Urban design and mental health are inextricably linked in the modern world. As cities become more dense, crowded, and chaotic, urban design plays a vital role in fostering mental health. Urban design may help inhabitants live healthier lives by giving access to green spaces, lowering noise levels, and allowing for more efficient movement of people and commodities.
The design of urban environments is the arranging of physical elements in the built environment, such as buildings, streets, parks, and public spaces. These elements can have a substantial impact on the mental health of the people who live there. People are affected by their surroundings in a variety of ways, including the architecture of the space, the amount of natural light available, and the level of noise or air pollution. A well-designed city may relieve stress, give relaxation and sanctuary, and encourage physical activity. Access to green places, for example, has been related to lower stress levels and better mental health. Research also shows that those who live in densely populated urban regions are more prone to suffer from depression, anxiety, and other mental issues.
Urban life can be detrimental to mental health for a variety of reasons, including a lack of green space, bad infrastructure, noise pollution, poverty, unemployment, and overcrowding. As the world’s population becomes more urbanized, it is more important than ever to examine the benefits and drawbacks of urban development on mental health. Cities may boost mental health in a variety of ways by incorporating better urban design principles. In an era when understanding the effects of mental illness is becoming increasingly important, urban planning may have the potential to improve overall mental health.
The link between the urban living environment and mental health is becoming more obvious. People living in cities frequently have higher pre-existing risk factors for mental illness. However, inherent characteristics of the city’s constructed environment can heighten people’s risk of mental illness. Cities can expose people to socioeconomic inequality and prejudice, provide sensory overload, and undermine many of the protective characteristics linked with healthy mental health. Cities have yet to adequately investigate and utilize the role of urban planners and designers in promoting and sustaining public mental health. However, opportunities exist. Urban psychological wellness can be improved by developing cities that give citizens with regular access to green space, incorporate physical activity possibilities, facilitate pleasant, natural social interactions, and create emotions of safety. Integrating pro-mental-health design characteristics into municipal guidelines and suggestions can help to promote public mental health while also strengthening communities.
The way we feel can be affected by both our physical and social settings. With a rising number of people living in cities, public mental health is spreading beyond the scope of psychiatrists and psychologists. Designing to support and improve mental health has not always been a top concern for city planners, especially as they begin to focus on physical health – even though mental health may have the greatest potential for impact. Policymakers, urban planners, architects, engineers, transportation specialists, developers, and others have an impact on mental health since they contribute to the design and implementation of the urban built environment.
This article explores major prospects for smart urban design to promote good mental health, prevent sickness, and assist persons with mental health difficulties. We prioritize green space, active space, prosocial space, and safe space throughout the lifespan, from providing safe and local play options for toddlers to empowering elderly people to socialize and safely navigate their areas. City leaders can intentionally grab possibilities for long-term improvement in population mental health by implementing study findings through policies, plans, design, development, and administration.
Mental health difficulties have far-reaching consequences for cities around the world. Mental illness can cause several issues, including homelessness, substance misuse, and crime. It is critical to understand how mental health impacts a city and how it may be managed. Mental health difficulties might cause a decline in productivity. People with mental health difficulties frequently struggle to maintain employment, resulting in lower salaries or job security. This, in turn, can cause financial hardship and poverty for people and families. This can put a strain on the city’s resources, as people with mental illnesses frequently require additional assistance to make ends meet.
The positive aspect is that cities can take action to address mental health concerns. Cities can fund mental health services and programs, such as therapy and support groups. They can also help to lessen stigma surrounding mental health by educating the public and raising awareness. Cities can engage in housing and employment initiatives to assist people with mental illnesses in finding secure homes and work. Mental health concerns affect cities all around the world, but they may be addressed. Cities, with the correct resources and assistance, can assist persons suffering from mental illnesses in receiving the care they require while reducing the pressure on their resources.
Nature should be incorporated into every design. While walking green space appears to have the greatest impact on mental health, the total greenness of a person’s community has been linked to improved mental health. The priority is to ensure that people have consistent, regular exposure to urban nature as part of their daily routines, including features like street trees and flowers in commutes, views of nature from office windows, and gardens for lunch, as well as larger walkable spaces where they can exercise and socialize. It is worth noting that, to have a good impact on mental health, green space must be well-managed to avoid devolving into disorder and becoming a place to dread, despise, or avoid.
Positive, regular movement boosts mood, well-being, and a variety of mental health outcomes. Regular exercise is just as beneficial as antidepressants in treating mild to moderate depression. Exercise also boosts self-esteem and well-being, reduces anxiety and stress, and alleviates symptoms related with ADHD, dementia, and even schizophrenia. Exercise also helps to reverse the weight gain caused by several common antipsychotic drugs, lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Participating in meaningful activities may become a regular component of people’s daily commutes, lunch breaks, and other urban activities. One of the most significant opportunities for making walking and cycling more appealing than driving is active transportation, which entails improving the city’s walkability and bike ability by creating safe pathways for pedestrians and cyclists to use, as well as providing secure bicycle parking and easy access between neighbourhoods. There will also be improvements to safety, such as reduced vehicle speeds, broader walkways, and longer periods to crossroads. People are more likely to walk between their points of origin and destination when trains and buses are easily accessible.
Cities are implementing active opportunities in a variety of ways, including making stairs more enticing than elevators or escalators, constructing walking loops in parks, and building outdoor gyms. Then, communities with low incomes and minorities should be prioritized when it comes to providing exercise facilities such as football fields, tennis courts, running routes, and so on. Residential areas that are close to other land uses, such as schools, businesses, and libraries, can encourage people to walk.
Throughout history, architecture has expressed the planners’ vision for the people it serves. Modern architecture must introduce a new dimension to urban design that improves mental health. Fortunately, many of these factors may be included into building design without incurring significant costs if city planners and architects make mental health a priority from the beginning of any project.
References:
- Urban Design Lab. Urban Design and Mental Health. [ online ]
Available at: Urban Design And Mental Health (urbandesignlab.in) - C P Kukreja Architects. Impact of Urban Designs on Mental Health. [ online ]
Available at: Impact of Urban Designs on Mental Health | Project – CP Kukreja Architects - Jill Suttie. Greater Good Science Centre. Seven Ways to Make Cities Better for Mental Health.
[ online ]
Available at: Seven Ways to Make Cities Better for Mental Health (berkeley.edu)
