Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health
  • Home
  • About
    • Mission and vision
    • Need and opportunity
    • Our people
    • Friends and Partners
    • Join us
  • Learn
    • Facts and Figures
    • What is mental health?
    • How the city affects mental health
    • How mental health affects the city
    • How urban design can impact mental health
    • Mind the GAPS Framework
    • How to measure mental health
    • Courses
  • Book
  • Cities
  • Journal
    • Edition 1
    • Edition 2
    • Edition 3
    • Edition 4
    • Edition 5
    • Edition 6
    • Edition 7
    • Edition 8
    • Submit to Journal
  • Events
    • Washington DC Dialogue
    • London Dialogue
    • Tokyo Dialogue
    • Hong Kong Dialogue
    • Restorative Cities Event
  • PRESS
  • Contact
  • Home
  • About
    • Mission and vision
    • Need and opportunity
    • Our people
    • Friends and Partners
    • Join us
  • Learn
    • Facts and Figures
    • What is mental health?
    • How the city affects mental health
    • How mental health affects the city
    • How urban design can impact mental health
    • Mind the GAPS Framework
    • How to measure mental health
    • Courses
  • Book
  • Cities
  • Journal
    • Edition 1
    • Edition 2
    • Edition 3
    • Edition 4
    • Edition 5
    • Edition 6
    • Edition 7
    • Edition 8
    • Submit to Journal
  • Events
    • Washington DC Dialogue
    • London Dialogue
    • Tokyo Dialogue
    • Hong Kong Dialogue
    • Restorative Cities Event
  • PRESS
  • Contact

SANITY AND URBANITY BLOG

If you are an academic, urban designer, planner, health professional or citymaker, and would like to submit a blog, please see submission guidelines.

For Mental Health Awareness Month, Think About the Built Environment

5/9/2017

12 Comments

 
By Erin Sharp Newton, Assoc. AIA, M. Arch.
Winter is on the wing, and spring is filtering in with fresh air, fresh thought and sunshine... and Mental Health Awareness Month.
This annual opportunity to raise public awareness about mental health was established by the National Association for Mental Health (now Mental Health America) in 1949, around the same time as legislators were founding the Housing Act of 1949, which would instigate urban development and renewal in America, and thus start to reshape our cities. Although the Housing Act plans did not pan out as originally intended, what was begun was a serious start to looking at how cities and the built environment could be inclusive and supportive of all citizens.
 
Of interest is what happens when we combine Mental Health Awareness with the built environment. How are we as designers, planners and citizens integrating what the past 68 years have shown us to do, or as Jane Jacobs would say, what to not do?
'Yes, the empire is sick, and, what is worse, it is trying to become accustomed to its sores. This is the aim of my explorations: examining the traces of happiness still to be glimpsed, I gauge its short supply. If you want to know how much darkness there is around you, you must sharpen your eyes, peering at the faint lights in the distance.' - Calvino, Italo. Invisible Cities. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1978.
Picture
City Shadow by Allen Jones, Sculptor, Wikimedia Commons
Each year a theme is presented for Mental Health Awareness Month, which is explored through the rest of the year. This year’s theme is “Risky Business” and focuses on the diverse risk factors for developing mental illness. The upcoming Mental Health America Annual Conference is aptly titled Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll, and will examine some of these risk factors.
Picture
“We believe it's important to educate people about habits and behaviors that increase the risk of developing or exacerbating mental illnesses, or could be signs of mental health problems themselves. These include risk factors such as risky sex, prescription drug misuse, internet addiction, excessive spending, marijuana use, and troublesome exercise patterns." - Mental Health America (MHA)
However, risks to mental health are not confined to individual factors. The built environment can help create and maintain risk factors for mental illness by increasing stimulation while stripping away protective factors for good mental health, for example:
  • Reducing access to nature
  • Reducing opportunities for physical activity
  • Overloading the senses
  • Eroding privacy and quiet time
  • Interrupting sleep
  • Reducing safety (from crime to traffic to wayfinding)
  • Separating people from their social networks
Architects, urban planners and designers can make an impact. We, as designers of the world around us, can Mind the GAPS to help address these risks. We can open doors, create opportunities in our cities, societies, and communities to support awareness and address risks to improve mental health for all. We can dive into our own creative intelligence and promote green space, walkable cities, and infrastructure that allows us to move around and express happiness & health. We can look for where our efforts support or create opportunities for social interaction, community support, and personal freedom. We can advocate for creative space, for communal space, and for safe, meditative place. Through these efforts we can play a role in improving mental health across the board. Designing healthcare facilities, buildings, public spaces, and communities that take into consideration all the sensitive aspects of being unwell, creating humane opportunities for refuge (or outlet), and pro-actively advocating the development of physical places for healing and wellness. Being knowledgeable about what hurts, what helps, what heals. These are starters. We can:
  • Recognize environment affects the mind, the body and perception.
  • Boost cognitive health by creating visually and aesthetically pleasing buildings & cities.
  • Advocate for buildings, spaces, cities and communities that have plenty of fresh air, good light and green spaces, while reducing noise and visual pollution through good design.
  • Create buildings and places for refuge, escape and outlet.
  • Design places that facilitate people talking to each other in positive, natural social interactions.
  • Improve mental health by creating safe, walkable communities.
Picture
Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Millenium Park, Chicago (Illinois), USA, Wikimedia Commons
“Under the seeming disorder of the old city, wherever the old city is working successfully, is a marvelous order for maintaining the safety of the streets and the freedom of the city. It is a complex order. Its essence is intricacy of sidewalk use, bringing with it a constant succession of eyes. This order is all composed of movement and change, and although it is life, not art, we may fancifully call it the art form of the city and liken it to the dance — not to a simple-minded precision dance with everyone kicking up at the same time, twirling in unison and bowing off en masse, but to an intricate ballet in which the individual dancers and ensembles all have distinctive parts which miraculously reinforce each other and compose an orderly whole. The ballet of the good city sidewalk never repeats itself from place to place, and in any once place is always replete with new improvisations.” ― Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities
Although it can be challenging to think about mental, emotional, and behavioral health problems, ignoring them won’t make them go away.  When there is illness, it affects those nearby.  When many are ill (as in 1 in 4 estimated) it affects society at large.  It is necessary to take good inventory of the risk factors within the built environment, if we are to help rebuild, strengthen, repair and recover.

Further information

Urban design and mental health:
  • How the city affects mental health
  • How urban design can impact mental health
  • The Mind the GAPS framework for designing better mental health into cities

Mental Health Awareness Month:
  • Mental Health Awareness Month toolkit (posters, media materials, fact sheets, social media, etc)
  • Mental Health America

About the Author

Picture
Erin Newton is a UD/MH Fellow and part of NK Architects Healthcare Group in Morristown, New Jersey, USA. She holds a Master’s Degree in Architecture from UCLA and a Master’s in Design from Domus Academy in Milan, Italy. She is an Associate Member of the American Institute of Architects, a Board Member of the Hunterdon Drug Awareness Program, and is on two Health & Human Services Local Advisory Committees. Erin believes that integrity and creativity are fundamental to the success of the multi-faceted world of design and living.

@ESharpNewton
12 Comments
Jewel Holt link
12/22/2018 04:55:00 am

Your personal environment influences your mood, impacts your behavior, discourages the unwanted interactions, and reduces the level of stress. You have to find out the place of healing. Because it explores the tie-up between your personal ambiance and well-being. Psychological awareness stimulates the operation that your body does. Similarly, the things around you have an effect on the way your body performs and advances. You need to be aware of the factors that affect your personal surrounding so that you can take the right measures to keep your surrounding safe and be mentally aware.

Reply
Mato Ray
3/29/2022 01:41:31 am

I'm just too happy that everything is in place for me now. I would gladly recommend the use of spell to any one going through marriage problems and want to put an end to it by emailing Dr Emu through emutemple@gmail.com and that was where I got the help to restore my marriage. Whatsapp +2347012841542
Https://web.facebook.com/Emu-Temple-104891335203341

Reply
Laura Hobson
12/20/2022 10:55:23 am

I was really stressed by Acid reflux issues with my newborn and had consulted Chief Dr Lucky. He gave us a thorough consultation and the medicines were equally effective. In a couple of weeks there was big improvement in my son and we are very pleased with the progress. We cannot thank Chief Dr Lucky enough. Highly recommended.

Email chiefdrlucky@gmail.com

WhatsApp +2348132777335

Facebook page http://facebook.com/chiefdrlucky

Reply
SANDRA MILINE link
11/22/2019 09:10:19 am

Thank you for these details, it is very interesting
Excellent recipe. Easy to follow and easy to make. I

Reply
Millie link
5/7/2021 05:39:52 am

Such a lovely post. Thank you for the great information and the useful recomendations.

Reply
Michael DeBruin
8/27/2021 06:09:03 am

My wish right now is that God should continue to bless Dr Emu for his good works towards the life of those people who are heart broken. My name is Michael DeBruin and I am from the USA, it's been a while since my lover's attitude changed from being the caring type she has been to me, but later turned out not to be caring at all. But not long, I later discovered that my lover was having an affair with someone else. and also she told me she doesn't need me after all we pass through then a friend told me about a spell caster. that with the spell I will get back my woman, I took his cell number then called him and also what's-app him which he reply to me and I did some sacrifices to the spell man and he bought the items for me which he used for the sacrifices and later called me that before 48 hours my love will come back to me and now we are more in love with each other than ever. you can reach him on WhatsApp +2347012841542 or reach him via mail ; emutemple@gmail.com , my lover returned back and broke up with the other guy she was having a relationship with... Thank you Dr Emu.

Https://emutemple.wordpress.com/

Https://web.facebook.com/Emu-Temple-104891335203341

Reply
Wilson Fox
6/9/2022 01:47:17 am

I suffered from what they called peripheral artery disease (PAD). I have been suffering for years, Me and my wife searched for a medical cure, and then we came across a testimony of a man who suffered the same and was cured by Dr Chief Lucky. So my wife and I contacted Dr Chief Lucky via an email and thank God he replied. I explained what was wrong and he sent me herbal medicines that helped heal me completely. I am happy to say that herbal medicine is the ultimate and Dr Chief Lucky I am grateful. You can contact him on his email: chiefdrlucky@gmail.com or whatsapp: +2348132777335, Facebook page http://facebook.com/chiefdrlucky or website https://chiefdrlucky.com/. Dr Chief Lucky said that he also specializes in the following diseases: LUPUS, ALS, CANCER, HPV, HERPES, DIABETES, COPD, HEPATITIS B, HIV AIDS, And more.

Reply
Vayu link
7/5/2022 02:10:20 am

Informative article even though it's a old article.

Reply
Jeffrey Hahn link
11/17/2022 07:20:42 pm

I really love reading this kind of article because I continuously learn something new. This gives me a bit of idea on how to handle people with problems.

Reply
babar cheema link
12/6/2022 09:37:20 pm

Thanks for your information of . i am read your article i am very impressive.

Reply
Faraz
1/20/2023 01:22:28 am

Great reminder to consider the impact of our built environment on mental health during Mental Health Awareness Month. It's important to design spaces that promote well-being and provide access to nature and natural light. You can check this blog post Mental health awareness quizzes to learn more and spread awareness.
https://yourmentalhealthpal.com/mental-health-awareness-quiz/

Reply
Evelyn James
2/24/2023 02:58:19 pm

Good day , viewers that is reading this article, I want to share to the world how this great man save me from hsv virus 1/2! 4years back i was battling with this terrible and disastrous disease which was so detesting, well on my aid of looking for solution all my effort conceived nothing, I was devastated but one day out of great enthusiasm i saw this intrigue testimonies about Dr Kendis,  so afterwards i contacted him on his email dr.kendiscaregiver@gmail.com, I explained myself to him and i obeyed all his instruction without protesting any further he assured me that all will be fine and that was it, I was totally cure when i used the herbal remedies that was sent to me, Thank so much sir Dr Kendis for your help, Dr Kendis also cures several disease such as DIABETES, HIV AIDS, HEPATITIS B & C And many more, incase you are going through this same infection you can also be cured, contact his mobile or What App : +2347057881342 You can Also check his website for more info......  https://drkendisherbalhome.simdif.com/

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Sanity and Urbanity: 
    a UD/MH blog

    Reading, seeing, thinking and doing urban design to improve mental health. 

    Archives

    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly