Pedestrian Emotion Perception in Urban Built Environments Based on Virtual Reality Technology: A Comparative Review of Chinese- and English-Language Literature

The built environment plays a crucial role in shaping residents’ quality of life and emotional well-being. In the context of growing efforts to promote livable and walkable cities, a key question emerges: how can emerging technologies—particularly virtual reality (VR)—be leveraged to evaluate and enhance urban environments through the lens of pedestrian emotional perception? This study systematically reviewed the literature published between 2015 and 2024 in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Web of Science (WOS) databases, ultimately identifying 37 Chinese-language and 113 English-language journal articles. Using bibliometric analysis and CiteSpace, the research mapped publication trends, research hotspots, and disciplinary networks across linguistic contexts. Results reveal that Chinese-language studies often emphasize embodied cognition and electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring, while English-language studies focus more on VR application in stress recovery and health assessment. Based on this synthesis, this study proposes a “sensory–cognitive–affective” framework and a set of spatial intervention strategies, offering a novel perspective for emotion-driven urban design. The findings highlight a paradigm shift from engineering-oriented planning to human-centered approaches, with VR technologies serving as a critical enabling tool. This review contributes both conceptual and methodological foundations for future research at the intersection of immersive technologies, built environment studies, and urban emotional well-being.