Rivers and lakes account for about a third of nostalgic places, according to a new study that examined nostalgia-inducing locations in the UK and US. Urban areas make up over one-fifth, while agricultural regions represent roughly 10%. Mountains and forests also account for 10% each.
The research team published maps showing the most nostalgic areas identified by participants in both countries. These maps are intended to illustrate findings from a study in Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology.
"Our findings add to the growing evidence that blue places are associated with increased psychological well-being," says Ioana E. Militaru, part of the research team from universities including Cambridge, Essex, Southampton, and Korea University.
The study used natural language analysis and geolocation data to determine what makes certain places more likely to evoke nostalgia. It found that coastal areas often induce feelings of nostalgia due to their visual properties like brightness, color saturation, and contrast. Previous studies indicated these factors contribute significantly to emotional responses.
Militaru highlights the importance of a landscape's "fractal property"—the repetition of elements within a scene—which can generate positive emotions when moderately structured like coastlines. "People don't like extremely chaotic outlines or too little complexity," continues Militaru.
Urban areas accounted for over one-fifth of nostalgic places reported by participants. The researchers suggest this may be because most people live in urban settings or have memorable experiences during visits to cities.
"Nostalgia is now recognized as a psychological resource emerging when faced with discomfort," explains Militaru, now at the University of Amsterdam’s Social Psychology Department. Nostalgia has been shown to offer significant psychological benefits such as increased self-esteem and life meaning.
Militaru argues for using nostalgia as guidance in conservation efforts and urban design: "Our research suggests prioritizing access to coasts, rivers, parks, especially in dense urban areas."
Nostalgic places often hold community significance; hence involving local communities in urban planning could help identify important landmarks needing preservation.