Scoping assessment of transport design targets to improve public mental health

We hope you have enjoyed and gained more insight into the connections between public transit and mental health. We continue this week with a research article that examines the role of urban planning. As always, we hope these readings inspire you to support local efforts and to seek potential new ideas. Please also share these readings with your networks, and we hope you encourage them to sign up for our email list and to become a monthly donor.

Excerpt: “Part of the elevated risk of mental illness in urban settings can be explained by predisposing factors, from genetics to personal experiences such as unemployment or homelessness (both risk factors for mental illness, but also urban migration drivers). However, another element is that the urban built environment can undermine many of the protective factors that support good mental health. Design interventions can focus on providing these protective factors, from a tree canopy to provide physical comfort during the summer by mitigating the urban heat island effect, to providing a safe and welcoming, amenitized public gathering space to encourage social interaction.”

Citation: Layla, Mccay & A, Abassi & G, Abu-Lebdeh & Z, Adam & S, Audrey & A, Barnett & G, Carrasco-Turigas & Cerin, Ester & W, Elias & G, Hand & Kelly, CE & Loder, Natasha & M, Lüke & MacLeod, Kara & C, Moutou & A, Puig-Ribera & E, Rykala & S, Schwartz & IN, Sener & Żołnierczuk, Maciej. (2017). Scoping assessment of transport design targets to improve public mental health. Journal of Urban Design and Mental Health. 3.

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Association Between Public Transportation Use and Loneliness Among Urban Elderly People Who Stop Driving

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The Effects of the Urban Built Environment on Mental Health: A Cohort Study in a Large Northern Italian City