Before COVID-19, we freely used lively streets and public spaces. The pandemic emptied them and changed how people perceived urban life. Places once full of joy became empty and fearful. Our study examines COVID-19’s impact on three key dimensions of urban design and offers lessons for building healthier, more resilient cities.
Our study explores how residents in Lagos and Yaoundé use roads, vacant lots, squares, and parks for running, walking, and other leisure-time physical activities. It reveals striking sex-based differences in perceived safety and risk, offering evidence to guide inclusive urban planning.
Mental health needs are poorly understood in the development and management of public space. However, people recovering from health issues such as psychosis need to use city space in their everyday lives. We note that large sites in city centres continue to be made available. As such their redesign and management needs to factor in these broader needs. There will be further benefits to people with conditions such as anxiety, depression and autism.
This study addresses the need for a more nuanced understanding of how urban design influences people’s walking habits in the Global South through case studies in Indonesia. Understanding the intriguing relationship between the built environment, personal perception, and walking behaviour is critical for designing more walkable, healthy, and sustainable cities.
Discover how cities can build resilience against future health crises. Our study synthesizes key lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic to create healthier, more sustainable urban environments.
At the intersection of urban and public health policy, the success of higher-density affordable housing solutions to serve an inclusive well-being agenda depends upon reducing the association of these lifestyles and built environments with loneliness and social isolation. We construct a pro-neighbouring index and test its predictors using an ordinal logistic regression model based on resident survey data.
Urban planning significantly impacts public health, yet health considerations are often overlooked in city development strategies. Climate change further exacerbates urban health risks, particularly in vulnerable regions. Despite growing recognition of the link between urban planning and health, cities lack structured methodologies to quantify and integrate health-related data into policy. Without systematic approach, cities struggle to identify disparities, allocate resources effectively, and create health-resilient urban environments. Addressing this gap is critical for sustainable urban development.
We explored the combined effects of housing affordability, quality, tenure, and neighbourhood conditions on mental health outcomes. We gathered data through a survey involving 470 questionnaires for analysis. We have been able to isolate what matters in relation to housing and mental health in our Iranian cohort.
My findings suggest that some indicators of neighbourhood physical disorder—specifically the presence of noise, graffiti, and vandalism—are associated with a greater risk for some mental health problems in children, while markers of neighbourhood physical order—neighbourhood cleanliness and well-cared-for dwellings—may have a protective effect.
How can cities like Brussels and Malta overcome barriers to active mobility and create healthier, more sustainable urban environments? Discover the challenges, strategies, and key insights from local stakeholders on paving the way for a transformative future of mobility. Through interviews with key stakeholders, we explore solutions like citizen involvement and organisational changes that can drive urban transformation and support sustainable, active mobility.