Effects of labyrinth-like path designs on mitigating stress response to traffic noise

Abstract

Traffic noise poses significant mental health risks primarily through stress responses. Although labyrinths have been proven to reduce stress and promote relaxation, their efficacy in mitigating stress induced by traffic noise remains unclear. To address this issue, this study conducted repeated-measures experiments to investigate the effects of different labyrinth-like path designs on stress responses to traffic noise. Heart rate variability and electrodermal activity were measured using the E4 wristband to evaluate participants’ physiological stress levels. The results suggest that: (1) Walking on a continuous curved path layout (CS) effectively mitigated stress responses to traffic noise, as indicated by multiple physiological stress measures; (2) Regarding stress-mitigating path continuity attributes, 180-degree turns were positive attributes (p < 0.05), while 90-degree turns were negative attributes (p < 0.01); (3) Regarding stress-mitigating path layout features, curved segments (p < 0.01) and switchbacks (p < 0.05) were positive features, while U shapes were negative features (p < 0.01). This study indicates that labyrinth-like path designs can effectively mitigate stress responses to traffic noise; however, complex path layouts with frequent directional changes should be avoided in noisy environments, particularly in areas lacking resources for sound barriers and noise-absorbing vegetation. Our findings contribute to the development of evidence-based guidelines for designing stress-mitigating streets in high-traffic environments. When mainstreaming these guidelines through public codes, further comprehensive analyses including feasibility assessments, economic evaluations, and community engagement are warranted to ensure practical and sustainable implementation.