Sensory stimulation in campus open spaces for salutogenic effects: a scoping review of literature

Sensory design is increasingly applied in therapeutic and educational environments to promote well-being. Within urban universities, sensory stimulation is posited to significantly enhance the salutogenic effects of campus open spaces, as an appealing multi-sensory environment can optimize beneficial outdoor engagement from an environmental perception perspective. However, a gap exists in the contemporary literature, which suggests a weak association between the salutogenic effects of behaviour settings and sensory stimulation in this specific context. To address this, our paper examines the relevance of sensory stimulation to salutogenic behaviour settings by reviewing literature from several academic databases. The selected references outline effective research approaches and define key influential factors related to sensory stimulation. Our findings provide applicable directions for future research and offer foundational insights to inform landscape strategies for optimizing the campus environment through targeted sensory design.