Urbanism And Psychology: Do Spaces Condition Us?

As human beings, we are sensitive to different variables and phenomena. One of them is space, which, although sometimes we do not take it into account, can have a great impact on our lives. Thus, today we want to dedicate this article to the relationship between urbanism and psychology.

Let’s start by looking at what urbanism and psychology are. According to the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language (RAE), urban planning is ‘the set of disciplines related to the study of human settlements and their needs for their development and intervention’. So, this area is related to the planning of the territories in connection with the places in which we settle.

Psychology is dedicated to the study of interaction, cognition, and affect. According to the RAE it is the ‘discipline that studies behavior and the human mind’. Now, how is it related to spatial planning? Does it have something to do with development needs?

Urbanism and psychology

Our development is not only influenced by biological, parenting and learning factors. The spaces in which we grow also condition our development. In fact, we are more vulnerable if we find ourselves in certain environments. This does not mean that we are destined to do badly if we find ourselves in those spaces, but it does mean that we are at greater risk.

So, being influenced by the environments in which we develop, we are going to manifest behaviors, thoughts and emotions. There, psychology enters, to study why and for what they happen, how are our interactions, whether they are determined or not, etc.

Furthermore, as the architects Méndez Rodríguez, Saura Carulla and Montañola Thornberg suggest, “places are a kind of mirror of civilization and not just a technical issue”, since they transmit sensitivity to us and it is in them that our lives take place. So, in that impact is that we see the relationship of both disciplines.

Consciousness of space

On the other hand, both emphasize awareness of space, on the one hand, urban planning invites to assess the needs to promote the planning of territories, for which it must assess the context and judge reality according to the actions to be taken. On the other hand, psychology invites us to live the here and now and the feeling of being present in accordance with the reality in which we are.

In addition, their relationship can bear great fruit when developing spaces, as it would be a dialogical meeting in which an approach to the solution could be given according to the needs of individuals in relation to the territory, from an integral point of view, generating alternatives that promote healthy urban environments.

Both disciplines work on the same projects. It is a collaboration that aims to generate friendly spaces that reduce barriers and promote a higher quality of life. To do this, they take into account social and cultural values ​​and a series of physical-psychological-social issues.

Urbanism, psychology and inequality

This is another area in which urbanism and psychology meet: inequality. Why? It turns out that the fact that spaces have an impact on us can create both positive issues – for example, environmentally friendly spaces – and negative, for example, creating social gaps. We can see it reflected in those places where services, institutions, hospitals and educational centers tend to be centralized. A factor that, in this sense, penalizes people who live on the periphery.

Tackling these obstacles is a challenge involving different fields . In this sense, urban planning and psychology intervene to generate new dynamics that promote equality.

In sum, urban planning and psychology are areas that are found in space, they promote a better quality of life through their intervention. In addition, they could provide venues that help make a positive impact on the individual and communities.

For this, the starting point is a precise diagnosis and dialogue that takes into account individual and collective needs, promoting the development of the environments in which we operate. Furthermore, as the architect Julia Morgan said “the spaces speak for themselves”.