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?
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
This thermal study is part of an urban ecosystem evaluation to inform a pedestrian plan in Berlin. Germany.
Why only plan for children’s play in cities? Play could support the health and wellbeing of older adults. Let’s reimagine age-friendly planning with play in mind.
This work unveils the heterogeneous preferences of different hospital users for green infrastructure improvements that could improve their health and wellbeing. Moreover, it shows that distinct motivations determine their demand for spending time outdoors and their willingness to pay for these improvements.
Apartment kitchens need to be better designed to support healthy food practices.
We ask whether streetscape design can be used to alleviate anxiety. Let’s understand how we can alleviate anxiety of the people on streets through their daily experiences while walking.
As emerging challenges have made urban areas increasingly vulnerable, jeopardizing the health and well-being of their inhabitants, resilience should be seen as a pathway for healthy cities and integrated into urban planning practices. This study shows if and how existing indicator frameworks can identify urban systemic vulnerabilities and priorities for resilience building to provide local authorities with evidence crucial in planning for healthy and resilient cities.
Cities need to be aware of their vulnerabilities to local emergencies. They also need to understand which urban planning, design and management strategies work best to build resilience. We reviewed the latest scientific evidence to identify the most effective preparedness strategies for different emergency scenarios, analysing co- and dis-benefits among them. Ideas and tools for local authorities and communities in general to build back better.