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Discover how neuroscientific methods reveal the impact of urban environments on mental well-being. Our study provides insights to help city planners design spaces that enhance mood and cognitive health, making cities better for everyone.
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Target audience
Urban planners, city officials, and public health professionals
The problem
Current urban designs often neglect how different city environments affect our mental states. There is a lack of evidence-based approaches to urban planning that consider the cognitive and emotional responses of city dwellers.
What we did and why
We conducted a systematic review of 56 studies that utilized several neuroscientific methods (e.g. EEG, fMRI, fNIRS, and eye-tracking) to examine how urban environments impact cognitive and emotional processes. Our aim was to understand how these methods can inform urban design and planning by providing objective data on the mental and emotional states of individuals in various urban settings. By doing this, we hope to bridge the gap between urban studies and neuroscience, offering a new perspective on how to design cities that promote mental well-being.
Our study’s contribution
This study highlights several key insights:
– Evidence-Based Urban Design: By using neuroscientific methods, we provide empirical evidence on how different urban features influence mental states, moving beyond subjective assessments.
– Understanding Cognitive and Emotional Responses: Our review reveals specific urban elements that affect cognitive functions and emotional well-being, such as green spaces reducing stress and enhancing relaxation.
– Guidance for Urban Planners: The findings offer practical recommendations for urban planners and designers to create environments that support mental health, such as incorporating more green spaces and considering the cognitive load of various urban settings.
– Expanding Research Horizons: We identify gaps in current research and suggest new directions, such as studying the cognitive processes of urban designers and the impact of diverse urban spaces on mental health.
Impacts for city policy and practice
Our findings suggest:
– Urban planners should incorporate green spaces to reduce stress and improve mental health.
– Different types of urban environments need to be studied to create a more holistic understanding.
– Neuroscientific methods can provide objective data to guide evidence-based urban design.
Further information
Full research article:
Neuroscientific methodologies in urban studies: A systematic review and new directions for evidence-based urban design and planning by Soroush Masoumzadeh, Rongrong Yu, Ina Bornkessel-Schlesewsky, Ning Gu, Fan Zhang, Zehong Cao, and Hamidreza Sakhaei.
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