Congratulations Lanqing Gu!
28.06.2025
Accepted doctoral thesis by Lanqing Gu – First supervisor: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Knöll; Second supervisor: Prof. Dr. Jenny Roe
Congratulations to Dr Lanqing Gu on passing her PhD disputation with distinction at the Fachbereich Architektur der TU Darmstadt!
Lanqing's dissertation has the beautiful title of „Walking on Colors“. It delivers first empiric data on how colors and patterns in sidewalk murals are associated with markers of mental wellbeing and emotional appraisal. It contributes to the growing field of Urban Design & Mental Health. Her results show that cost-effective, temporary measures can have positive effects on peoples' restorative experiences, particularly in gray urban environments, with little or no trees or vegetation available.
Thank you to the brilliant Jenny Roe for being such a generous co supervisor.
Check out Dr. Gu's articles on using colors in street scapes to support mental wellbeing in Environmental Planning B, Environmental Psychology, and the book chapter on Urban Design and Recovery, co edited by Stephan Pauleit.
PS: We are thrilled that Dr. Lanqing Gu will stay at Technische Universität Darmstadt to continue her postdoctoral research. She will contribute to an interdisciplinary team of young researchers, committed to research Urban Community and Mental Health, generously funded by the Beate Heller Stiftung Stifterverband (together with Heike Köckler and Anna Mikhof).
