Sensing walkability? Opportunities and limitations of electrodermal activity as an indicator of walkable urban environments

Abstract

ABSTRACT Stress and other emotions are increasingly used as a lens for evaluating the quality of urban environments. Researchers hope that wearable biosensors may allow for widespread measurement of emotions during everyday activities. There are substantial technical and theoretical challenges to deploying biosensors in field settings and meaningfully interpreting their data. This study evaluates how electrodermal activity (EDA) may be used to understand walkers’ responses to environmental design along real-world streets. Results show that subjects have consistent EDA responses to some environmental variables, but that EDA does not straightforwardly indicate emotional valence–favor or disfavor–potentially limiting its usefulness for planning.