The primary aim of this qualitative grounded theory study is to unpack a method to understand the
construction of aesthetic meaning, addressing the context differentiation. It is hypothesised in this study that
the process of aesthetic cognition and the indicators thereof have different meanings in different urban contexts.
In this regard, by conducting a systematic review of 140 qualitative studies that have been published since 1970s
(in the 1970s, there was a movement towards the study of the aesthetic quality of the urban environment), this
study proposes an aesthetic design thinking model to elucidate how built and non-built environmental factors of
urban spatial configuration affect human perception. Our study demonstrates that every aesthetic response to the
environment is derived from a communication between contemplative feeling, sensual desire and an immediate
state of involvement. The findings contribute useful evidence to enhance our knowledge regarding to the role of
formal and symbolic meanings of space configurations on aesthetic cognition of the urban environment.