Place and Well-Being

Abstract

Various fields of research have developed to better understand the health and behavioral effects of environmental characteristics such as air quality and the way our homes and neighborhoods are organized. A synergy of many previously disparate fields of research is underway, aided in part by recent advances in technology. Better sensors, including wearable physiological and environmental monitors, are enabling researchers to more readily study the interactions between environment characteristics and both mental and physical well-being. This new evidence-based research direction adds a much-needed layer of quantitative data to previous, largely qualitative, findings. Moreover, an increased understanding of the environment’s effects on humans can result in not just the alleviation of negative environmental characteristics but also the promotion of positive environmental characteristics. This chapter offers samples of environmental effects on human health and well-being in the following categories: environmental quality, natural systems, sensory environments, physical activity, safety, and social connectedness.