Attention Restoration Theory (ART) and Stress Recovery Theory (SRT) highlight the restorative properties of natural or green environments. However, the study of the psychological benefits obtained through contact with built open urban places, such as squares or streets, has received far less attention. In this paper we present a within-subjects pretest-posttest quasi-experimental field study that assessed the restoration experience of a sample of university students (N = 34) visiting two squares in a European city. Statistical analyses revealed that participants' attentional performance improved and negative affect (depression and stress) decreased after spending 20 min in the squares. There was no increase in positive affect. Nature orientedness was significantly related to some of the pretest-posttest changes, leading to lower fatigue and attentional restoration in one square. The results suggest that built open urban settings can provide some restorative benefits.

注意恢复理论（ART）和压力恢复理论（SRT）强调了自然或绿色环境的恢复特性。但是，关于通过与开放的城市场所（例如广场或街道）接触而获得的心理利益的研究却很少受到关注。在本文中，我们提出了一项受试者内部的前测后测准准实验研究，该研究评估了大学生样本（N = 34）参观欧洲城市的两个广场。统计分析显示，在方格中停留20分钟后，参与者的注意力表现得到改善，负面影响（抑郁和压力）减少了。积极影响没有增加。自然取向与一些测试前-测试后的变化显着相关，从而导致疲劳减少和注意力恢复集中在一个正方形中。结果表明，建成开放的城市环境可以提供一些恢复性的好处。