The design of a city and its architecture impacts its citizens on many levels, affecting mental health, community integration, and even levels of crime, according to BBC Future. Urban cities need to keep in mind two things to make sure the people who live in them are at their happiest: Fostering a sense of community and helping people navigate their surroundings. Urban designers and psychologists are increasingly working together to get these two things right, in an unprecedented collaboration that aims to reduce social stress and encourage social interaction in cities.

“Neuro-architecture” aims to calm and stimulate. Adding benches to public spaces, creating greener environments and changing the layout of buildings to make them easier to navigate are some of the design techniques that are intended to provide a better experience for people.

Defining “placemaking”: The importance of placemaking can be taken to extremes by overzealous developers who charge a premium for real estate that promises to transform your life. But there’s clear evidence that feeling a sense of ownership and belonging within a physical environment has benefits for human health and wellbeing. Placemaking is a way to create identity for a city, say some architects. This could be done by adding monuments and statues that celebrate collective memories, adding new works of architecture that showcase contemporary techniques, or renovating historic buildings to make sure they are preserved.