SEIDMAN SAYS: Embracing 'restorative cities' approach could improve our mental health

'“Restorative Cities: Urban Design for Mental Health and Wellbeing,” makes the case that cities with more green space, water features, street safety and social hubs and less congestion, noise, pollution and physical discomfort can make residents healthier and happier.

If that seems like common sense, Jenny Roe, co-author of the book, who has been working passionately in the field of human-centered design for more than 15 years, doesn’t disagree. But it took a global pandemic, she says, before “the world was ready to listen.”'

Columnist Carrie Seidman says a promising proposal to change how we design urban areas could help address our post-pandemic mental health crisis.