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
    • Submit to Journal
  • Events
    • Washington DC Dialogue
    • London Dialogue
    • Tokyo Dialogue
    • Hong Kong Dialogue
  • News
  • 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
    • Submit to Journal
  • Events
    • Washington DC Dialogue
    • London Dialogue
    • Tokyo Dialogue
    • Hong Kong Dialogue
  • News
  • 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.

The changing face of non-places

6/23/2018

5 Comments

 
Annalise V Johns, London-based urban designer brings us the latest discussions from some of the most interesting urban design discussions around London. Want to share what's being discussed in your city? Email us.
“If a place can be defined as relational, historical and concerned with identity, then a space which cannot be defined as relational, or historical, or concerned with identity will be a non-place.” - Marc Augé, 1995

Marc Augé’s 1995 book Non-places: Introduction to an Anthropology of Supermodernity provides a helpful articulation of the difference between space and place. Space being one that is moved through with frequency, versus a place where the built form actively participates in the animation by providing a draw for human interchange, what Augé refers to as “places of memory’. 

I found myself contemplating “space” and “place” while in attendance at The City Centre talk on “City Briefing: Public Realm” (30.05.2018) in London. Simon Glynn, the Assistant Director (City Public Realm) City of London, provided an overview of development in the City from a public realm perspective and an overview of the changes to come. Many interesting statistics were shared including the fact that the The City of London is home to 10 of the capital’s streets with the highest pedestrian volumes. Currently, these volumes reach up to 2000 pedestrians per hour. Another interesting fact was that 90% of those occupying the City are SMEs and a growing market. Let us not forget though there is a well-established residential community in The City.

The talk revolved around research on pedestrian comfort levels in the City. Over the past two years, pedestrian volumes have increased by 25% which has motivated a drastic rethink as to how the public realm needs an adaptable system to accommodate these sudden increases. The work is very much in its infancy - the first stage of consultation will take place in June 2018. None the less, the limitations presented in the City of London are unique. Mr Glynn reported that changes in built environment due to new developments take place every 18 months, which means any improvement to the public realm, beyond the paving will need to be temporary and moveable. This constraint fascinates me.
 
Environmental psychologist Lily Bernheimer’s book The Shaping of Us aptly reminds us that the early formation of our cities was made from raw materials such as wood and mud, and were designed to follow the movements of our natural geography, but also took shape in a time line that enabled us to adapt to new landmarks. The need to navigate, to adapt, never ceases in an urban setting, where our senses are continually in a state of receptive defence and our minds are continually processing. Therefore, to create a perpetual pop-up as response to the rate of change, begs the question is this a ‘space’ or a ‘place’? Could this be the next stage of urban design where every inch is fluid and belongs to no one and no point in time?
 
Scientific America published the evidence of German researchers who discovered residents of large cities have a higher measure of activity in their amygdala, the part of the brain to serve emotional intelligence and memory. Critically, the amygdala “regulates the assessment of threats and generating fear”. This evidence shows us the effect of social stress and physiological impacts on our bodies. Exposure to social stress is linked to the development of mental disorders including schizophrenia. This area of research demonstrates the biological adaptation to those who have grown up in urban settings who have adapted a different perception to threats either physical or social. Therefore, an urban dweller will have a well-developed amygdala due to prolonged activation compared to those growing up or living in “smaller cities”. 

The research highlights sensory loading on the brain. Evidence shows us there is a negative impact of being in a crowded place as it triggers our bodies to release more dopamine which it does under stress. However, couple this with feelings of loneliness or depression (which affects 350 million or 4% of the global population) the research that links urban settings and schizophrenia seem like common sense.

I recently visited The Crystal in London, home to the world’s largest exhibition on the future of cities, an essential visit for all built environment professionals. One of the animated stations illustrated the way in which smart technology will demand that we program our every move, renting and selling space on transport, access to electricity, renting all forms of space on an hour to hour basis, effectively a fluid existence in the non-place. Perhaps the City of London’s perpetual pop-up public realm is a human scale transition into the future’s faster changing pace of spaces and places? Considering the sensitivity of the human biology in regards to the unfamiliar, and reliance on memory for navigation purposes, my concerns are as follows:

  1. Richard Florida’s latest book The New Urban Crisis provides some essential statistics on urban growth projections, namely that the world’s population is going to triple to 10billion, where today we have 28 cities with populations of more than 10 million, by 2150 we will have 50 or so cities of 200million. How will our brains cope with more people and more “spaces” rather than “places”?
  2. There is a disturbing lack of understanding into the role environment plays in shaping the health of human beings. Green spaces stimulate social cohesion and facilitate social interaction - what level of quality will be possible in the non-space?

I am keen to see what solutions the City will find to balance the rate of change with the already faltering human health of our urban dwellers. Watch this space…
Picture
Based in London as an Urban Designer for the past 15 years, Annalise V Johns specialises in designing multifaceted spaces that improve environmental resilience while maximising social determinants of health. Her experience with complex places means she is called on to provide solutions focused on sustainable transport, sustainable drainage and air quality improvements based on evidence and innovation.
5 Comments
Gary Davies
1/30/2019 02:52:48 am

Just came across this enjoyable and interesting blog. Of course, this is nothing new: if you look back, you'll find considerations of the effect of rapid urbanisation on the mental health of urban populations, Simmel and Park being the most notable. But we cannot separate the macro from the micro. The more complex our built environment becomes, the ever more important it is for architects and planners to provide escape and calm locations. Therefore, consideration of design and layout of our buildings, especially our workplace/s, is equally as important as the design and planning of our cities.

Reply
Mary Counts
8/22/2020 04:41:53 am

I can’t believe this. A great testimony that i must share to all HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS patient in the world i never believed that their could be any complete cure for Herpes or any cure for herpes,i saw people’s testimony on blog sites of how Dr Wealthy prepare herbal medicine that cure and brought them back to life again. i had to try it too and you can,t believe that in just few weeks i started using it all my pains stop gradually and i had to leave without the pills the doctor gave to me. Right now i can tell you that few months now i have not had any pain,delay in treatment leads to death. Here is his email:(wealthylovespell@gmail.com) whatsapp him with +2348105150446 visit blog http://wealthyspellhome.over-blog.com

Reply
Darlene Treger
12/29/2020 01:12:41 am

HERBAL DR EMU WHO PREPARE HERBAL MEDICINE TO CURE ALL KINDS OF DISEASES INCLUDING HERPES DISEASE.   
 I have been battling this Herpes disease for almost 3 years now....I tried all possible means to get cure from my Herpes Disease but all to be in vain until i saw a post in a health forum about a herbal Dr Emu who prepare herbal medicine to cure all kind of diseases including Herpes Disease, at first i doubted if it was real but decided to give it a try...when i contact Dr Emu via his email (emutemple@gmail.com)  write him and reply me explain how the process work so after ordering for the medicine I got it within 3/4 working days through DHL Delivery and I took it according to the way Dr Emu instructed, I was so happy after 2 week I took the medicine there was very big change in my health when I was done with the process I go for test, I found out I am negative...Herpes patients should also get in touch with this herbalist Dr Emu to get rid of these Herpes Virus forever his whatsapp number +2347012841542. Website: https://emutemple.wordpress.com/ 

Reply
Kelly Emma
3/28/2021 05:44:04 pm

I am here to testify how great man called Dr Godwin helped me out with herbs and roots which he prepared for me in use of curing FIBROMYALGIA. I takes his product (cure) for (14) days before I am to known I was totally cure out of it, and i promised him that i will testify my healing to the whole world about how he cured me which I am very happy I am doing now , Dr Godwin also cure all kinds of diseases , HEPATITIS, A,B,C , CANCER, DIABETICS , FRIBLOD,ALL KINDS OF SPELL CAST ,and so much more , please you can get him contacted on his email drgodwinsolutionhome@gmail.com OR WhatsApp +2348054615060
He can also cure following virus
(1).Herpes
(2).Cancer
(3).Hepatitis
(4).Hiv/aids
(5).Pcos
(6).Fibroid
(7)diabetes
(8)fibromyalgia
etc.
https://drgodwinsolutionho.wixsite.com/drgodwinsolutionhome

Reply
Malika Jane
4/8/2021 05:35:27 am

Thanks to Dr. Ero for his marvelous work in my life, I was diagnosed of HERPES since 2014 and I was taking my medications, I wasn't satisfied that I needed to get HERPES out of my system, I searched about some possible cure for HERPES. I saw a comment about Dr. ERO, how he cured HERPES with his herbal medicine, I contacted him and he guided me. I asked for solutions, he started the remedy for my health, he sent me the medicine through UPS SPEED POST. I took the medicine as prescribed by him and 8 days later I was cured from HERPES, Thank you  Dr. ERO  ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU SIR Dr Ero cure the flowing virus, add his Africa branch on whatsapp and calls +2348140916349 or Email Dr.dreromoncaregiver@gmail.com 1 cancer cure 2 diabetes cure 3 ringing ear 4 herpes cure 5 warts cure 6 HPV cure 7 Hiv 8 get your ex back 9 pregnancy herbal medicine 10 prostate enlargement 11 Hepatitis B  

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

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.