Volume 10 of the Journal of Urban Design and Mental Health examines uncertainties at the intersection of urban design and mental health, asking to what extent empirical evidence can inform design for mental health. It pushes the boundaries of evidence-based design, offering critical perspectives on the tension between research and development and presenting bold, reflective work that seeks to redefine or defend the role of evidence in shaping mentally healthy cities. Original research articles, theoretical essays, case studies, and dialogues explore the interplay between empirical evidence, conceptual frameworks, and design implementation, with contributions that engage theory-practice relationships, challenge conventional evidence hierarchies, and advance both theoretical discourse and evidence-based practice for healthier urban environments.

For this publication, we invited submissions exploring the intersections of urban design, urban planning, landscape design, architecture, and mental health, with a focus on historical insights, theoretical frameworks, innovative design strategies, and empirical research. Emphasizing the integration of historical knowledge, conceptual theoretical paradigms, avant-garde design methodologies, and rigorous empirical or evidence-based analysis, this volume will bring together a diverse collection of contributions, examining how historical perspectives on urban design can inform modern innovations that affect mental well-being. Through this journal, we aim to advance discourse in the field and highlight practical applications that bridge wisdom, creative and critical thinking to foster healthier environments.

Looking Back, Imagining Forward: Whither Urban Design and Mental Health?

Comprising separate but converging and diverging disciplines, the field at the intersection of urban design and mental health is a niche area with considerable potential within “Mode 3” research (after “Mode 1” and “Mode 2” as explicated by sociologistPekka Sulkunen (2008)), characterized by (co-)constructivist approaches and the rise of commu-nity-engaged research (CEnR), patient-oriented research (POR), participatory action research (PAR), and research partnership. Hessels and van Lente (2008) summarized trends in knowledge production as a move towards application, transdisciplinarity, heterogenous sites of knowledge production, greater reflexivity and social accountability, and a rethinking of traditional quality control.

These are hallmarks and aspirations of Fellows of Urban Design and Mental Health (UDMH) at the Centre as we transition into the next phase of knowledge production in this applied transdisciplinary field for community impact. At a recent series of meetings, UDMH Fellows expanded on our shared mission: “to drive interest, advocacy, and action” “to design better mental health into [our]environments” by holding “space for diverse and inter-disciplinary ways of knowing through scholarly exchange between urban design and mental health disciplines.” The act of holding space is underscored by the participatory nature of our work. [...]