LANDSCAPE DESIGN IN LIMINAL SPACES: UNDERSTANDING HOW THE DESIGN OF TRANSITIONAL SPACES AFFECTS STRESS LEVELS THROUGH BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS

This thesis reiterates the importance of accessibility, defines how the landscape interacts with mental, physical, and spiritual, and catalogs comfort and discomfort incurred through the experience of two distinct transitional landscapes, located in Athens, Georgia. Participants identified factors of design and site programming that influenced their comfortability levels to address the question: How do environmental stimuli and the design of urban greenspace impact user perceptions of wellbeing and restoration? The researchers employed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Discrete Emotions Questionnaire (DEQ), a Binary Coding Scheme, and site-specific surveys to conclude that participants exhibited higher feelings of relaxation and happiness in the President’s Club Garden as opposed to College Square Plaza, located in Athens, Georgia. This thesis argues the importance of designing for users’ overall health and wellness and identifies liminal landscapes as a solution to combat this issue.