Topics applied into action

Our study highlights the importance of green spaces in urban areas for enhancing the well-being of older adults. It reveals significant benefits of nature walks over urban street walks and underscores the need for gender-sensitive urban design. • Green spaces improve mood and perceived restorativeness. • Women benefit more from nature walks, especially in urban streets. • People from different cultures may benefit from nearby nature slightly differently.

Our study found that community place-based initiatives involving the public and private sectors can provide public spaces, such as public parks and communal gardens, that are appropriate for reconnecting mental and urban health using the concept of co-benefit endorsed by the World Health Organization in 2011. We examined this concept in large projects in Seoul and Singapore to show the advantage of intersectoral collaboration for reconnecting mental and urban health initiatives by urban planning.

Livability is a people-oriented concept, and accurately measuring it requires a contextual understanding of what local stakeholders deem essential for making communities livable. Despite extensive research on livability indicators, most studies have taken a top-down approach, with few considering the input of the communities.

We live increasingly in cities, which paradoxically has positive and negative impacts on wellbeing. We review evidence for implementing aesthetics, as a factor that is considered when looking at the urban built environment, and its links to wellbeing. We summarise existing findings and provide a dataset to guide future research and urban planning.

Discover how integrating agoraphobia-responsive elements into urban design and planning can transform public spaces into safer, more inclusive environments. This study reveals practical strategies that enhance psychological comfort and accessibility in city landscapes.

We propose a replicable spatial framework applied at the small geographic scale in Pisa, Italy, to address a methodological gap. We find that both CVI and density predict excess mortality, providing an essential tool for health equity planning.

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.

This newly developed methodological approach aims to identify the underlying causes of stress in urban environments. To this end, it analyses a broad spectrum of perception-related factors from various fields to capture the full complexity of human perception in a more holistic manner. The evaluation of five case studies using the so-called 'Stressor Matrices' serves as the basis for deriving initial hypotheses about the triggers of urban stress.

Our study explored the preferences, needs, and challenges faced by autistic children when engaging with public playgrounds. Drawing on these insights, we developed a set of evidence-based design guidelines to support neurodiverse-inclusive playgrounds through an autism-friendly, attuned co-creation methodology.

My study shows that simple 'Happy to Chat' benches successfully encourage spontaneous conversations, leading to positive feelings and new social connections. I found these benches can: • Create welcoming spaces for casual and meaningful interactions. • Promote emotional well-being and social bonding. • Act as a subtle 'social nudge' to encourage interaction.

We asked runners across Metro Manila to rate their usual running spots, not just based on convenience or safety, but on how these places make them feel. Do they offer a sense of community? Do they reduce stress? Can people connect with others there, even informally? These questions are rooted in the idea of “third places”, spaces that are neither home nor work but still feel like a meaningful part of daily life.

As an urban planner, designer, or manager in a developing country, to what extent and in what ways do you think your decisions can impact the mental health of citizens? How beneficial do you think replicating the urban experiences and knowledge from developed countries could be?