Improving Psychological Well-Being in Urban University Districts through Biophilic Design: Two Cases in Mexico

Carlos Cobreros (), Neyda Medoza-Ruvalcaba, Mariana Flores-García and Rob Roggema
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Carlos Cobreros: Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Arquitectura, Arte y Diseño, Campus Queretaro, Santiago de Querétaro 76130, Mexico
Neyda Medoza-Ruvalcaba: Centro Universitario de Tonalá, Universidad de Guadalajara, Tonalá 45425, Mexico
Mariana Flores-García: Facultad de Arquitectura, Universidad la Salle Bajío Campus Camoestre, Leon 37150, Mexico
Rob Roggema: Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Arquitectura, Arte y Diseño, Campus Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Mexico

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 7, 1-14

Abstract: Since 2007, more than half of the population has lived in cities, and an increase of 60 percent is expected by 2030. The city can bring many benefits to citizens, but it also brings a series of problems, such as a loss of psychological well-being and the breakdown of social cohesion and several aspects of mental health. University districts, usually concentrated in specific parts of cities, suffer particularly from these negative effects. Nature can be used to alleviate these problems and provide the benefits of a connected urban life. The university community’s well-being depends on contact with nature. In this sense, biophilic design improves the built environment. The purpose of this article is to analyze the relationship between connectedness to nature and psychological well-being in university communities to contrast the effect that nature has on people’s psychological well-being and to identify possible biophilic design patterns that could improve connectedness to nature, validating the urgent need to design and implement biophilic design in current cities and university urban districts.

Keywords: biophilia; biophilic design; connectedness to nature; nature; psychological well-being; university districts (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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