#rp26 speaker Mazda Adli: How cities influence our psyche

Despite traffic chaos, noise, pollution, more and the population of cities grows – and with that the number of stressed residents. Berlin in particular, is even called “stress capital”. Why is that so? For a long time, little was known about how city life affects our psyche and emotions. The interdisciplinary field of neurourbanistics aims to change that. 

Now we know that spaces for social interaction play a particularly important role in our mental well-being. They counteract social isolation—one of the biggest factors in mental illness in urban areas. Green spaces, cultural diversity, and places that allow for a balance between stimulation and relaxation also make cities livable. “There is no such thing as the ideal city” concludes Mazda Adli. Nevertheless, urban planners can do a lot to make people feel more comfortable there. What would cities have to look like to improve our well-being? The psychiatrist and stress researcher provides answers to this question at #rp26.  

He is the Chief Physician at the Fliedner Clinic Berlin and Head of the Affective Disorders Research Unit at the Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at Charité Berlin. There, he conducts research on affective disorders, stress and prevention strategies.  He also initiated the Interdisciplinary Forum Neurourbanistics, which was honored as an “Excellent Place” in the German government's innovation competition “Germany – Land of Ideas” in 2018. His book “Stress and the City” published in 2017, also addresses the question of the effects of big city life on the psyche of its residents. Supported by the Berlin University Alliance and in collaboration with Futurium, he also developed the citizen science project “Your Emotional City” with the Interdisciplinary Forum Neurourbanistics, which was launched in 2022 and explores the influence of urban and social factors on psychological well-being.