Comparative Analysis of Urban Subjective Well Being (SWB) among Global Participants: Insights from Behavioral Experiments in Virtual Environments

With urban populations steadily rising, densification processes become increasingly inevitable. The creation of dense urban settings has the potential to influence the wellbeing of residents, with potential variations across countries and cultures. This study aims to assess the differences and similarities in subjective wellbeing (SWB) assessments among residents of three cities: Haifa, Israel; Nantes, France; and New York City, USA, utilizing behavioral experiments in virtual environments. The results indicate that participants from different countries exhibit comparable spatial needs and preferences, although disparities were observed in street types and building morphologies. The insights gleaned from this study have the potential of informed design relating to locality of future urban environments, placing a significant emphasis on enhancing wellbeing.