City Know-hows
We ask whether streetscape design can be used to alleviate anxiety. Let’s understand how we can alleviate anxiety of the people on streets through their daily experiences while walking.
Share
Target audience
Landscape architects, urban designers and urban policy makers. City mayors. Mental health researhers.
The problem
Urbanization has caused an increase in anxiety among the residents of the cities. Urban design, especially streetscape design, has the potential to reduce urbanisation’s impact on people’s mental health. Since anxiety is a critical mental health issue that needs to be reduced, thus everyday Streets can contribute to alleviating anxiety via streetscape design.
What we did and why
This paper is an attempt to understand the issue in depth and explore the streetscape elements which have a plausible relation with the anxiety of the people. The study has explored the literature associated with streetscape and mental health, specifically anxiety to understand the existing association between the two.
Our study’s contribution
This interdisciplinary research adds to the subject of urban design and mental health by explaining which streetscape elements may have an impact on anxiety.
It defines a theoretical framework explaining the association which can be taken further for detailed research on the subject.
It also highlights the associated spatial and psychological factors which may have a plausible mediation between streetscape design and anxiety
Impacts for city policy and practice
This research will bring focus on the elements which needs to be looked at for reducing the feeling of anxiety.
The policies which have till now focused on the specific guidelines may look into some elements as the comprehensive unit and regulate the streetscape design accordingly.
Further information
Full research article:
Towards anxiety alleviating streetscape design: A comprehensive literature review by Sayna Anand and Tina Pujara.
Related posts
High-rise apartment buildings are increasingly popular in large cities, however, urban land availability for outdoor communal spaces is limited. Creating communal spaces for high population density is a challenging task. Past research indicates the importance of the immediate environment in stimulating social interaction and the spatial organization for social activities can play an important role. One may ask whether the design of communal spaces within high-rise buildings can stimulate social interaction among residents.
The world is currently responding to the climate crisis and the nature crisis as if they were separate challenges. This is a dangerous mistake. The are leading to dire impacts for our health
Our study introduces and reviews how the built environment and its relation to population health are assessed in the literature. We did this by identifying methodological shortcomings and research potentials that need to be addressed jointly. Our assessment aims to undertake multiple health issues in an integrated manner, and identify priorities within the city whereby health is a primary goal.