Urban Update 21 August 2025

News and Research

Movement

Transit-induced restructuring: On the mobility inequalities in Tokyo - Journal of Transport Geography
This study of Tokyo's urban growth between 2010 and 2020 finds that existing rail stations, not new construction, were the main drivers of neighbourhood change. The research concludes that this rail infrastructure primarily benefited wealthier groups, highlighting a global issue where urban development is often guided by corporate interests rather than being inclusive.
 
Supporting urban sustainability through resilient rail transit systems - Cities
Urban rail transit systems are vulnerable to extreme weather events and need to become more resilient. This paper stresses the need to consider social and economic impacts alongside physical damage when developing measures to ensure resilience.
 
Pedestrian stress perception in the age of e-scooters: - Journal of Urban Mobility
The use of E-scooters and micromobility is increasing rapidly.  This can lead to pedestrians becoming stressed. This study of pedestrians in Tel Aviv found that many pedestrians don’t understand the role of e-scooters in the urban areas, which in turn, creates a disconnect between exposure and comprehension. Women and older individuals reported higher stress levels. Older pedestrians are also adversely affected: they value features like vegetation and continuous footways.  Younger people, being more familiar with new technology, reported lower stress and mobility anxiety. The paper argues the need for educational programs and better infrastructure for all age groups.
 
Measuring the impacts of sidewalks on public transit first mile/last mile accessibility and their association with social and demographic factors - Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives
This paper assesses the amount of land that is accessible from sidewalks (pavements in the UK, or footways if you are a UK highways professional or lawyer).  It warns that in areas away from the centre of town, the sidewalk network is often incomplete, restricting access to essential facilities, disadvantaging elderly and disabled people and children.   
It is a frequent concern with the expansion of towns and villages where the focus is on providing vehicle access rather than good quality, continuous pedestrian routes.  It would be a useful test for any new development, no matter how small, to assess the facilities and proportion of the area of land that is accessible by quality footways, compared with the area accessible using vehicles.
 

Energy and Climate Change

Hot, dry summers bring new 'firewave' risk to UK cities, scientists warn >>>>
This article warns about vegetation becoming not merely more flammable in drought conditions, but  much more flammable, referring to “vapour pressure deficit”.  
When VPD is high, the atmosphere is "thirsty" and rapidly pulls moisture out of both living and dead vegetation.  This process, known as transpiration, causes plants to lose water at a faster rate. Over time, this makes vegetation much drier and easier to heat to the temperatures required for combustion.
 

Humans, Health, Society

Impact of urban nature exposure on mental health >>>>
The paper is a meta-analysis of 78 studies involving nearly 5,900 people aiming to answer two questions:
(1) What is the effect size of urban nature exposure on various mental health outcomes?  (effect size is a term used in statistics covering the strength of the relationship between two variables – in this case – urban nature and mental health)
(2) How does the magnitude of effect vary by nature type, population characteristics, exposure type (for example, physical presence in nature versus interaction with nature) and geographic region?
(A meta-analysis, is a type of research method that systematically combines and analyzes data from multiple independent studies on a single topic to draw a broader conclusion.)
 
Among the list of papers included in the meta-analysis,

• urban forests accounted for the largest proportion (47%), followed by
• urban parks (20%),
• green spaces (14%),
• blue spaces (6%),
• gardens (5%),
• street trees (5%),
• farmland (1%) and
• grasslands (1%).

The paper notes that the lack of a consistent definition of urban.  In summarising the paper, we couldn’t find a definition of “urban forest”.

Findings:

• Urban nature has a beneficial effect on mental health, with a moderate-to-large impact.  It was found to significantly lower negative states like anxiety, fatigue, and depression, and increase positive states like vitality.
• The benefits are stronger in urban forests and parks compared to other types of green spaces.
• Specific characteristics such as biodiversity and the quality of urban nature can influence the extent of these benefits. Mental health benefits were lower for typically less biodiverse green-space types, such as grasslands.
• Young adults (ages 19-25) experienced the greatest mental health improvements.
• Spending longer than 45 minutes in nature showed greater benefits for reducing stress and increasing vitality.
• Passive activities (like sitting) were found to be more effective than physical activities for reducing negative mental health outcomes.
• The benefits were also found to be greater in Asian populations and in highly-dense urban areas.

Recommendations:

• urban planners should prioritize the integration of natural landscapes—such as urban forests, parks and pocket green spaces—into city designs, ensuring equitable access for all residents
• embedding nature exposure into preventive healthcare initiatives can enhance population-wide mental well-being.
• further research is needed to clarify the dose-response relationship.  Questions such as urban greenspace is increased from 20 percent to 30 percent, what is the effect on mental health.
• There is a critical need for more research on blue-space exposure – an area that has been neglected.

 
Virtual exposure to natural versus urban environments: a pilot study on impacts on self-compassion, self-protection, and self-criticism - Scientific Reports
This study was conducted to see if a virtual forest environment could improve psychological well-being compared to a virtual city. Twenty-eight adults participated in the trial. The results showed that spending time in the virtual forest led to a significant increase in self-compassion and a decrease in self-criticism. While the virtual city also saw a decrease in self-criticism, participants in this group experienced a rise in perceived stress and a drop in a measure of compassion. The findings suggest that virtual forest bathing could be a useful therapy to promote mental well-being.

“In the forest environment, participants were exposed to natural sounds such as rustling leaves, wind, and birdsong, and could observe dynamic elements like swaying tree canopies, birds in flight, and the occasional squirrel.”

“The urban setting included distant traffic noise, human activity, and visual cues such as passing cars, changing traffic lights, and rats near garbage bins.”

Readers may question whether the rat infested urban setting used is a totally fair comparison, and will note the small sample size.

Microplastics found in hot drinks with disposable cups, made with tea bags >>>>
 

Politics, Philosophy, Economics, History

"Environmental reforms to break planning system gridlock" announced by UK Government >>>>
The government has announced changes to the planning system:
Faster approvals: The government is dedicating £500 million to fast-track the delivery of 1.5 million new homes and 150 major infrastructure projects.
Environmental protection: The plan includes funding for nature restoration and a new approach where a single lead environmental body will handle planning and approvals for large-scale projects, like the Lower Thames Crossing.
Dedicated oversight: A new body, the Defra Group Infrastructure Board, will be created to oversee at least 50 major projects, addressing potential planning issues early to prevent delays and reduce costs.
Funding for nature: The new Nature Restoration and Marine Recovery Funds will pool developer contributions to support large-scale environmental projects, simplifying the process for individual developers.

However, many industry professionals don’t view the planning system as the primary cause of the low output of housing, pointing instead to understandable commercial decisions made by housebuilders based on simple considerations of balancing supply and demand in order to support profitable price levels. This will come as no surprise to 15 and 16 year old students of GSCE Economics who learn about the law of demand and supply, which states that as the quantity of a good supplied increases, the price reduces, (and vice versa).

Researchers suggest one-a-year publication limit on academics to combat information overload  >>>>
Two business researchers suggest limiting academics to one publication per year to combat the "publish or perish" culture. They argue this would improve the quality of research, reduce academic stress and burnout, and make scholarly work more impactful and responsible. They also propose removing individual authors and crediting institutions to foster collaboration.
 

History

Study Sheds Light on Dispersion of Languages, Ancient DNA >>>>
 
Annual Caistor archaeological dig of Roman town under way >>>>
The dig can be viewed over the next two weekends.  Caistor St Edmund (Venta Icenorum) is one of only three Roman regional capitals in Britain that were not succeeded by medieval and modern towns; the others are Wroxeter near Shrewsbury, and Silchester near Reading. 

Map full of amusing nicknames for Devon towns and villages >>>>
 

Built Environment 

Call for allotments with new homes 'impractical' says HBF : Allotments or Affordable Homes>>>>
 
Empty homes are on the rise. So why aren't they being used to solve the housing shortage? BBC In Depth
According to the article there are over 700,000 empty homes in England, with about 265,000 of them vacant for more than six months. This is happening at the same time as a national housing shortage, rising homelessness, and long social housing waiting lists.  Reasons as to why homes lie empty include: 

• Lack of Awareness: Some owners may not know about the grants and loans available to them to bring empty homes into use.  There is a "No Use Empty" scheme in Kent, which offers interest-free loans, has been successful and is being considered for a national rollout.
• Owner Reluctance: Property owners may not want to be pressured and prefer to fix up their homes .
• Financial Incentives / Disincentives: Premium council tax on long-term empty homes encourages use, but can also make owners hesitant to engage with the council.   
  The rules and rates for these premiums are set by individual local councils, but they are based on a tiered system set by the government. As of April 1, 2024, the following premium structure is in place for unfurnished and unoccupied properties in England:
  • Empty for 1 to 5 years: Up to a 100% premium (double the normal council tax)
  • Empty for 5 to 10 years: Up to a 200% premium (triple the normal council tax)
  • Empty for over 10 years: Up to a 300% premium (quadruple the normal council tax)
• Limited Legal Powers available to councils: Taking legal action against owners is often risky, costly, and time-consuming for councils.
• Probate Delays: The process of a deceased person's house going through the probate system can take years..

The article concludes that there is no single reason for empty homes and therefore no single solution. A multi-faceted approach is needed, including better data on why homes are empty, a potential national scheme like Kent's, and a possible statutory duty for councils to address the issue.
  
UK Design Capital of the Year: How Cambridge is planning for a denser, more connected future >>>>
 
The impact of objective urban features on perception of neighbourhood environments - Scientific Reports
This study from Japan investigates how the quantitatively measurable features (“objective features” for the purposes of this paper) of a neighbourhood's built environment influence how people perceive it. 

Factors considered assessed included:

• Access to shops (e.g., grocery stores)
• Access to daily life facilities (e.g., post offices and medical facilities)
• Access to public green spaces (e.g., parks and open spaces for walking and exercise)
• Access to public transport (e.g., bus stops and stations)
• Presence of paths (e.g., paths suitable for walking or jogging)
• Traffic safety (e.g., streets and intersections where traffic accidents are a concern)
• Crime safety (e.g., streets and places of concern in terms of security)
• Aesthetics (e.g., attractive-looking buildings and landscapes)

The study identified relatively weak correlations (generally below 0.3) between objective factors and people's perceptions.  Destination diversity had the strongest positive influence. The presence of various shops and facilities that meet daily needs may make walking feel more purposeful.
Age: People aged 65-69 were more sensitive to the built environment, both positively and negatively. Higher population density was a positive factor for them, while high street integration was linked to concerns about crime and traffic safety.
Gender: Women's overall perceptions were more positively influenced by objective environmental factors. In contrast, men seemed more negatively impacted by perceptions of crime and traffic safety in high-density or highly integrated areas.
Conclusion: specific attributes of a neighbourhood can be altered to improve residents' perceptions and, potentially, their health. However, the study also notes that changing the built environment alone may not be enough, and complementary strategies like community engagement might be needed.
Limitations: The study was not able to determine a definite cause-and-effect relationship, and the sample may not be fully representative of the general population. It also found that the factors it measured only accounted for a small part of what shapes a person's perception of their neighbourhood.