URBANISATION VS MENTAL HEALTH

How urbanisation is affecting happiness in Bordon and Whitehill

Sam Kercher

GREEN GREEN

SOCIAL ACTIVE ACTIVE

I would like to thank Dr Tulika Gadakari and Dr Hossein Sadri for their constant support and enthusiasm throughout this research project. I would also like to express my gra�tude to all members of the community who par�cipated in my ques�onnaire, this allowed an crucial understanding of the current standard of urban design.

Choosing a place to live can be one of the most important decisions in a person’s life, as architects and urban designers we have the privilege of shaping people’s lives and even their emo�ons. This thesis reviews the impact an urban environment has on mental health (with a focus on happiness) and techniques urban planners can use to mi�gate the nega�ve ramifica�ons of inhabi�ng an urban environment. With the United Na�ons predic�ng that over 90% of the UK popula�on will live within an urban environment by 2050 and sta�s�cs already telling us that these environments have a nega�ve impact on both depression (40%) and anxiety (20%) this research is becoming more and more important to the overall wellbeing of society (United Na�ons, 2018., & Peen, J., 2009). The focus of the project is an area currently going through the urbanisa�on process and also part of the ‘healthy new towns’ ini�a�ve; Bordon and Whitehill. The regenera�on program has been in progress since 2015, and a ques�onnaire will be generated, based upon Safety, Ac�ve, Green and Social; the key factors in defining happiness within an urban environment. A ques�onnaire will allow for perceived happiness to be compared to the experienced; defined from sta�s�cs and knowledge linking to the same four categories. The findings have helped to developed three key recommenda�ons needed to develop posi�ve urban environments. These recommenda�ons have arisen from an overall posi�ve community review of contemporary urban development where the experienced is more important to happiness than the perceived. The knowledge gained cannot be the end of this cri�cal body of knowledge but needs to be considered in future urban developments to benefit the happiness of society.

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How happiness will be analysed

How green is defined

What makes a good green zone?

How social is defined

Method of research

Key features of Bordon and Whitehill

Experienced : Popula�on of Bordon and Whitehill

Perceived : Ques�on 5

Perceived : Ques�on 3

Perceived : Ques�on 2

Perceived : Ques�on 4

Experienced : Crime in Bordon and Whitehill

Perceived : Ques�on 10

Perceived : Ques�on 7

Perceived : Ques�on 6

Perceived : Ques�on 8

Experienced : Path developments in Bordon and Whitehill

Perceived : Ques�on 9

Experienced : Old town centre loca�on

Experienced : New town centre loca�on

Perceived : Ques�on 11

Experienced : Historic Green Infrastructure

Experienced : Planned Green Infrastructure

Perceived : Ques�on 12

Experienced : Hogmoor Inclosure Map

Perceived : Ques�on 13

Experienced : Green Loop Map

Perceived : Ques�on 14

Perceived : Ques�on 16

Perceived : Ques�on 15

Experienced : New Social Third Spaces in Bordon and Whitehill

Perceived : Ques�on 17

Key Findings

Perceived : Ques�on 18

As mental health deteriorates worldwide (World Health Organiza�on, 2022), the link and therefore importance of how the built environment impacts our mental well-being is becoming an ever more cri�cal topic. Our understanding of the way in which spaces influence our brain through the release of neurochemicals is increasing. Esther Sternberg, 2013, considers how place can ‘heal’ us, through pain reduc�on, mood boos�ng and improving our immune system. Presen�ng further reasons as to why architects and urban planners need to consider the mental impact their work has on society; an issue that both the government and the Na�onal Health Service (NHS) in the UK have star�ng considering during the urbanisa�on process.

Over 90% of the UK popula�on will live within an urban environment by 2050 (United Na�ons, 2018) therefore the urgency for ‘healthy’ urban development is clear. This predic�on alongside the rise in concerns over peoples general wellbeing, presents the significance of reviewing current urban developments to discover how they are affec�ng society. This movement towards an urban age becomes even more concerning with sta�s�cs showing us that these environments are already having a nega�ve effect on our mental health. A review into the current state of urban – rural differen�a�on in mental disorders states that the two main mental health illnesses, depression and anxiety, are 40% and 20% worse in an urban environment, respec�vely (Peen, Sschoevers, Beekman & Dekker, 2009, p.90). But we cannot only design for the mentally ill, we must also design our urban zones for the general popula�on both for mi�ga�on and healing.

A feeling that encapsulates mental health is happiness. The ques�on of happiness is something that has been pondered throughout �me, with the Greeks concept of ‘Eudaimonia’ and Aristotle constantly ques�oning what makes us feel happiness; “whatever creates or increases happiness, we ought to do” (Aristotle, 350BC). This raises the ques�ons as to why we s�ll haven’t found the formula to create happiness through our design? Will we ever be able to find the perfect combina�on of ‘happy’ design and sustainable design?

Although it is clear that changes in our urban fabric will take �me, there is a gap in knowledge in how the development of a rural area to a more urban one is affec�ng mental health; which is where this research will start to fill the gap. To develop this understanding a focus will be placed on the ‘Healthy New Towns’ ini�a�ve and one of the demonstrator sites, Bordon and Whitehill, a site that encases many key features of other planned urban developments. In order to understand the effect on happiness we first need to understand the components that create the feeling; knowledge which will be important in developing urban spaces at a bigger scale.

1: How happiness will be analysed

Measuring ‘Experienced’ Analysing ‘Perceived’

Note : By, Author (2022)

Reviewing various literature related to happiness has highlighted that the concept is one that is obvious and desirable but also something that evades a lot of people; especially in an urban environment (World Happiness Report, 2020). Many philosophers have ques�oned happiness with most arriving at a split between hedonic, based on pleasure and eudemonic, relying on meaning and self-realiza�on (Ryan & Deci, 2001). Designers, consider a more environmental approach as an influence on feelings, o�en discovering contentment, sa�sfac�on and overall liveability as terms for defining and measuring happiness (Montgomery, 2013., Moura�dis & Yiannakou, 2022). Although, there are various outcomes most scholars find that everyone’s concept of happiness is different but have strong links to sa�sfac�on and contentment; Montgomery, 2013, asks “is happiness simply contentment or the opposite of misery?”. The scien�fic approach, using neuroscience, of being happy (experienced) alongside the more holis�c approach of feeling happy (perceived) are two concepts that should be but are not o�en combined to analyse the overall happiness of a person in a specific space / environment.

The way in which we view a space ul�mately determines how we feel within it. Different concepts of percep�on of urban space have been considered with Lynch’s five elements of urban mapping the most commonly recognized (Lynch, 1960). Paths, nodes, edges, districts and landmarks all are aspects of viewing the city from a designers point of view but happiness needs to derive from the user; not the designer (Gehl, 2010). Gehl, 2010 focuses on ci�es for walking, staying and playing as an ‘eye level’ view of the city with Roe and McCay, 2021, developing the idea that ‘restora�ve urbanism’ will have a posi�ve impact on socie�es views of the city. If we begin to view the city and new urban zones in a posi�ve manner, the issue of these developing spaces diminishing our mental health will be irradicated. The way in which we create and measure happiness, in terms of percep�on of the urban zone, needs to work in tandem with the experienced happiness within the same space. So, although perceived and experienced need to be considered together, these concepts place a higher importance on the perceived.

Aspects that cause happiness are again dependent on personal opinion, Jacobs, 1961 speaks of; safety, contact, diversity, self-destruc�on and automobiles as key factors in the ‘death’ of ci�es. If self-destruc�on is a key diminishing factor of a city are, ‘restora�ve ci�es’ the answer? Roe and McCay, 2021, split this concept into seven parts; green, blue, sensory, neighbourly, ac�ve, playable and inclusive. Although, many other aspects of happiness need to be considered, the no�ons of safety, being ac�ve, green space and being social are four key points that happiness cannot be achieved without, they embody all previous scholars outcomes of defining happiness. These four categories can also be measured both in terms of experienced and perceived.

Note : By, Author (2022)