Can architecture and public art in a neighbourhood measurably improve residents’ mental health?
Background
For centuries, architecture has been valued for providing shelter. However, as infrastructure abilities continue to advance, architecture also begins to earn appreciation for appealing visuals. Recently, we’ve seen a rise in public art. When we hear this phrase, ‘public art’, people may have different things come to mind: some imagine the iridescent illustrations on the walls while others picture the surreal sculpture near a grand entrance, but almost always, the imagery consists of anything built, carved or painted.
Public artwork fascinates many, but some even raise the question of whether architecture indeed has a connection with mental health. After all, a number of factors can affect a person’s well-being. Someone might have been pressured at work, someone might have been stressed by the exams at school and someone might have even gone through a different problem at home. Because these factors are so varied and personal, approaches like therapy often must be tailored to each individual. This raises the question: is there something more universal that could support everyone’s well-being, regardless of the specific challenges they face? Perhaps architecture, an environment experienced by everyone, could be one such factor.
Yet unfortunately, pedestrians more often than not pass by gorgeous monuments in the neighborhood without a second thought. The idea that there are too many factors influencing mental health to determine if architecture is even relevant, coupled with the ‘correlation isn’t causation’ conclusion, makes many view architecture as nothing more than eye-candy. However, proven data contradicts this belief – architecture and public art can measurably improve a resident’s mental health.
Stimuli and Responses
To observe how a person’s mental health can deteriorate or recover, we must look into what happens when our brain activity changes. One of the biological things that affect our health includes our hormones like dopamine, released when the brain experiences pleasure or reward along with cortisol, released during stress.
Authors from Harvard Medical School emphasise both low and high amounts of dopamine are associated with negative effects like drug addictions and Parkinson’s disease. In contrast, HealthDirect asserts that having too much cortisol are more often connoted with mental issues while too little cortisol results in physical symptoms like weight loss and nausea.
Furthermore, in 2020, a study was published investigating the brain’s activity when conventionally attractive art and faces were shown; a writer from the BBC Science Focus Magazine, Ceri P., claims “When the participants experienced beautiful images or music, the researchers saw activity in a region of the brain called the medial orbitofrontal cortex, which plays a role in our feelings of reward and pleasure.”, implying a correlation between our brain and art.
The Significance of our Housing Area
Although moving into the right neighborhood will not be as significant as attending a better school, its effect is noticeable, similarly to when viewing beauty. When a new artwork appears in the area you live in, take a walk in or buy groceries in, you’d naturally be more attentive towards it than if it were on a street you barely step near.
Additionally, a journal article published in 2025 supports the idea of our neighborhood being tied to our mental health, reporting an improvement in older residents’ well-being when better safety, accessibility to facilities and overall Quality of Life (QoL) elements were implemented inside the neighborhood. Fortunately, younger residents like children growing up in similarly high-quality neighborhoods were seen having higher GPAs as seen in research from the European Sociological Review in 2023.
Artistry’s Impact on Well-being
To uplift someone’s mood, most people resort to exercise or meditation. Yet surprisingly, just engaging in the arts can give us that same lift. Studies by the social biobehavioural research group highlights that when those affected with mental illnesses received exposure to drumming and singing, there was a boost in overall mood; “a single drumming session led to short-term improvements in stress, tiredness, happiness, relaxation and energy levels”. Though, even without involving music, just viewing an artwork can be beneficial — researchers behind the article “The Journal Of Positive Psychology” implied that the results of their report indicated a correlation between viewing art and their emotional well-being.
After evaluating the impact one’s neighborhood involvement has on their daily lives, it’s clear that public artwork can substantially support mental health without requiring extensive measures like learning an instrument or taking a trip to the museum.
Conclusion
In order to maximise the effects of using architecture and other artworks to better residents’ mental health, we should implement the most effective designs: according to Elif S. from the architectural inspiration hub named Illustarch, biophilic designs, calming colours and textures as well as quiet and reflective areas can bring the best impact. A good example of policies making good use of architecture would be the American Heart Association’s Housing Neighborhood and Access Policy conveying the government’s aim towards encouraging easy access to well-maintained nature for every resident, making a positive connection between public art and well-being can be easier.
