Neuroscience, urban regeneration and urban health

Abstract

The National Planning Policy Framework of February 2019 (Chapter 8) and London Plan draft July 2019 (Chapter 1.3.1) have directed those working on the built environment to improve the health of Londoners. To accomplish this goal, this paper will suggest urban regeneration programmes adopt the use of neuroscience, which can help understand the relationship between people, health and urban environments. This is especially relevant as the health issues which are becoming more acute in cities are related to mental and metabolic disorders which fall under the neuroscience line of study. The challenge with introducing neuroscience to the urban realm is, however, the lack of a clear framework. To solve this challenge, this paper will put forward a new neuroscience informed software, which can help urban planners identify which areas are most vulnerable to health risks associated with urban environments. This will be of even more importance as climate change creates further built environment decay, increasing the risk for serious and chronic health issues such as anxiety, obesity, neurodevelopmental problems and depression.