Happy New Year! Welcome to 2026! Do you have any New Year’s resolutions or plans this year? Maybe you read our recent post about travel and want to explore more of our beautiful country? Or perhaps you will be working remotely and have an opportunity to travel abroad? Will 2026 bring about a new job in a new city? Or are you making a resolution to visit family and friends in new and different places?
If any of these are in your future, you may be surprised to know that how cities are designed can impact mental health? Yep, you read that right! There is even a Center for Urban Design and Mental Health, which was founded in 2015. According to their website “the Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health curates and creates research and dialogue to inspire, motivate and empower policymakers and urban practitioners to build mental health into their projects for a healthier, happier urban future.” Their website is filled with research and statistics on the topic. They even have their own research journal. Who knew??
You may be asking yourself why an organization was even needed? Well, according to the World Bank Group today more than half of the world’s population, over 4 billion people, lives in cities. This is set to continue to rise, with the urban population expected to more than double by 2050, at which point nearly 7 in 10 people will live in cities. With increased urban living and increased research surrounding mental health urban design and mental health as a singular topic was born.
What does urban planning with a focus on mental health look like? A brief summary is below. Most of the information presented here was obtained from the Center’s website. If this topic piques your interest after reading this post, I urge you to go to the Center’s website for more information.
Research Results: Urban Living and Mental Health
How does mental health impact the environment or places we live? It is easy to understand that good mental health is good for the population and the environment we live in, but on the flip side, mental health problems can impact people’s abilities to realize their potential, cope with stresses, work productively, and make meaningful relationships. The urban environment is associated with many mental health findings. Some of these findings are listed below.
- Urban living is associated with increases in the following mental health problems: mood disorders, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and cocaine and heroin addiction.
- Urban living is associated with decreases in the following mental health problems: suicide risk (can vary by city), dementia, alzheimer’s disease, and alcohol, marijuana, and prescription drug use.
- One in four people worldwide will experience mental health problems: mental health disorders account for 7.4% of disease, and are now the leading cause of long-term disability worldwide.
- Mental disorders cause one third of global disability.
- Cities are associated with higher rates of most mental health problems compared to rural areas: this includes depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, loneliness, isolation, and stress.
- The employment rate of people with mental health disorders is 10-15% lower than those without, while people with severe mental health problems are 6-7 times more likely to be unemployed compared to the general population.
- Mental health problems can be associated with homelessness, which tends to be larger in urban environments.
Key Ways Urban Design Can Improve Mental Health
After considering the research results above it is not surprising that how urban environments are designed can help promote good mental health, decrease mental illness, and help support individuals with mental health diagnoses. You might be asking yourself “Really? How?” In fact, there are eight specific factors urban designers should consider. Let’s dive into the first three.
- Green space and access to nature: We have previously posted on the mental health benefits of spending time in nature and the outdoors. There is a lot of research that supports this finding. Knowing this, what needs to be considered in urban design? Is it enough to simply have parks sprinkled throughout a city? Not really. It is important to ensure that people have regular and consistent exposure to nature in the course of their daily routines. This could mean adding more flowers and trees alongside one’s commute to work, having views of nature from office and apartment windows, sitting or walking through gardens at lunchtime, and walkable spaces for exercising and socializing.
- Active space for exercise: Many of our posts, such as this one, include the benefits of activity and exercise on mental health. Exercise improves self-esteem, and can lower symptoms of depression, anxiety, ADHD, and even dementia and schizophrenia. Embedding opportunities for exercise and movement as people move around a city is a factor in designing an urban environment. Creating safe, walkable, and bikeable cities with sidewalks, walking loops and trails, and attractive stairs and ramps are important. Cities should also have dedicated spaces for exercise, such as sports fields, courts, and running and biking routes.
- Places to encourage social interaction: We have posted on the impact loneliness and isolation can have on mental health. Factors to consider in a city to promote social interaction include some of the above, and also walkable neighborhoods, welcoming storefronts, street benches, game tables or spaces, opportunities to interact with others, and space for community events.
The Remaining Five Factors
To keep this post from getting too long the remaining factors are mentioned here. Safety, sleep, transportation, affordability, and air pollution are the remaining five factors to consider in urban design. More details on these factors can be found here. Safety and security are integral to one’s mental health, no matter where you live or work. People want to feel safe as they walk through cities. In addition, we know that loud city noise and light pollution can erode sleep. Poor sleep can negatively impact health, including mental health. We also know that good transportation increases people’s access and opportunities, such as education, housing, social interaction, and activities. Cities also need to have affordable housing and reduce exposure to air pollutants. Each of these factors is important to consider. Click here to read more about all of the factors urban planners should consider.
Conclusion
As I stated in the introduction, with increased urban living and increased research surrounding mental health the topic of urban design and mental health was born. Urban environments don’t have to be a liability for mental health. With evidence-based, intentional design, cities can be leveraged to promote mental well-being. Focusing on the eight factors above can create urban environments where people are more likely to feel connected, rested, and psychologically healthy. As urbanization continues worldwide, integrating mental health goals into urban planning is essential. And if you are considering traveling or moving to a city in 2026, perhaps these eight factors are elements you want to consider! Happy New Year!
