Scientists are studying whether the stresses of living in urban environments increases the risks of developing mental health disorders. Global urbanization is making the question an urgent one, writes Alison Abbott.
While anecdotal evidence of the mental health impacts of noisy neighbors, crowded streets, and higher crime rates associated with urban living may be evident, the impact of such stresses on the brain have not been rigorously tested. "Now," reports Abbott, "a few scientists are tackling the question head on, using
functional brain imaging and digital monitoring to see how people living
in cities and rural areas differ in the way that their brains process
stressful situations."
"'Yes, city-stress is a big, messy concept, but I
believed it should be possible to at least see if brains of
city-dwellers looked somehow different,' says Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg,
director of the Central Institute for Mental Health in Mannheim,
Germany. "And if scientists can work out what aspects of the city are the
most stressful," says Abbott, "the findings might even help to improve the design of
urban areas."
"'Everyone wants the city to be beautiful but no-one knows
what that means,' says Meyer-Lindenberg. Wider streets? Taller
buildings? More trees? 'Architects theorize a lot, but this type of
project could deliver a scientific basis for a city code.'"
FULL STORY: Stress and the city: Urban decay

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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