Biophilic Energy visualizes the emotional energy that arises when people encounter nature within cities. As urbanization and technology increasingly draw us indoors—where people now spend nearly 90% of their time—our innate connection to the natural world, biophilia, remains essential to mental well-being, ecological balance, and social cohesion. Yet in many urban environments, concrete and commerce still dominate, pushing nature to the margins of daily life and weakening the bond between human health and the environment.
This exhibition transforms that invisible connection into visual form through AI-based analysis of street-view imagery and emotional responses collected from nine biome-diverse cities—Trondheim, Barcelona, Dubai, Singapore, Nairobi, Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, Québec City, and Seoul. It measures residents’ biophilic perception (BP): the positive feelings sparked by natural forms, patterns, and materials. The research reveals biophilia as a shared emotional energy perceived across cultures and climates, while also identifying which elements—trees, water, sky, or landforms—most powerfully evoke that response in each place.
Visitors are invited to become co-creators: their on-site survey responses are instantly processed and animated into a large “ripple map,” revealing each participant’s unique perception and emotional resonance with urban nature. Together, these collective and individual visualizations reimagine “energy” not as a resource to consume but as a living, emotional force—one that sustains well-being, resilience, and our shared connection to nature in the cities of tomorrow.
Yinan Dong MIT, Data Visualization and Exhibition Designer
Houjiang Liu UT Austin, School of Information, researcher