A strategic planning approach for developing eco-efficient and socially inclusive urban infrastructure

Cobacho, Ricardo; Infante, Benjamín

doi:10.1080/13549839.2012.680278

Cited by 9 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…The three factors, participation, sustainability, and quality, associated with the positive psychological impact of urban interventions for vulnerable groups, support the argument within the GAPS framework [23] that designing urban spaces which promote activity, social empowerment, contact with nature and sense of safety, may be beneficial for different sociodemographic groups. More broadly, our findings support the pivotal role of "place-making" and its psychological dimensions for transformative people-centred urban planning [60,61], as well as the need to develop an interdisciplinary and holistic approach to urban transformations [13,62], in order to cater for both physical and mental wellbeing in a sustainable way [4], especially for the most vulnerable individuals from a socioeconomic and gender dimension.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 66%

Envisioning Happy Places for All: A Systematic Review of the Impact of Transformations in the Urban Environment on the Wellbeing of Vulnerable Groups

2021

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Urban planning and design can impact mental health, but it is unclear how ever-growing and changing cities can sustain the psychological wellbeing of vulnerable groups, who are among the most mentally sensitive to spatial inequalities. This systematic review synthesised quantitative and qualitative studies on urban design interventions and their impact on wellbeing in vulnerable groups. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we searched five online databases from inception to May 2020. A total of 10 papers were included. We found mixed evidence of benefits for wellbeing linked to urban regeneration projects or focused interventions (green spaces, transport, security). Interventions that were centred around participation, sustainable living, and quality of design (e.g., perceived sense of safety) were associated with increased residential satisfaction and wellbeing, particularly among low-income communities and women. Risk of bias was low to medium, but there was high methodological heterogeneity; studies were mainly from Western countries, and none of the included studies investigated the experiences of people with disabilities, migrants, or racial minorities. This review highlights the importance of inclusive and sustainable design interventions to create happy places for all strata of society, although further investigation is warranted.

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