Environmental sustainability and the well-being of urban dwellers in increasingly dense cities

Abstract

With the threat of the climate crisis becoming increasingly urgent, the field of urban planning is aiming to limit and reduce the environmental impact cities have on land useby choosing to implement urban development plans that densify existing urban areas to avoid sprawl. The process of densification might come at a cost though, as polluting human activities come together, and urban green areas get built over. As it is also the goal of urbanists to plan a city that promotes dwellers’ physical and mental health this approach to densification creates potential trade-offs between environmental sustainability and quality of life, hence the importance of studying the subject of urban planning through both an environmental and a wellbeing approach. Through conscious design, carefully planned densification can improve social cohesion and ensure that urban dwellers’ get the most out of their sustainable city.