Emily Badger examines the intersection of neuroscience and architecture, an emerging area of study that promises to produce environments that support and enhance our brain function.

Architects have long tried to divine how the spaces they design will be experienced by their users. Now, thanks in part to the work of the 10-year-old Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture, an emerging field of study is seeking to find scientific proof of the effects of the built environment on the human brain and nervous system.
Architects and scientists are just beginning to imagine the possibilities of such research, writes Badger. "If architects understood both fields, they might be able, in designing hospitals, schools, and homes for people with all manner of disabilities, to create places that would support the development of premature babies, the treatment of children with autism, the fostering of learning abilities of students."
"We are now really beginning to understand better how to measure the responses to the built environment," says Eduardo Macagno, professor of biological sciences at the University of California, San Diego, "without relying on psychology, social science, observational behavior."
"Those studies, he explains, 'don't have the quantitative and objective experimental approach that we believe neuroscience brings to the interface with architecture.'"
"Enriched environments might enhance the performance of the human brain, and the growth of new brain cells," says Badger. "Using color, lighting, and layout, though, architects may be able to design places to provide the sensory experiences that neuroscience demonstrates produce the best brain response."
FULL STORY: Corridors of the Mind

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

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie