Psychological Comfort: How does high-density urbanisation influence psychological comfort?
In high-density built environments, connecting with nature is one of the most effective means of physical, social and mental well-being
In high-density built environments, connecting with nature is one of the most effective means of physical, social and mental well-being
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As many cities across the world become denser, it is important to look at the effects of higher densities, not only on resources, but also on human psychology.
In the past decades, the broader field of cognitive science has unlocked our understanding of how people perceive, move through, think about, and experience spaces. It has also helped create tools to simulate and anticipate human behaviour. However, these tools are scarcely applied in the design of new buildings or neighbourhoods.
Higher density can take the shape of compact and mixed-use urban developments. These can bring benefits such as accessibility and convenience, as well as promote social interaction and physical activity. But they can also result in spaces with higher spatial complexity, greater intensity of urban and human activities, crowding and other challenging environmental conditions.
Our research is situated at the intersection between design and cognitive science. We are applying methods and emerging tools from cognitive science and environmental psychology, from behavioural experiments, to eye-tracking and agent-based simulation.
These methods allow us to study both the positive and negative aspects of high density cities on physical and psychological comfort.
Our aim is to translate our findings to improve the design process. Urban designers and policymakers need to consider the multi-sensory aspects of age-friendly design carefully and holistically, in order to promote psychological comfort, resilience and healthful living in high-density settings.
Social interaction plays a crucial role in enhancing people’s quality of life. Having strong social connections and feeling part of a community can contribute to our emotional, mental, and physical well-being in high-density living conditions. Our observations in the field have shown that well-designed green spaces between buildings can serve as a "living room" for various social groups to gather and interact, contributing to the improvement of social integration in the culturally and linguistically diverse society that is Singapore . Furthermore, green spaces also promote physical activity, which is beneficial to individual health and underpins the creation of healthier communities.
The ability of urban areas to facilitate a connection with nature through direct contacts like parks, green spaces, etc., indirect contacts like natural materials and textures, and the use of patterns and processes of nature or biomimicry in the forms and functions of the built space contribute directly to the psychological comfort in high-density built environments.
The development of psychological comfort goes beyond the traditional emphasis on individual well-being toward a more systemic approach to social health, which includes the notions of equity, inclusion, and socio-spatial justice.
Our onsite observation shows that the design and provision of accessible communal green spaces play a decisive role in enhancing social integration and coherence.
High-density building typologies can reduce competition between building footprints, infrastructure and open spaces on the ground, increase public spaces for diverse activities, and endorse social values in urban development.
Urban density is often associated with over-stimulation, for example from high levels of noise or crowding. Studies have found that being in natural and green spaces can provide psychological benefits such as reducing stress levels and balancing emotional and attention processes when compared to built-up areas. Pedestrian activity is associated with urban vibrancy but also crowding.
We are using methods from environmental neuroscience to better understand the complex people-place interactions, the influence of design and typology of urban public spaces and the perception of crowding. If we can identify which design features help people cope with crowding, we can create places that support high population density, without compromising liveability.
Through a multi-sensory approach, a study of two high-density public housing neighbourhoods in Singapore explored how older residents perceive and utilise their familiar outdoor settings. We find that high-density neighbourhoods are sensory rich settings. When designers neglect to cater to different bodily and mental abilities, this sensory richness can become overly taxing for older adults. However, well-arranged neighbourhood spaces can promote walkability, wayfinding and independence, and enhance people-place and social interactions.
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