Cityscapes, Climate, and Mental Health: Designing Cities for Thermal Wellbeing

Abstract

Environmental impacts on human health have been a concern in society for centuries and many advancements in public health have come through addressing environmental hazards. Similar to how sanitation and flood mitigation have become critical components of and indicators for urban life, we posit that urban heat poses a significant risk to human physical and mental health. Reflecting on origins of contemporary Western urban design, we see a significant amount of energy dedicated to addressing both physical and mental health through changes in urban design, ecosystems, and climate. Building from this, we advocate for a reframing of current issues in urban design and planning to consider how urban climate affects our physical and mental health. This theoretical approach discusses a novel perspective on design, climate, and mental health, as well as examining the pathways from heat, sunlight exposure, and nature contact to mental health crises. We use urban climate as a lens through which we examine how urban design and mental health are connected and what solutions might exist that can address previously identified urban design issues while also improving the mental health of communities.