exceptionally high levels of perceived safety, comfortable scale, and positive assessment of the "Genius of the Place. On the other hand, the author analyzes residential areas, where the opposite results were recorded: feelings of insecurity, discomfort, and negative perception of architecture prevailed. The author concludes
that a high-quality, historically established environment has a positive impact on the psyche, while typical high-rise buildings have a destructive effect. The article concludes with a recommendation to reorient urban planning policy from developing new territories to revitalizing existing residential areas.