https://www.scmp.com/rss/325796/feed Layla McCay is director of the Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health. A psychiatrist, public health and health systems specialist, she is managing editor of the Journal of Urban Design and Mental Health and policy director at the NHS Confederation. She is co-author, along with Jenny Roe, of Restorative Cities: Urban Design for Mental Health and Wellbeing. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Hong Kong has experienced a disorientating few years that have affected how people relate to each other and the city. One impact that is sometimes overlooked is how people’s relationship with a place affects their mental health and well-being. The importance of the link between how we feel about our environment and how we feel more generally cannot be overstated. “Place” is the canvas onto which we project our personal and shared memories and expectations. Our neighbourhoods brim with personal... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3144517/how-urban-design-can-help-hong-kong-overcome-trauma-covid-19-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3144517/how-urban-design-can-help-hong-kong-overcome-trauma-covid-19-and?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Aug 2021 00:30:08 +0000 Space is one of Hong Kong’s scarcest resources: a luxury commodity, available to those who can afford to pay. Sometimes, private space expands at the expense of public space. Even in public housing, private amenities like kitchens and bathrooms have driven the demise of communal facilities and seen us retreat further into our own small spaces, our neighbours becoming strangers. With half of the city’s households living in spaces smaller than 500 square feet, we need that public space to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2120163/hong-kong-needs-more-public-open-space-peoples-physical-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2120163/hong-kong-needs-more-public-open-space-peoples-physical-and?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Nov 2017 04:02:01 +0000