en Architecture Architecture Research Paper Research Paper <span style="font-size:10pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span data-darkreader-inline-color="" style="color: black; --darkreader-inline-color: var(--darkreader-text-000000, #e8e6e3);"><i><span style="letter-spacing:-.1pt">This study aims to examine how the Burden of COVID-19 (BUC), depression (DEP), and stress (STR) are related to soundscape preferences (City Voice/traffic, Music, Voice of Nature/birdsong) and to distil design implications for pandemic-resilient urban parks. This cross-sectional online study with N = 323 university students used a 60-s 3D animation of a constant green pedestrian way with three randomized audio conditions (City Voice, Music, Voice of Nature). Psychological variables were assessed with DASS-21 subscales (DEP, STR) and a 10-item BUC index. To minimize loudness confounds, audio was loudness-normalized (BS.1770-5) and participants completed a brief headphone screening before trials. Analyses reported Cronbach&rsquo;s &alpha;, Pearson correlations, exact p values, and FDR control. The study showed that BUC correlated positively with Music (r = .288, p < .001), DEP (r = .213, p < .001), and STR (r = .186, p = .001), but not with City Voice or Voice of Nature. DEP correlated positively with Music (r = .174, p = .002) and Voice of Nature (r = .492, p < .001). STR correlated positively with Voice of Nature<br> (r = .377, p < .001). City Voice showed no reliable associations with BUC, DEP, or STR. All effects with p &le; .002 remained after FDR control. Park and streetscape projects should buffer traffic noise, foreground pleasant natural acoustics (e.g., water features, habitat for birds/insects), and consider opt-in, curated music zones during crises to support self-regulation and recovery. Sound-attentive design can extend restorative experiences to communities with limited access to large green spaces, supporting equitable mental-health resilience during public-health emergencies. However, findings should be interpreted with caution given the student sample, correlational design, and single-item soundscape preference measures. The study isolates the auditory contribution to restoration under controlled loudness in a virtual park, links pandemic burden to sound preferences, and translates results into actionable soundscape guidelines for pandemic-ready urban design.</span></i></span></span></span><br> &nbsp; Soundscape, Environmental noise, Nature sounds, Music, Stress reduction, Depression, COVID-19, Urban park design, Resilience 0 0 http://ijaup.iust.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-11-1692-2&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Fatemeh Khozaei fatemehkhozaei@du.edu.om 180031947532846008251 180031947532846008251 Yes Department of Architectural Engineering, College of Engineering, Dhofar University, Salalah, Sultanate of Oman Maryam Lesan m.lesan@nit.ac.ir 180031947532846008252 180031947532846008252 No Department of Architecture, School of Civil Engineering, Babol Noshirvani University of Technology Mahdieh Hosseini nia m.hosseininia@iau.ac.ir 180031947532846008253 180031947532846008253 No Department Of Urbanism, Ke.c.,Islamic Azad University, Kerman, Iran. Ahmad Sanusi Hassan Sanusi@usm.my 180031947532846008254 180031947532846008254 No School of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang, Malaysia.