This is the homepage of the Urban Design Science for Health Laboratory, established in 2022. The main focus of this laboratory is to explore how urban design science can contribute to population health, particularly in the context of super-aged societies.

This lab considers urban design as a scientific discipline, not an art. This distinction is important, as confusion often arises from equating urban design as a discipline with its practice. The discipline should be rooted in scientific evidence, providing a robust foundation for understanding the built environment. In contrast, the urban design practice involves subjective decision-making, community input, and negotiation, which, while significant, should be guided by science-based principles derived from the discipline.

This perspective challenges the common view, where urban design is often mislabeled as a subset of architecture. Such mislabeling overlooks the key role of urban design in addressing issues that directly influence people’s lives and well-being. Urban design, as a discipline, is not only about aesthetics or iconic structures but also about creating environments that improve people’s health and well-being. Therefore, it is necessary to establish urban design principles and practices that are well-grounded in science, rather than relying on designers’ prerogative, which is not necessarily based on evidence.

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Dr. Koohsari leads the Urban Design Science for Health Laboratory. He is a faculty member at JAIST University in Japan. Dr. Koohsari holds a PhD in Urban Design and a second PhD in Health and Sport Sciences. He has been recognised among the top 2% of most influential researchers worldwide across all scientific disciplines, as identified by Stanford University and Elsevier. [Read More]