Color preference and contributing factors of urban architecture based on the selection of color samples—Case study: Shanghai

Abstract The research on citizens' color preference is an important prerequisite for the scientific formulation of urban color planning. Color preferences are normally identified over the Internet or through questionnaire surveys and adjective descriptions. But the analysis has its limitations due to the uncertainty of color descriptions. Based on the quantitative analysis of the three attributes of hue, blackness, and chromaticness, this article obtains the inherent law of color preference of citizens, and compares it with the results of color adjective preference done by our research group before, which can supplement the accuracy of adjective description, so as to provide a reference for the color positioning of urban color planning. This article obtains the three attributes of color samples chosen by the public in the form of questionnaires as well as color sample selections. Among which 36 representative sites in Shanghai were selected according to the six types of land use. Adopting a more detailed method of dividing nine color series, viz. yellow (Y), red‐yellow (YR), red (R), red‐blue (RB), blue (B), blue‐green (BG), green (G), green‐yellow (GY), and the neutrals (WS). Moreover, chi‐square test and multiple logistic regression model were used to analyze the color preference factors and explore the relationship between citizen attributes and the three attributes of color sample selection. Research findings are as follows: (a) The citizens' favorite colors of urban architecture center round red, high whiteness, and mid‐low chromaticness. (b) The main factors that influence citizens' hue preference include gender, age, and monthly income; the main factors that influence citizens' blackness preference include: questionnaire distribution points, the frequency of coming to Shanghai, and whether to go abroad; gender and age are the main factors that affect citizens' chromaticness preference. (c) Compared with the previous studies on adjective selection among citizens, it is found that the effect of gender, age, monthly income, and educational background on color preference is similar; differences are in the occupational types, frequency of coming to Shanghai, and whether travels abroad.