EEG-Eye tracking integration for neural stress responses to environmental cleanliness versus spatial function in China’s unit-based community renewal

Against the backdrop of a global shift in urban renewal from large-scale redevelopment towards people-centered quality enhancement and evidence-based governance, accelerated population aging presents unprecedented challenges for global urban renewal, particularly in China’s unit-based communities where over 40% of urban elderly reside. This study integrates electroencephalography (EEG) and eye-tracking technologies to investigate the neural and behavioral responses of older adults to public spaces in Wuhan’s unit-based communities. We classified spaces into five functional types based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (physiological, safety, social, esteem, self-actualization) and established a tri-level cleanliness protocol (high/medium/low). Linear mixed models revealed that environmental cleanliness significantly predicted neural stress, indexed by the EEG β/α ratio, with low-cleanliness spaces eliciting at least 2% higher β/α values than high-cleanliness environments. Conversely, spatial function type had significant effect. Eye-tracking heatmaps and fixation counts identified ground pavement, vehicles, and disorderly objects as primary visual attractors, indicating heightened attention to utilitarian and chaotic elements. These findings underscore that optimizing environmental cleanliness—rather than spatial functionality alone—is critical for reducing cognitive load in age-friendly community renewal. This study advances a “safety-function-psychological comfort” framework for age-friendly design, offering neuro-urbanistic evidence for global aging cities.