https://journals.lib.sfu.ca/index.php/urbandesignmentalhealth <p>The Journal of Urban Design and Mental Health brings together research and ideas from researchers and practitioners working across diverse fields at the nexus of urban design and mental health. It is a peer-reviewed journal published by the Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health. Prior issues are available on the Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health website: <a href="https://www.urbandesignmentalhealth.com/journal.html">https://www.urbandesignmentalhealth.com/journal.html</a></p> Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health en-US Journal of Urban Design and Mental Health 2398-4082 <p>Authors retain copyright and publishing rights without restrictions and grant the journal right of first publication under a <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) License</a>.</p> https://journals.lib.sfu.ca/index.php/urbandesignmentalhealth/article/view/5317 <p>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.</p> Peter Crank Paul Coseo Copyright (c) 2024 Peter J. Crank, Paul Coseo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 2024-07-23 2024-07-23 9 1 https://journals.lib.sfu.ca/index.php/urbandesignmentalhealth/article/view/6628 Agnieszka Guizzo Copyright (c) 2024 Agnieszka Guizzo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 2024-05-20 2024-05-20 9 1