Wednesday 22 July 17:15
- 18:45
Hall: 24 - Room 3 SPT
Chair and Presenter:
Pazzaglia Francesca
Co-Chair:
Miola Laura
Division: Division 4: Environmental Psychology
The growing phenomenon of urbanization has posed significant challenges to human health, driven by rising levels of pollution, noise, urban heat islands, overcrowding, and biodiversity loss. These environmental stressors have a detrimental impact on both psychological and physiological well-being, contributing to chronic stress, cognitive fatigue, and various mental health issues. In this context, restorative environments—places that support psychological and cognitive recovery through specific environmental features—are valuable resources for mitigating these negative effects and promoting mental health in urban settings. A substantial body of research has demonstrated that contact with nature facilitates psychological restoration, reduces stress, enhances attention, and improves both physiological and emotional regulation. More recently, attention has also turned to the restorative potential of built environments, which have shown promising effects on mood and stress reduction. This highlights the importance of expanding our understanding of the restorative value of both natural and built environments. This symposium offers a contribution to explore the restorative qualities of different environments and their connection to wellbeing, with each presentation addressing different yet complementary perspectives. Topics include: The importance of blue space for psychological well-being (M. White); The mental health benefits of urban nature (A. Mechelli); Strategies to improve the restorative potential of workplaces (M. Pasini et al.); and the restorative effects of urban spaces, particularly historic city centers in comparison with modern centers (L. Miola & F. Pazzaglia), with a special focus on activity affordance and social context (A. Bornioli & I. Bray). Understanding the psychological mechanisms that mediate the interaction between individuals and their environments is essential for guiding urban design and promoting well-being in an increasingly urbanized world. This line of research is crucial for building cities that foster not only physical infrastructure, but also mental health and human flourishing.
