Director of Regional Planning and Development Denver Regional Council of Governments, Colorado
Prior to 2020, one in 10 adults in the United States reported anxiety or depressive disorders. In 2021, it was four in 10. Placemaking with mental health in mind is both science and art. Scientific studies suggest common themes in the built environment that decrease stress and increase well-being. They include access to green space for exercise or meditation; easy, multimodal navigation; well maintained infrastructure; and a balance of private and public space to foster connections.
Bridging mental-health advocacy and planning is vital in creating a community built around people. Whether this takes the form of a small community garden planted in an underutilized space or a sizable, active-transportation project constructed to link critical destinations, each component of the built environment can improve the community.
NPC Peer Reviewers assigned this presentation a learning level of Foundational. For more on learning-level descriptions, visit our General Information Page.
Learning Objectives:
Assess the relationship between mental health and the built environment.
Examine engagement strategies for assessing active green space, gathering areas, and natural open space.
Discuss short-term and low-capital site strategies to build community and long-term community health.
