The world is an increasingly urban place, and with urban living comes traffic, noise, pollution and other hassles. But cities don’t have to wear us down. Jenny Roe, PhD, of University of Virginia, talks about how to design cities that support mental health and well-being with elements like access to nature and spaces that encourage community, how our physical environment affects our mental health and the importance of equity and access in city design.
Jenny Roe was among the experts featured in the new film, “What Design Can Do”, exploring how scientific evidence-based design supports health and wellbeing. The film, produced by Sarah Robinson and Sarah Williams Goldhagen, premiered at the Intentional Spaces Summit hosted by the International Arts + Minds Lab in DC in November 2023. The film was recently recognized in 2024 with an Impact Docs Awards 2024 “Award of Excellence Special Mention” in the Documentary Short category.
There’s a powerful connection between our built environment and our mental health, and architects are approaching the design of buildings and cities to better serve people.
‘The way that we are building is really builder-centric. It’s not human-centric.’
Urban design can affect the depression, anxiety, stress, and well-being of city dwellers.
Jenny Roe has imagined an entirely new way to design urban areas for optimal mental health, at a time when people around the world have had to live largely in isolation in the past year and a half because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Can urban design positively affect mental health? Jenny Roe and Layla McCay share relevant findings from their latest book.
The impact of Covid and lockdowns on mental health has raised the importance of urban green spaces.
Although mental illness has been linked to well-being and economic losses, it is one of the most neglected areas of public health.
Cork isn’t in the forefront of women-friendly urban design.
‘Restorative Cities’ argues that smarter city planning can ease the stresses of urban life during the Covid-19 pandemic and boost mental well-being for residents.
COVID-19 has focused our attention on how our surroundings can affect our health.
