The Intersection of Urban Planning and Environmental Art: Enhancing Social Cohesion in Urban Communities

This research investigates the perception of Environmental Art (EA) in relation to social cohesion in urban public spaces with an emphasis on the perspective of the stakeholders, design attributes, and planning implications. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was used in three cities in China. The first phase included a series of semi-structured interviews with 28 urban planners and architects, the second with a questionnaire answered by 254 urban residents, and the third with participatory discussions with 72 community members, artists, and urban designers. The evidence suggests positive outcomes linked to the concept of social cohesion and EA regarding the sense of belonging, sense of community, and neighborhood identity. The interactive, functional, visually engaging, and culturally relevant characteristics were seen as important, while accessibility, maintenance, cultural representation, and planning alignment shaped perceived social value. The novelty lies in integrating multi-stakeholder perceptions of social cohesion, EA design characteristics, and planning considerations into context-specific urban planning recommendations. The findings represent perceived experiences and associations rather than evidence of causal effects.