Scientific Association of Waste Management Human Ecology 3041-9255 5 14 2026 05 22 The Impact of Art-Based Environmental Graphics on Social Interaction in Public Spaces The Impact of Art-Based Environmental Graphics on Social Interaction in Public Spaces 2057 2076 245000 10.22034/he.2026.581396.1207 FA Javad Adib (M.A.), Dept. of Handicraft, Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Kurdistan, Iran. 0000-0002-2636-3956 Hamed Amani (M.A.), Dept. of Handicraft, Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Kurdistan, Iran. Aram Mohammadi Assistant Professor, Dept. of Handicraft, Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Kurdistan, Iran. Mohammad Mirzaei Kootenaei (M.A.), Dept. of Music, Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Kurdistan, Iran. Journal Article 2026 05 13 Despite the central role of public spaces in shaping the social life of cities, many of these spaces have become mere transitional areas due to the lack of perceptual stimuli and meaningful experiences. Meanwhile, art-based environmental graphics, by employing the visual, semiotic, and aesthetic capacities of urban art, can effectively activate spatial experience and enhance social interaction in urban environments. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how art-based environmental graphics influence social interaction in public spaces. The present research adopts a qualitative approach based on a case study strategy. Data were collected through three complementary methods: social semiotic analysis of selected examples, systematic observation of public spaces, and semi-structured interviews with users. Data analysis was conducted using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings indicate that art-based environmental graphics – by attracting attention, creating cognitive pause, arousing curiosity and meaning-seeking, and fostering emotional and mental engagement – can facilitate dialogue, shared experience, and increased social interactions in public spaces. The results also show that the effectiveness of these interventions depends on the aesthetic quality of the work, its semiotic capacity, and the congruence between the artistic intervention and the spatial context. Accordingly, environmental graphics should be regarded not merely as a tool for beautification but as a mechanism for enhancing the quality of the urban experience, strengthening the sense of place, and revitalizing social life in public spaces. Despite the central role of public spaces in shaping the social life of cities, many of these spaces have become mere transitional areas due to the lack of perceptual stimuli and meaningful experiences. Meanwhile, art-based environmental graphics, by employing the visual, semiotic, and aesthetic capacities of urban art, can effectively activate spatial experience and enhance social interaction in urban environments. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how art-based environmental graphics influence social interaction in public spaces. The present research adopts a qualitative approach based on a case study strategy. Data were collected through three complementary methods: social semiotic analysis of selected examples, systematic observation of public spaces, and semi-structured interviews with users. Data analysis was conducted using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings indicate that art-based environmental graphics – by attracting attention, creating cognitive pause, arousing curiosity and meaning-seeking, and fostering emotional and mental engagement – can facilitate dialogue, shared experience, and increased social interactions in public spaces. The results also show that the effectiveness of these interventions depends on the aesthetic quality of the work, its semiotic capacity, and the congruence between the artistic intervention and the spatial context. Accordingly, environmental graphics should be regarded not merely as a tool for beautification but as a mechanism for enhancing the quality of the urban experience, strengthening the sense of place, and revitalizing social life in public spaces.

https://www.landscapeecologyjournals.ir/article_245000_a3270a8fd403c540deeb6ed7505b442a.pdf