urban design – A New Vision for Mental Health

Why have we stopped talking to strangers?

Author: Editorial 10th May 2023 0 Comments

“Efficient urban design, attention-grabbing screens and isolating headphones all mean we’re rapidly losing the art and joy of spontaneous encounters. But artist Andy Field has a plan for how we can start to connect again…” This report by Steve Chamberlain –…
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Andy Field, Culture & Society, encounterism, loneliness, Steve Chamberlain, The Guardian, urban design, wellbeing

Happy by Design: A Guide to Architecture and Mental Wellbeing

Author: Editorial 3rd September 2020 0 Comments

This book has been written by Ben Channon. The publishers say: “Can good design truly make us happier? Given that we spend over 80% of our time in buildings, shouldn’t we have a better understanding of how they make us feel?…
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architecture, Ben Channon, books, urban architecture, urban design, urban planning

Psychology & The City: The Hidden Dimension

Author: Editorial 2nd September 2020 0 Comments

This book has been co-authored by Charles Landry and Chris Murray. The publishers say: “Cities are the most complex and important of all human inventions. Without them, much of the world we know could not exist. Why then, when over 50%…
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books, Charles Landry, Chris Murray, urban design, urban planning, urban psychology

Designing Future Cities for Wellbeing

Author: Editorial 17th August 2020 0 Comments

This book has been edited by Christopher T. Boyko, Rachel Cooper and Nick Dunn. The publishers say: “Designing Future Cities for Wellbeing draws on original research that brings together dimensions of cities we know have a bearing on our health and wellbeing…
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Christopher T. Boyko, cities, Nick Dunn, Rachel Cooper, Research, urban design, urban planning

How home design can impact our mental health

Author: Editorial 22nd July 2020 0 Comments

As published on the What Works Centre for Wellbeing’s website, the key findings from this article by Ben Channon are: “Control (or even perceived control) is crucial. Having the space to decorate, personalise, organise, and regulate ourselves can help us reach…
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architecture, Ben Channon, design, home design, urban design, wellbeing, What Works Centre for Wellbeing

Europe’s first Urban Psychology Summit heralded great success

Author: Editorial 16th July 2020 0 Comments

“We know more about what makes a good habitat for mountain gorillas than we do about living in our own cities” Danish architect Jan Gehl Chris Murray reports for the Urban Psyche website: “CITY, PSYCHOLOGY, PLACE: AN URBAN PSYCHOLOGY SUMMIT The global…
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Chris Murray, psychology, urban design, urban planning, Urban Psyche

Nature and mental health: An ecosystem service perspective

Author: Editorial 15th July 2020 0 Comments

“We provide consensus on the benefits of nature experience for mental health, and a model for integrating them into urban design.” This research article has been published in Science Advances. The abstract says: “A growing body of empirical evidence is revealing the…
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ecology, ecosystems, nature, Science Advances, urban design

Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design

Author: Editorial 15th May 2020 0 Comments

“The happy city, the green city and the low-carbon city are the same place, and we can all help build it.” More than 80% of the population in England (and more than 50% globally) now live in urban environments. In…
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books, Charles Montgomery, cities, city greening, neuroscience, psychology, urban design, wellbeing

The hidden ways that architecture affects how you feel

Author: Editorial 16th January 2020 0 Comments

“As more of us flock to urban living, city designers are re-thinking buildings’ influence on our moods in an era of ‘neuro-architecture’”. An article by Michael Bond on the BBC Future website begins: “‘We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings…
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architecture, BBC, BBC Future, Michael Bond, neuroscience, urban design, wellbeing

How Cities Can Integrate Nature to Improve Mental Health

Author: Editorial 9th August 2019 0 Comments

Traci Pedersen, writing on the PsychCentral website , reports that: “A growing body of research has shown the significant benefits of natural settings on human cognition and mental health. But until now, it has been difficult to quantify these benefits in a useful manner for…
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Dr. Greg Bratman, Gretchen Daily, nature, Science Advances, Stanford Natural Capital Project, Traci Pedersen, urban design, UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, wellbeing