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Healthy Spaces, Healthy Lives: Analyzing the Role of Built Environment on Human Health

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2027 | Viewed by 25048

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Alenka Temeljotov-Salaj

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Guest Editor

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
Interests: topics in sustainable refurbishment; transformation and adaptive re-use of existing buildings; urban facilities management; social sustainability; citizen participation and smart and sustainable solutions
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cities are rapidly evolving to meet the proliferating urban population; the need to prioritize health and well-being within urban structures (building or urban scale) has thus never been so urgent. The extreme pace of urbanization poses challenges to societies that could be impacted by the intricate relationship between the built environment, health and well-being. Such challenges cover determinants in the physical, psychological and social dimensions, including socio-economic and environmental factors; these are particularly important with regard to the relationship between people and their communities. To enhance the health of the urban ecosystem, the integration of insights from a transdisciplinary approach to health and well-being promotion and disease prevention is needed. By expanding our perspective regarding the influence of facilities and the built environment to assess the interplay between social, environmental, biological, and behavioral determinants, new pathways to enhance individuals’ health and quality of life could be found.

This Special Issue aims to explore the following topics:

The provision of new models of open innovation and open science to support citizens’ health and well-being in urban environments (building and urban scale).
The development of new digital tools to gather users’ data and provide new insights into health and well-being and the interactions of users in spaces, as well as including qualitative and subjective aspects that cannot be captured by existing indicators.
Determining the effect of various innovative, physical nature-based solutions when they are combined in various multifunctional patterns on citizens’ health and well-being.
Focusing on the creation of thematic areas within the urban environment that are dedicated to collecting, assessing and providing personalized advice to citizens regarding their relative health and well-being.
Facility management in the creation of a healthy environment – approaches, standards and practices.
The discovery of novel physiological measurement approaches to measure the impact of the built environment on individual health and happiness.
Determining the facilities to be considered in health-related urban development from both intervention and prevention approaches.
Citizens’ engagement in developing future-oriented urban development schemes that aim to increase health and wellbeing.
Social innovations that aim to improve the sustainability of social infrastructure—new ideas (products, services and models) that meet social and physical demands and could improve well-being.

Exploring the interaction between individuals and the environment in order to enhance health and well-being is crucial. Articles submitted to this Special Issue should explore the environment in which we live, work or spend our spare time (room, building, district, city). Measuring the impact of the built environment on health and well-being will provide the evidence-based target intervention required in urban design (building and environment) and the development of infrastructure. In addition, the engagement of citizens in the development of healthy cities will enable us to understand the evolving needs of today’s society regarding decisions related to health, invest more in the actual needs of citizens, and make decisions that lead to the development of more equitable urban health. Articles that present the determinants associated with stress-related health impacts, happiness levels, health disparities, and disease prevention are also desirable.

Prof. Dr. Alenka Temeljotov-Salaj
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

sustainable urban environment
health and wellbeing
innovative models
sustainable design
innovative approaches
impact factors
interventions

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 8157 KB

Open AccessArticle

Linking Children’s Emotional Experiences of Space with Health-Oriented Urban Design: Towards School Streets in Belgrade

by Milena Vukmirović

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2026, 23(4), 516; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23040516 - 17 Apr 2026

Viewed by 605

Abstract

Children’s everyday routes to school are increasingly recognised as important environments shaping physical and mental well-being. Yet, their emotional dimension remains insufficiently integrated into health-oriented urban design research, particularly in cities without formalised School Street policies. This study examines how children in Belgrade perceive and emotionally experience their everyday school routes and how such evidence can inform context-sensitive urban design. A mixed-method, child-centred participatory approach was applied with primary school pupils, combining participatory evaluation boards, cognitive route mapping, photo documentation, and facilitated classroom discussion. The material was analysed through qualitative coding, triangulation, and a health-oriented reinterpretation of the SCORELINE framework (h_SCORELINE). The findings reveal recurring stress nodes associated with traffic-dominated streets, complex crossings, obstructed sidewalks, and poorly legible route segments, which children linked to fear, discomfort, and insecurity. By contrast, greenery, recognisable landmarks, visually calm environments, and wider pedestrian spaces emerged as joy nodes associated with comfort, enjoyment, and emotional ease. These patterns suggest that children’s emotional-spatial evidence can enrich the assessment of school-route environments beyond conventional traffic indicators alone. By linking children’s lived experiences with health-oriented urban design, the study provides evidence-based support for the gradual introduction of School Streets in Belgrade. It offers a transferable framework for integrating child-centred experiential knowledge into healthier street design. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healthy Spaces, Healthy Lives: Analyzing the Role of Built Environment on Human Health)

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19 pages, 1912 KB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing Environmental Sustainability in Acute Care Hospitals: A Survey-Based Snapshot from an Italian Regional Health System

by Andrea Brambilla, Roberta Poli, Michele Dolcini, Beatrice Pattaro and Stefano Capolongo

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2026, 23(1), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23010020 - 22 Dec 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 814

Abstract

Background: The healthcare sector plays a significant role in environmental degradation, particularly through energy consumption, emissions, and resource use associated with hospital operations. Despite growing global awareness of the impacts, environmental sustainability remains only partially embedded with the design, planning, management, and evaluation of hospital facilities, and empirical evidence is still limited. Methods: This exploratory study employed a mixed-method, two-phase approach. First, a scoping literature review identified key environmental dimensions and approaches for environmental sustainability in hospitals infrastructures. Second, a structured survey was distributed to Italian hospitals from Lombardy Region, between May and June 2024, to assess environmental performance and environmental strategy adoption. Results: Eight (n = 8) core environmental sustainability dimensions emerged from the review: energy efficiency, resource and waste management, transportation and mobility, materials and construction, environmental compliance, emissions, site sustainability, and design strategies. The subsequent based on these dimensions, gathered responses from (n = 18) healthcare facilities from Lombardy region, Italy. Findings revealed substantial gaps, since key measures such as on-site renewable capacity, water reuse systems, environmental certification application and health-island mitigation practices appear to be adopted sporadically. In addition, many of the surveyed facilities show consumption levels that exceed the benchmarks outlined in the literature. Discussion: The findings of this study reveal a notable misalignment between the sustainability debate, maturity promoted in the academic literature and the actual practices implemented in the Italian regional context. This mismatch highlights the importance of developing more uniform evaluation tools, policy requirements, and strengthening the organizational capabilities, to improve environmental performance in Italian hospital facilities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healthy Spaces, Healthy Lives: Analyzing the Role of Built Environment on Human Health)

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23 pages, 5045 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Architecture of Public Buildings as a Transformative Model Toward Health and Sustainability

by Mihajlo Zinoski, Iva Petrunova and Jana Brsakoska

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(5), 736; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22050736 - 7 May 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2902

Abstract

Public buildings are crucial to creating healthy and sustainable cities. These buildings promote social cohesion and enrich urban life by transforming existing facilities into hybrid models that integrate medical content. Historical developments highlight shifts in residential, economic, and healthcare infrastructure. The healthcare system aims to enhance public health while ensuring financial equity. Reforms in healthcare privatization, governed by public health and insurance policies, involve liberalizing service provision and are supported by the Ministry of Health and Finance. This study examines how public buildings can adapt to enhance health and social sustainability. Through case studies, it assesses architectural adaptability in analyzing spatial, economic, and social impacts. Diagrams illustrate spatial dynamics, while surveys compare efficiency, sustainability, and user experience. Statistical analysis highlights the role of spatial adaptability in fostering sustainable urban environments. The results, which express significant differences between means for different locations and citizens’ satisfaction, suggest that the hypothesis offers substantial results in every area. Besides commercial programs in commercial buildings, healthcare also gives satisfactory results. This study advocates for adaptive architecture as a key strategy, aligning with evolving societal and health demands. Hybridizing healthcare facilities and commercial spaces transforms shopping centers into sustainable models, enhancing social cohesion and economic viability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healthy Spaces, Healthy Lives: Analyzing the Role of Built Environment on Human Health)

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20 pages, 556 KB

Open AccessArticle

Disrupted and Disconnected Post Disaster: Associations Between the Social and Built Environment and Loneliness During COVID-19 in a U.S. Gulf Coast Sample

by Samer Atshan, Lynsay Ayer, Andrew M. Parker, JoNell Strough and Bonnie Ghosh-Dastidar

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(2), 203; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22020203 - 31 Jan 2025

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2266

Abstract

Loneliness, a significant public health issue, was exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in disaster-prone regions like the U.S. Gulf Coast. This study examined how social and built environmental factors were associated with pandemic-related disruptions and loneliness among respondents from the third wave of the Survey of Trauma, Resilience, and Opportunity among Neighborhoods in the Gulf (STRONG). Using a retrospective measure of loneliness (pre-pandemic vs. during pandemic), we found that loneliness increased significantly during the pandemic. Using a measure of routine behavior disruptions and measures of both objective (e.g., parks, walkability, etc.) and subjective (e.g., neighborhood safety, social cohesion, etc.) environmental factors, we found that disruptions to daily routines strongly predicted higher loneliness, and subjective measures, such as neighborhood safety, social cohesion, and lacking post-disaster social support, were more salient predictors of loneliness than objective factors such as the number of parks in one’s neighborhood. Difficulty accessing green spaces and housing distress were linked to greater COVID-19 disruptions, indirectly contributing to loneliness. These findings highlight the importance of safe, supportive, and accessible social and physical environments in mitigating loneliness and enhancing community resilience during crises. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healthy Spaces, Healthy Lives: Analyzing the Role of Built Environment on Human Health)

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16 pages, 1506 KB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring Self-Care, Anxiety, Depression, and the Gender Gap in the Software Engineering Pipeline

by Alicia Julia Wilson Takaoka, Letizia Jaccheri and Kshitij Sharma

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(11), 1468; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21111468 - 4 Nov 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3436

Abstract

Software engineers may experience burnout, which is often caused by the anxieties and stresses of the workplace. Understanding the well-being and resilience practices of software engineers and evaluating their knowledge of mental health is one factor to understand our current, diverse, multi-generational workplaces. Here, we present preliminary results of a study examining the self-care practices of software engineers, a general overview of the state of mental health of software engineers, and correlations between expressions of mental health and demographic factors. Among 224 respondents, positive correlations between imposter syndrome and happiness, anxiety, and depression were identified. We also identified negative correlations between mental health literacy and imposter syndrome, happiness, anxiety, and depression. Well-being had a positive correlation with self-efficacy, as well as with happiness. We also present the Gender Gap in mental health and our findings in relation to that construct. Our findings suggest increasing mental health support services. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healthy Spaces, Healthy Lives: Analyzing the Role of Built Environment on Human Health)

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30 pages, 2407 KB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Climate, Health, and Urban Green Infrastructure: The Evidence Base and Implications for Urban Policy and Spatial Planning

by Yirong Jia and Catalina Turcu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(12), 1842; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22121842 - 9 Dec 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2220

Abstract

Urban green infrastructure (UGI) is widely used to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Its multiple benefits are well documented, with health-related benefits receiving growing attention, especially post-COVID-19. However, the existing evidence remains fragmented and limited to narrow disciplinary perspectives, offering only partial insights into the intersection of UGI and climate adaptation measures with health co-benefits. This paper addresses these gaps by providing an interdisciplinary review of the field. It presents a systematic literature review of studies between 2015 and 2025, assessing the extent of documented evidence and drawing out key policy implications. The review adopts the PRISMA framework and synthesizes evidence from 178 primary research articles across seven databases. Health co-benefits are reported across ten types of UGI: residential greenery, urban vegetation, school greenery, trees, urban parks, urban forests, green roofs and walls, green streets, grasslands, and community or private gardens. Building on the review’s findings and additional literature, the paper discusses seven key implications for urban policy and spatial planning, which are relevant to climate adaptation policymakers, urban planners, and public health authorities working in cities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healthy Spaces, Healthy Lives: Analyzing the Role of Built Environment on Human Health)

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36 pages, 2837 KB

Open AccessPerspective

Home Environment as a Therapeutic Target for Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases: Delivering Restorative Living Spaces, Patient Education and Self-Care by Bridging Biophilic Design, E-Commerce and Digital Health Technologies

by Dorothy Day Huntsman and Grzegorz Bulaj

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(2), 225; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22020225 - 5 Feb 2025

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 11065

Abstract

A high prevalence of chronic diseases exposes diverse healthcare pain points due to the limited effectiveness of pharmaceutical drugs and biologics, sedentary lifestyles, insufficient health literacy, chronic stress, unsatisfactory patient experience, environmental pollution and competition with commercial determinants of health. To improve patient care and long-term outcomes, the impact of the home environment is overlooked and underutilized by healthcare. This cross-disciplinary work describes perspectives on (1) the home environment as a therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases and (2) transforming health-centric household goods e-commerce platforms into digital health interventions. We provide a rationale for creating therapeutic home environments grounded in biophilic design (multisensory, environmental enrichment) and supporting physical activities, quality sleep, nutrition, music, stress reduction, self-efficacy, social support and health education, hence providing clinical benefits through the modulation of the autonomic nervous system, neuroplasticity and behavior change. These pleiotropic “active non-pharmacological ingredients” can be personalized for people living with depression, anxiety, migraine, chronic pain, cancer, cardiovascular and other conditions. We discuss prospects for integrating e-commerce with digital health platforms to create “therapeutic home environment” interventions delivered through digital therapeutics and their combinations with prescription drugs. This multimodal approach can enhance patient engagement while bridging consumer spending with healthcare outcomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healthy Spaces, Healthy Lives: Analyzing the Role of Built Environment on Human Health)

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