User Experience on Designing Architectural and Urban Planning Environments on Virtual Reality - Cognitive and Affective Dimensions

Virtual Reality (VR), situated within the broader domain of Extended Reality (XR), has become a central medium for designing, testing, and experimenting with environments that transcend traditional architectural and urban planning methodologies.This article collection seeks contributions that examine not only the creation and design of VR-based architectural and urban environments but also the cognitive and affective responses elicited by such immersive experiences. The increasing availability of advanced 3D modeling platforms, AI-assisted design tools, and immersive VR systems is opening new possibilities across architecture, engineering, urban planning, and construction. These technologies enable the development of highly realistic and aesthetically rich 3D content that can be evaluated before physical implementation. Such capabilities provide powerful opportunities to investigate how individuals perceive, interpret, and emotionally respond to designed environments, ultimately supporting evidence-based redesign and optimization strategies.This paradigm also invites the validation of measurement instruments, the introduction of reproducible experimental protocols, ethical reflections regarding generative design, and the advancement of open-data practices. We particularly welcome contributions assessing cognition, affect, and perception in immersive environments through comparative, longitudinal, or mixed-methods studies that deepen our understanding of how design characteristics influence sustained engagement, emotional adaptation, or spatial decision-making.We encourage submissions employing quantitative approaches (biometrics, psychophysiological metrics) and qualitative methodologies (phenomenology, user-centered research, design ethnography).By bridging cognitive science with architectural and urban design, this Research Topic aims to advance knowledge on how immersive environments are conceived, experienced, and optimized to support psychological well-being, environmental sustainability, and improved user experience. Furthermore, it seeks to expand understanding of how VR shapes perception, decision-making, and emotional response, offering designers and researchers actionable insights for refining digital and built environments.Given the multidisciplinary nature of this topic, we welcome contributions from scholars and practitioners in VR/XR, architecture, industrial design, cognitive science, engineering, health sciences, and related fields. We invite authors to submit original research, reviews, case studies, and perspectives that collectively push the boundaries of how spaces are designed, evaluated, and experienced in virtual reality. Topic editors: Jorge Martin Gutierez, Jorge Dorribo Camba, Rachid Belaroussi Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/75770/user-experience-on-designing-architectural-and-urban-planning-environments-on-virtual-reality---cognitive-and-affective-dimensions