Micro-housing has gained prominence as a sustainable urban residential solution, yet the impact of its spatial design on occupants’ perceptual and physiological responses remains underexplored. This study employs a multimodal approach to investigate how three key spatial elements—spatial scale (SS), window-to-wall ratio (WWR), and interface material (IM)—influence human perception in micro-housing environments. A full-factorial experimental design with 12 distinct conditions was implemented in a controlled laboratory setting. We collected both subjective evaluations and multimodal physiological data—including electroencephalography (EEG), electromyography (EMG), skin conductance (SC), and blood volume pulse (BVP)—from 30 participants. Subjective results indicate that all three spatial elements significantly affect spatial perception and overall comfort, with the influence hierarchy being SS > WWR > IM. Notably, a compensatory effect was observed: increasing the WWR enhanced the perceived spatial area, particularly in mid-sized spaces. Physiologically, SS significantly influenced SC, WWR affected the EEG beta power ratio (BR), and IM impacted the EEG alpha/beta (A/B) ratio, corroborating the subjective findings. Interaction effects were also identified: SS interacted with WWR in area evaluation, and with IM in both area and window size evaluations. This study provides empirical evidence that spatial form elements directly and interactively shape human perception, offering practical insights for enhancing livability in micro-housing through design optimization. The integration of subjective and physiological metrics also establishes a robust methodological framework for future research on human-centered spatial design.

As an advanced form of community development, Future Communities (Weilai Shequ) is a policy-led urban initiative launched in Zhejiang, China, that prioritizes human-centered development. However, it is currently confronted with an inherent contradiction: the expansion of technological rationality is encroaching upon humanistic values. Centering on the core “technology–human” relationship, this study is dedicated to exploring development measures for Future Community that synergistically integrate technological empowerment and humanistic care. Using natural language processing techniques (LDA topic modeling), we conducted an exploration and analysis of the thematic characteristics and evolution of 40 policy documents related to future communities issued by the central and local governments of China from 2014 to 2024. The study identifies six core topics: Quality Enhancement, Technical Foundation, Intelligent Operations and Maintenance, Green and Low-Carbon, All-Age Friendliness, and Community Services. Analysis revealed that each theme embodies a dual connotation of both technological and humanistic dimensions. Furthermore, the study revealed that the evolution of policy semantics follows a three-stage developmental pattern: technology dominance and nascent human-centered values; human-centered rise and technology empowerment; and human-centered deepening and technological embeddedness. Based on the above findings, and grounded in a phenomenological perspective, this study integrates Alexander’s human-centered architectural philosophy with Ihde’s theory of technological mediation to propose a future community construction pathway jointly driven by “technological mediation” and “human presence.” Theoretically, this research transcends the binary narrative of technology versus humanism. In practice, it provides policymakers with tools to avoid technological pitfalls. It establishes fundamental principles for planners and designers to implement humanistic values, ultimately aiming to realize, at the community level, the vision of technology serving humanity’s aspiration for a better life.