Urban Future: Metropolis, Vision & Psychology

Try to imagine how we will live in the future. What comes to mind? Intimidating designs built from concrete, metal and glass, flying cars and drones, cities closely resembling Fritz Lang’s Metropolis with a hint of Blade Runner’s Los Angeles? Probably not the best outlook for humanity – especially considering that by 2050, almost 70% of the world’s population will live in cities (World Bank, 2022). Urbanisation is one of the most pressing issues of the near future, because it is inextricably linked to climate change, economic development, inequality, and mental health. Cities grow exponentially while governments struggle to cope with housing demands, infrastructure for clean water and energy, pollution, traffic, and poverty.

Considering the history of humankind, cities are a very new form of living and we have little experience to fall back on. In our trial-and-error urban existence, one of the first big hits was the suburban, tranquil life outside the buzzing city centre, especially popular in the US (Cheng, 2022; Jacobs, 1992). Unfortunately, this turns out to be a short-lived, illusionary concept. Suburbia is very inefficient in its land use, mobility is highly dependent on cars, and city centres have lost their beauty and meaning beyond store fronts and business buildings (Cheng, 2022). But in the urbanised world, cities need to be flexible, adapt to new demands and rising population, and efficiently transport people from home to work and back.

Next to problems with functionality and inefficiency, cities also pose physical and psychological threats to their citizens. Pollution causes countless cancerous and respiratory illnesses; unsafe roads and crime harm or even kill people daily. On top of this, depression and anxiety rates are the highest among city dwellers (Peen et al., 2010). Making sure that people stay happy and healthy is therefore the responsibility of urban planners – and psychologists. Using the power of city design can help people fulfil their potential, build strong social support networks, and lead active, fulfilling lives.

Research in urban and environmental psychology can help guide policy makers and urban planners, by improving their understanding of what aspects are important for making us happy or sick. For example, our brains are wired to maintain many different social connections, but being confronted with millions of strangers daily might negatively impact our stress levels and increase the risk for mental illnesses in the long-term. Conversely, open community spaces reduce this overload, allowing for meaningful social networks to form and protect citizens from anxiety and depression (Ellard, 2017). Many projects, research labs and think tanks investigate the relevant factors and opportunities to change cities for the better – for example the Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health right here in Amsterdam. Although research in this field is often very complex and costly (Ellard, 2017), some results are robust enough to inform policies and designers that they should focus on mobility, navigation and safety, green spaces, and local communities.

Mobility. The cities of the future should not be centred around the car as the ubiquitous means of transport, but make sure that human movements and scales are the reference point. This includes for example a focus on efficient public transport, bike lanes and more walkable neighbourhoods (Kong et al., 2020; O’Neill, 2018; UMDH, 2016). It would make commuting easier, thus making the whole city more accessible and facilitating the social inclusion of traditionally marginalised groups and neighbourhoods (Hutson, 2019). In this context, psychology and AI could help in analysing traffic and movement patterns, identifying accident-prone streets or gaps in the public transport network that socially cut off entire neighbourhoods (SNC Lavalin, n.d.; Wang, n.d.). 

Navigation and safety. Intuitive design can help people to commute easily even on unknown routes, reduces the cognitive load of trying to figure out a way to cross the street or find the nearest ticket machine, and prevents anger and irritability when navigating a public space (Andrews, 2017; UMDH, 2017). Also, it can make places safer by placing streetlights and surveillance cameras or separating pedestrians from traffic (UMDH, 2017). Mixed-use spaces in particular combine many helpful features: Linking an underground station with a bus station and taxi stand, but also integrating shops and apartments to prevent the (criminal) misuse of a busy, unsupervised space (UMDH, 2017; Zhang & Tu, 2021).

Green spaces. One of the strongest links that urban research has found is between exposure to nature and well-being. Green spaces elicit positive emotions, lower physical arousal and stress, and therefore help to improve and maintain mental health (Chanchlani, n.d.; Ellard, 2017; UMDH, 2017). This includes any aspect of nature one can find – a community garden, a green facade on a building –, but walkable green spaces particularly can really do wonders. They make the appearance of a city more complex and stimulating, are recreational spaces, encourage social interaction and create a sense of community (think of two dog-owners meeting every day). 

Communities. Cities are busy but oftentimes also lonely places, especially with individualism being more prominent in urban areas (Andrews, 2017). But humans are social beings and need to feel like they belong somewhere, want to express their culture and identity, and connect to others in meaningful ways. Neighbourhoods and local communities are crucial for social interactions, strong networks, and fighting for example depression and anxiety (Andrews, 2017). Design can facilitate spontaneous encounters and make public spaces more welcoming and accessible. But local communities should be involved in the decision making – otherwise, the created space could be rejected, abandoned, or misused (United Nations, 2020).

While probably important in the creation of future cities, these topics are no panacea for designing the perfect city, where all citizens will be happy and healthy. Approaching urban planning from such a utopian perspective would ignore how much history, culture and geography influence a city. While some research findings might be useful, a city does not grow inside a vacuum. Instead, it is dependent on the space available, the local climate, the political leadership, and the economic situation. One city that has been planned with meticulous detail but also grand vision, considering the many restrictions and challenges posed by the equatorial climate, multiculturalism and lack of space, is Singapore. It has thus created a glimpse into the future, a vision of urban life in the present reality.

Singapore successfully balances high-rise housing blocks with green recreational space. At the same time, culturally rich neighbourhoods reflect the ethnic and religious diversity of the population, creating a safe multicultural environment (Allam, 2020; Cheng, 2022). The city provides affordable public housing, now the most common form of living, helping people to settle down and create a sense of belonging (The Economist, 2017). Quotas ensure racial diversity and neighbourhoods typically cover daily needs and facilities – having everything within reach, citizens avoid the stress from commuting or the overcrowded city centre. The density of many high-rise blocks, adventurous architecture and various transport systems is continuously interrupted by nature and lush parks. The green and the built environment seem to live in symbiosis throughout the city – often in extravagant ways like the Gardens by the Bay, but also in more subtle ways like green facades or community gardens between housing blocks. Knowing how important natural spaces are for human well-being, this is a great example for urban designers of the future.

Purely from an urban planning perspective, Singapore has ticked many boxes: Mobility, green space, community. The development and vision of the city is in itself part of the local culture and identity, something that unites all diversity in the population. The approach is very top-down: There are agreed-upon frameworks, which translate a vision into concrete measures concerning land use, housing, mobility, sustainability, and identity (Chew, 2009). This has helped Singapore change from being an overcrowded colonial trading post with no natural resources to one of the most successful cities, and states, in the world.

It becomes apparent that not all of Singapore’s architecture and neighbourhoods emerged organically. But planning and realising a city in such a rigorous top-down fashion is an instrument of power, too. It is a way to shape and reinforce the ideal citizens, determining how they should move, eat, live, work. For example, the public housing scheme is only an option if you’re a heterosexual, married couple – single moms or queer citizens are openly ostracised from this form of living (Oswin, 2019). Singapore can and will provide you with the best transport, facilities, architecture and green space, if you agree not to deviate from the norm in return. One such deviation could be educating about and fighting for hundreds of thousands of migrant workers who build and maintain this glorious urban space. But they are often discriminated against, endure inhumane living conditions on the edge of the city, and have suffered tremendously during COVID-Lockdowns (Telling, 2022). Given this example, one might want to pay attention to what prices have been paid in order to achieve the urbanised bliss.

The benefit of a super-safe and “perfectly” planned city needs to be weighed carefully against the freedom of thought, individuality, and democracy. Research can show how exposure to green spaces improves well-being or how citizens navigate spaces the easiest, but the real world is a much more complex research lab. Next to focusing on what benefits everyone equally, it is important not to forget (or eliminate) our differences. More space for individuals to live in their own ways, habits, and choice of partner might result in slower progress towards the green, clean and streamlined vision of urban planning. But the vision of a space should not dictate the people who live in it, the ones who make it a cultural space, a social network, and most importantly: a home.<<