Erin Sharp-Newton, M. Arch, is the 2024 President for the American Institute of Architects Central New Jersey (AIACNJ.org) and serves as the Director of the Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health (UD/MH), founded by Dr. Layla McCay. She has been a Fellow of UD/MH since 2016 and holds the role of Section Editor of Read More
Category: Book
A few words on climate change, mental health and gender
A recent publication tackling the intersection of climate change and health, developed by members of the NeuroLandscape team, has been released in the book Climate Change and Health Hazards: Addressing Hazards to Human and Environmental Health from a Changing Climate, edited by Walter Leal Filho, Diogo Guedes Vidal, and Maria Alzira Pimenta Dinis. The chapter, Read More
Designing for Well-Being: How the Contemplative Landscape Model Transforms Urban Spaces
We’ve all felt the calming effects of spending time in nature, whether it’s a stroll through a park or a quiet moment in a garden. But not all natural environments induce the same mental health benefits. Some landscape features, when combined, are more effective than others at promoting well-being, and the Contemplative Landscape Model (CLM) Read More
How Urban Design Can Impact Mental Health & Well-being
Our cities are often designed with function in mind. We build parks for exercise, wider sidewalks for pedestrians, and bike lanes for commuters. While we have made progress towards building healthier bodies, we have overlooked the equally important mental well-being. Urban design has a powerful influence on the quality of its citizens’ life, especially mental Read More
Building Back Differently: The Role of CLM in Public Health Promotion through Nature-based Solutions
“The future of humanity is undoubtedly urban,” warns the UN-Habitat in their World Cities Report (2022), urging public health policies to address the growing health risks associated with urban expansion. Urban environments — characterized by traffic, pollution, noise, and overcrowding — not only create fertile ground for physical health issues but also place a significant Read More
Therapeutic Landscapes, Hospice Care, and Fight Club: An Interview with Landscape Architect Anna Artemeva
“The important thing to understand is that a hospice is not a place where people die, but rather a place where they live out their final stage of life.” Anna Artemeva, Landscape Architect
“Neuroscience for Designing Green Spaces: Contemplative Landscapes” – A Revolutionary Book
Experience the power of “Neuroscience for Designing Green Spaces: Contemplative Landscapes” – a revolutionary book by Dr. Agnieszka Olszewska-Guizzo. This comprehensive guide was released on May 30, 2023. It revolutionizes landscape design through an innovative approach rooted in neuroscience. Unveiling Contemplative Landscape Design Delve into the concept of Contemplative Landscape Design, meticulously crafted over Read More
Policy Briefs – Urban Health and Wellbeing Programme by Springer
In our most recent contribution to the Volume Two of the book series Urban Health and Wellbeing Systems Approaches, published by Springer and Zhejian University, we discuss the preliminary findings of our research project currently conducted in low-income communities in Medellin Colombia for our program Planting Seeds of Empowerment: Mental Health and Wellbeing of the Read More