This study explores smart and sustainable innovations aimed at enhancing the well-being and learning

regarding this innovation. The findings collectively highlight significant insights supporting the various ways

in which PBG promotes overall well-being through emotional, social, and physical health thereby positioning

it as a dynamic hub for student innovation. The implications of this research suggest that integrating smart

innovation and sustainability within urban green spaces can significantly improve student engagement,

environmental awareness, and overall quality of life through nature based and technology driven solutions.

Academic, social, and technological pressures affect university students more than ever which may impact

both their well-being and academic performance (Misra, 2000; Bayram & Bilgel, 2008). Stress and anxiety

with technology use and not engaging in person social connections can greatly limit students from outdoor

loneliness, improved concentration, and a greater sense of community belonging among students (Roe et al.,

2013; Maas et al., 2008). However, several barriers including a lack of knowledge, issues relating to getting to

the park and no programs designed for students, contribute to students not realizing the full potential of PBG

(Goh & Mahmood, 2016). To address these gaps, innovative ideas that are smart and sustainable digital

engagement, mindfulness programs and eco-innovation, could all play a role to help transform PBG into a

living laboratory focused on students. This study introduces ways to think differently about PBG and transform

it into an innovation hub, that enhances wellbeing, learning opportunities for students while promoting

sustainable urban living.

This study used a quantitative research design and cross-sectional survey method to understand how smart and

The composition of the university showed a wide-ranging, consisting of representation of students from

different university institutions in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, through both private and public universities.

The survey responded to the diversity of students that the representation can provide, since the largest grouping

of students responding came from SEGi College Kuala Lumpur at 12.2% of the sample of the total 386

students. This was closely followed by Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) at 11.9 %, Universiti Malaya (UM)

at 11.6 %, and UNITAR University College at 9.3 percent. Other significant contributors included Universiti

Kebangsaan Malaysia (9.6 %), Universiti Putra Malaysia (9.1 %), Universiti Utara Malaysia Kampus Kuala

The results in Table 2 indicate that students tend to agree with high mean scores regarding how much they get

impact from PBG, especially in relation to mental health. From the findings, the highest mean was 4.21 for the

statement, "I feel that visiting PBG” really helps to reduce my stress." This demonstrates how beneficial it is

for university students to have a resource like this garden available, especially since stress is an issue for them.

It has been demonstrated in the literature that access to green space such as walking through a botanical garden

provide a restorative environment that can reduce stress, mental fatigue and some of the signs often have

negative outcome on our psychological well-being (Van Den Berg et al., 2010). Related to this, students with

the pressures of university life, study deadlines, or some other personal challenge can often be stuck in a

feeling of ongoing pressures, and many will have numerous personal challenges impacting them

simultaneously. They need a place that they can escape, get lost in nature, feel refreshed, and not worry for a

short while.

gardens is not only a passive pleasure but also getting students closer to development of psychological well-

being in a meaningful way so they can either get back to the academic success or personal challenges they

faced.

The second highest mean of 4.19 relates to the statement, "One time in the garden helps me focus on my

studies better," pointing to the mental abilities related to being in and around natural environments. A wide

range of research findings supports the idea that interaction with green space is associated with improved

attention restoration and reduced mental fatigue resulting in both of which are important for learning and

academic performance (Berman et al., 2008). Botanical gardens provide calm and visually complex settings

that give students the opportunity to take a mental break, refresh their cognitive reserve, and assume their

academic work with more focused intent and clarity. As a theory, attention restoration model suggests that

Furthermore, the lowest mean scores of 4.16 represent three statements regarding two general well-being

categories ranging from emotional, social cohesion and being physically active, but students expressed agree

that they felt the garden positively contributed to their well-being. The emotional well-being item, "spending

time in PBG improves my overall emotional well-being," is aligned with research indicating natural green

spaces enhance emotional resilience and contribute to diminishing anxiety and buffering the symptoms of

depression (Hartig et al., 2014). Natural green spaces promote relaxation and mindfulness, which offer a buffer

to reducing psychological distress. Regarding the students' social benefits of the garden, the students agree that

"visiting PBG increases my sense of belonging to a community," clarifying the garden provides students with a

social space for relationships to develop, and social interaction and social support, where both are distinct yet

important facets of mental health (Jennings & Gaither, 2015). Lastly, the statement "I am more likely to walk

This is combined by using the same mean for the lack of public transportation or parking and highlights the

faced with time constraints. When considered overall together, these two constraints reveal the primary

social and therapeutic advantages of the garden will be maximally realized by addressing these issues (Smith

visit such place, as PBG, can impact student's mental wellness negatively, as breaks that involve access to

workload not only presents an intellectual challenge, but it may also reduce balanced living. Getting breaks

daily lives (Lee & Kim, 2019).

In a different way, statement "It was difficult for me to get to Perdana Botanical Garden", which received the

lowest mean rating of 3.46, suggests that while there are some concerns regarding way finding or access, these

are seen as being less of an issue than the academic and social constraints. In other words, while some students

may face physical access issues such as public transport options or distance, these are not considered to be the

and Learning

One key recommendation for PBG is the use of smart or digital information delivery systems to improve

accessibility and engagement with students. One of the most common barriers highlighted in findings collected

throughout the study was the lack of awareness of the garden's facilities, programs, and activities. To solve

this, PBG could consider developing a mobile application that could provide interactive mapping, information

about facilities, direct notifications about future events and programs specifically aimed at university students.

Through these features visitors can use mobile app or digital kioks to select routes based on difficulty or mood.

Moreover, information from real – time environmental data such as air quality temperature, biodiversity can

increase visitor and user engagement and awareness in public spaces with real-time, user-centred information

(Nguyen et al., 2021). Additionally, Augmented Reality (AR) options can be developed in the app, enabling

revisiting. All these changes would collectively impact the way students interact with PBG, making it easier,

more informative, and perhaps a little more relevant in students' everyday lives.

health or wellness-based within PBG. Many university students experience stress from academic pressures, as

exposure to natural environments is connected to improvements to psychological well-being and decreased

stress (Ulrich et al, 1991; Roe et al., 2013). The creation of Mindfulness Trails with QR codes for guided

meditation and audio relaxation resources could allow for self-care for students while they are exploring with

their friends. The garden can also incorporate the Living Classroom concept which creates opportunities for

experiential learning in fields like botany, psychology, and environmental studies. This adds more interactive

elements to education and may encourage students to consider the garden as an extension of their formal

education. Previous research has documented the need to integrate outdoor environments into formal education

These eco-innovations provide a direct benefit to students and promote PBG as a national model for urban

green space and sustainable urban green space development. Even better, when these innovations exist within

sustainability, many concerned youths will find sufficient reasons to continue visiting public green spaces

while meeting Malaysia's sustainability objectives.

As a conclusion, these findings offer a major impact for university administrators, PBG staff and DBKL to

This study suggested three important areas for innovation. Firstly, smart information delivery via mobile

applications, augmented reality, and social media campaigns can help improve accessibility and knowledge of

PBG. Secondly, student-centred programming could improve student wellbeing and academic engagement

through mindfulness trails, living classrooms, and student-led eco-art projects, which build student capacity as

well. Thirdly, ecological innovation and environmental sustainability can advance green pedagogies while also

for student learning and well-being and a template for urban universities globally to follow and grow.

The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the respondents, who were among the visitors, for

their valuable insights and perspectives, which significantly contributed to the success of this research and its

findings.