Assessing Students’ Satisfaction with the Urban Design of the Open Spaces Attached to Their On-Campus Housing: A Case Study

Student housing has become an essential facility in most universities as it offers students an opportunity to study, live, and interact. Open spaces constitute the main component of this environment, including landscape features, green spaces, and sporting facilities. This study aims to evaluate students’ satisfaction with the open spaces embedded in their housing environment. The study examined several open space design aspects on the campus of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in Saudi Arabia as a case study. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using site visit observations and a questionnaire-based survey of students who live on campus. The results showed that students are mostly satisfied with the urban design of the examined open spaces. The most appreciated urban design aspects were accessibility and proximity to students’ dorms, quietness, and safety and security. Other aspects that require further improvement from the students’ viewpoint included the quality of supporting services and the thermal comfort conditions. The research findings are recommended as guidelines for student housing developers, designers, and caretakers to make the students’ living experience more efficient, attractive, and positively impactful.