The quality of life for autistic individuals is closely linked not only to societal attitudes and the level of support provided by local and national authorities but also to the spatial and formal aspects of their surrounding environment. A key question is: How can urban planners, architects, and decision-makers facilitate the creation of autism-friendly cities?
It is known that environmental exposures can have negative effects on brain health. We reviewed all the literature examining the effects of environmental exposures on cognitive health. There is a paucity of research on the effects of urban planning, particularly regarding things like active travel and green space accessibility.
Assessing the urban environment is crucial for enhancing mental well-being. It is imperative to identify relevant indicators and establish a comprehensive framework to measure the impact effectively. This approach is essential for initiating strategic interventions aimed at improving mental health outcomes.
The by-products of urbanisation, such as air pollution and neighbourhood disadvantage, are often overlooked when studying the impact of urban environments on depression. Understanding how these influence neighbourhood-depression relationships can help inform targeted public health interventions and reduce health disparities.
Cities can build stronger, healthier, and more resilient communities by tailoring resilience strategies to the unique vulnerabilities and strengths of each neighbourhood. This approach ensures resilience is integrated into both emergency response and the long-term development of urban areas.
Discover how local environments shape resident well-being. Our study reveals the profound impact of physical and social neighbourhood features on adults’ quality of life. Uncover the key elements that make a community thrive and their implications for urban planning and policy.
Public open spaces (e.g., parks, sports fields) are important for people to be physically active. However, previous studies, mostly conducted in Western countries, show that people are predominantly sedentary in such spaces. We found that public open space users were more active in Asia, suggesting a potential contribution of such spaces to people’s health.
When designing and managing public space, decision-makers and designers should:
• involve citizens in the process,
• consider all of the factors that contribute to citizen happiness,
• use evidence-based approaches to inform their decisions,
• monitor and evaluate the impact of public spaces on citizen happiness
New research on India’s ageing population reveals urban-rural disparities’ impact on health. Urban areas see high rates of obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Urgent call for urban planning and health policies
Wayfinding interventions offer a viable, low-cost, intervention to increase recreational walking in urban greenspaces for irregular users, older adults and those with mobility impairments.