Campus for higher education in China: what is the link between the outdoor spaces on campus with students’ health and wellbeing?

Abstract

Within China's rapidly expanding higher education sector, students face mounting pressures that adversely impact their health and wellbeing. The outdoor environments of university campuses—key settings in students' daily lives—are increasingly recognised as potential resources for health promotion. Yet, empirical evidence on how Chinese students use, perceive, and benefit from these spaces remains limited, and design guidelines lack a robust behavioural and evidence-based foundation. This study investigates the relationships between the use and design of campus outdoor spaces (COS) and student wellbeing in the distinctive context of high-density Chinese campuses.

The research addressed four questions: (1) What is the relationship between frequency of COS use and students' physical, mental, and social wellbeing, and how is it moderated by demographic and contextual factors? (2) What are students' preferences for different typologies of COS, and which environmental features are perceived as most important? (3)

What are the behavioural patterns of student activities across different COS, and how do they vary by time, gender, and period (lockdown vs. post-COVID)? (4) Which specific physical and design characteristics are most strongly associated with health-promoting activities?

A mixed-methods approach was employed across four case study campuses in Cangzhou, integrating a Public Participation GIS (PPGIS) survey (n=1285), systematic behavioural mapping (n=12,000+ observations), and environmental quality audits using the NEST tool. Spatial, statistical, and qualitative analyses were used to triangulate findings.

Key results demonstrated a consistent positive association between frequency of COS use and multiple dimensions of wellbeing. A composite Green-User Score (GUS) correlated significantly with better self-reported health (Rₛ ≈ 0.29–0.36), higher quality of life (Rₛ ≈ 0.31–0.45), reduced stress (Rₛ ≈ -0.29 to -0.32), and moderately with improved academic performance. Notably, active—not just passive—use was a critical predictor of benefits. Behavioural mapping revealed that social interaction—especially ‘chatting’—was the most prevalent activity across all space types, underscoring the role of COS as vital social infrastructure. Student preferences strongly favoured functional, well-maintained, and socially conducive spaces (e.g., sports facilities, hard squares, accessible lakes) over under-managed green areas (e.g., woods, green corridors), challenging a simplistic ‘green vs. grey’ dichotomy. Key design characteristics supporting health-promoting activities included flat paving, varied seating, shading facilities, good lighting, high maintenance, and visual permeability.

The study concludes that well-designed COS can significantly contribute to student health and wellbeing, particularly when they facilitate active use and social interaction. Findings advocate for a shift in Chinese campus planning policy from prescriptive green-space targets towards evidence-based, behaviour-centred design that prioritises functional affordances, social support, and perceptual quality. The research provides transferable insights for the development of healthier and more inclusive academic environments in China and similar high-density educational settings internationally.