This paper investigates how health-promoting planning strategies are leveraged in place-based urban transformation initiatives to develop public spaces within neighbourhoods to improve children’s and community wellbeing. Safe, healthy, and accessible neighbourhood public spaces transform children’s lives in cities.
Poorly designed neighbourhood outdoor spaces can harm citizens’ mental health, such as presenting them with information overload, crowding or low exposure to nature. Our research explored which design elements can support urban designers in designing neighbourhood outdoor spaces that can reduce stress and attention fatigue and improve the mental health of all citizens.
Our study evaluates the reliability (consistency) of a local tool for measuring health determinants in public spaces, using a co-creation process with older adults living in care homes in Barcelona. It highlights the importance of inclusive urban planning and the varied perspectives of community members in enhancing urban health.
Our urban environments are getting hotter, yet urban design and planning solutions which can mitigate heat are rarely used. There is a need for further education and strategic planning policy positions to support heat mitigation policy and practice in the built environment.
Urban health is a complex system that involves several indicators acting together, there is no single solution to the health-related issues in cities. We wanted to promote healthy ageing in urban living. Our strategy was to take people’s needs and demands into account, when evaluating, monitoring and proposing feasible changes in built, natural and social environments.
Stronger collaboration with inhabitants could ensure more attention on health in spatial plan development.
Implementing community participation in planning of public open spaces is one of the most useful and effective means to encourage a higher sense of community.
The ‘runnability of cities’ as a novel spatial planning approach can enhance healthier and more enabling environments for everyone.
We highlight the beneficial interactions of “sensescapes”, the combination of soundscapes and natural landscapes, on psycho-physiological health. Our work shows the significance of interdisciplinary urban design and planning in harnessing these benefits – to enhance health and urban sustainability through the integration of nature’s influences on the body and mind.
Urban environments influence mental health and development of younger populations. This study explores associations between adolescent mental health indicators and design characteristics. Implications include recommendations for planners and urban designer to promote psychological well-being.