AsianScientist (Aug. 25, 2026) –Your neighbourhood’s “streetscape” — the look of your street — is something that you have probably never consciously thought about, despite seeing it every day. But what if the look and feel of the streets around you starts to affect you on a subconscious level, disrupting your sleep? A new study suggests it might.
Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University used artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse more than 200,000 Google Street View images from Tokyo. They then compared the visual features of neighbourhoods with the self-reported sleep patterns of 1089 working adults living on lower floors of apartment buildings in Tokyo.
The study, published in Building and Environment, found that people living in neighbourhoods they perceived as safer tended to sleep longer. The physical features of their surroundings appeared to play a role in shaping this sense of safety.
Trees may help, busy streets may not
People living in greener neighbourhoods, with more trees along the streets, tended to sleep longer. Neighbourhoods with taller buildings and fewer wide-open spaces were also associated with longer sleep and fewer symptoms of insomnia.
The study also made a surprising finding. Streets that appeared more walkable — with more sidewalks and traffic signs — were associated with a lower sense of safety and shorter sleep.
One possible explanation is that highly walkable streets are often busier and more crowded, with more pedestrians and strangers passing through. While such streets may be convenient for walking, they may not always feel as peaceful or reassuring as quieter residential areas.
“This study demonstrates the potential for evaluating streetscape characteristics across large geographic areas in a cost-effective manner,” said Daisuke Matsushita, Professor at the Graduate School of Human Life and Ecology at Osaka Metropolitan University, and lead author of the study.
“Based on the technique used in this study, cities could potentially measure perceived safety, beauty, liveliness, and enclosure as well as pollution and noise,” Matsushita added.
The study does not prove that neighbourhood design directly causes better or worse sleep. However, it offers a new way of looking at the relationship between our surroundings and wellbeing.
“We hope that opening up this new perspective creates further possibilities for designing healthier neighbourhoods,” Matsushita said.
—
Source: Osaka Metropolitan University ; Image: wirestock/magnific
Lead author: Daisuke Matsushita, Professor, Graduate School of Human Life and Ecology, Osaka Metropolitan University
Keywords: streetscape, Osaka, insomnia, neighbourhood, walkability
