Challenges in Translating Neurourbanistic Research into Urban Design Insights into Practice

Abstract

The rise in mental health problems and the established link between urban living and increased psychosis risk underline the need for evidence-based urban design. Although the discipline of neurourbanism provides findings on brain responses to different urban environments, there remains a gap between research and its implementation in urban design. Conducting five semi-structured expert interviews with international researchers and a landscape architect, key challenges of translating evidence-based neurourbanistic research into urban design for mental health could be identified: a lack of interdisciplinary and audience-oriented communication between researchers and designers; the complexity of cities, especially in the context of methodological approaches; and a lack of sensitization among decision-makers and design studios to evidence-based design for mental health. Addressing these challenges, evidence-based urban design can realize its potential but its specific urban context must always be considered.