Doubling down on research: Singapore to study how built environment affects mental health

The study includes assessing urban design features and human behaviours, among other things.

Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said a study will be conducted to assess the relationship between the existing urban environment and the overall mental well-being of citizens. 

Speaking at the World Cities Summit Opening Plenary 2024, DPM Heng said Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is leading a study that aims to look into the direct and indirect relationship between the built environment and mental health. 

This includes assessing urban design features, density, human behaviours and mental well-being of residents. Heng said the results will be vital in how the Singapore government will “rejuvenate, reinvent and reimagine” the city-state over the long term. 

He stressed that having a solid foundation in research is core to long-term urban planning as the world looks to make cities smarter and more resilient.

“The future for cities remains bright and promising… Collaborative innovation – both within and among cities – will be fundamental to achieving this,” he said. 

“To do so, we must invest more substantively in research, channel new insights into impactful solutions, and build closer partnerships with one another,” he added.