In an increasingly stressed world, cities can either amplify pressure or offer relief. Thoughtful urban design that includes greenery, walkability, social spaces, and access to light can turn dense environments into places of calm and connection. As urban populations grow, designing for mental wellbeing isn’t a luxury but a necessity for healthier, more liveable cities.
In hyper-arid environments, resilience begins at the smallest scale – the seed. Saudi Arabia’s new seed-based restoration programmes signal a shift from reactive land management to proactive ecological renewal. They also offer lessons for how urban development, cultural investment, and ecological systems must grow together if sustainable cities are to take root.
Cities are shaped as much by light as they are by stone and steel. Yet in today’s urban environments, natural sunlight is rarely treated as a design priority. Streets overheat where asphalt traps solar radiation, buildings block daylight from reaching public spaces, and artificial lighting disrupts both wildlife and human health. The result is not just discomfort, but higher rates of chronic disease, rising energy costs, and ecosystems under stress.
Why Life Is Better with a Little More Green? As cities grow denser and hotter, science points to one clear remedy: green space. Here’s what science says about how greenery sustains our bodies and cities.
