Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story:

• Biophilic architecture based on nature could be a huge boon for mental health.
• The emerging field of neuroarchitecture aims to create spaces that improve mental well-being.
• A new study focuses on the effect architecture can have on hippocampal neurogenesis—a crucial process that aids in mood regulation and learning.

If we want a healthier, happier human population, we might want to focus on how we build cities. According to the United Nations, nearly 70 percent of the global population will live in a city by 2050, with some 2.5 billion people moving to cities over the next couple of decades. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that a static, unnatural environment isn’t ideal for the human brain. For example, taking a walk in a forest is much more restful than taking a walk on a busy city street.

Now, scientists studying neuroarchitecture at the University of Cambridge in the U.K. are beginning to wonder if cities can begin designing spaces that cater to the needs of the human brain, rather than constructing cold monoliths that inhibit neuroplasticity. Back in 2024, architectural neurophysiology researcher Cleo Valentine, now a research associate at Harvard, published a study in the journal Buildings on how biophilic, or nature-based, designs could impact neuroinflammation—a well-known cause of serious neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders.

The study measured stress responses to biophilic design using a 32-channel quantitative electroencephalograph (qEEG) and found strong evidence of lower neuroinflammation and reduced stress. This research built on Valentine’s previous work, which stated that poor architectural design can cause “allostatic overload”—the cumulatively overwhelming effects of everyday stresses.

“This is the first time we’ve seen direct neurophysiological evidence that architecture might influence immune responses in the brain,” Valentine told the Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE). “It opens up a completely new way of thinking about how we design the spaces we live and work in.”

Now, a new study led by a researcher from the same school of architecture at the University of Cambridge explores this “new way of thinking” by analyzing the role architecture plays in hippocampal neurogenesis—a crucial process for learning and mood regulation. The results of that study were published in the journal Brain Sciences.

“Physical activity is widely recognized as a promoter of neurogenesis through brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), yet the built environments in which most people spend approximately 90% of their time simultaneously suppress BDNF through chronic stress and deny sufficient physical activity intensity to restore it,” the author, Mohamed Hesham Khalil (a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Cambridge), wrote.

In a previous study, Khalil explored the new idea of neurosustainability—the concept of using architecture to nurture neuroplastic brain processes rather than hinder them. In his new study, Khalil stresses the importance of stair use (which can provide moderate levels of exercise that boost brain outcomes) and, more importantly, “neurobiophilic design,” which pays close attention to things like natural light, green views, and exposure to natural sounds. Essentially, neurobiophilia means focusing on aspects of design that help return our bodies to their nature-based origins.

Of course, these ideas are currently theoretical, and are only supported by previous research that sedentary, closed-off workspaces can greatly impact mental health. But these ideas wouldn’t be limited to just workspaces—they could apply to schools, residential buildings, and healthcare spaces as well.

The levels of stress in the U.S.—and around the world—are reaching crisis levels as increased isolation and lack of companionship take their toll. As more people move to cities over the coming decades, designing buildings to help manage (or, at the very least, not exacerbate) those stress levels could provide a welcomed reprieve for billions.