Interdisciplinary Forum Neurourbanism (IFNU) DE

Specific Department: Interdisciplinary Forum Neurourbanism

Main individuals carrying out task

(1) PD Dr. med. Mazda Adli (male), Chair, Fliedner Klinik Berlin Centre for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine; Director of the Mood Disorders Research Group Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin

Main tasks

Will support the entire project as dissemination partner and help with policy making by providing access to stakeholders from the health sectors. IFNU will be essential in providing access to urban spaces and make their experimental resources and databases available. This will be central for tasks in workpackage 3 with Will lead Task 3.5, Mobile tracking of people throughout the city—How do people respond to aesthetic stimuli in everyday life, architecture and urban landmarks? (support: HUB, AAU, FDU). Will assist on Task 3.3 in which we will comparison of marginalized and disengaged groups (risk groups) as well as general analysis of personality and background factors (lead: HUB).

General Description

The Interdisciplinary Forum Neurourbanism is a collaboration comprising researchers and practitioners of different disciplines, namely psychology, medicine, urban studies, architecture, sociology and philosophy. The center of research is the effect of social stressors in the city on emotions, behavior and mental health of city dwellers. The research collaboration between Charité university hospital Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Technical University Berlin is supported by the Alfred Herrhausen Society and led by PD Dr. Mazda Adli. Its stated aim is the development of an empirically backed public mental health strategy for cities. To that end, the forum is currently drafting a “charta of neurourbanism” providing recommendations for urban planning and politics. In 2018, the forum was recognized with the innovation prize “Ausgezeichneter Ort 2018” by “Deutschland—Land der Ideen”.

 Main individuals carrying out research
Significant infrastructure and/or items of technical equipment

The Interdisciplinary Forum Neurourbanism has strong connections to foundations as well as political entities in Germany and Europe that are involved in urban planning and cultural policy. It is currently developing a mobile application that will be used in geofencing data and connect urban settings to stress and health.