63: Restorative Urbanism | How Designing for Human Connection Can Improve Our Lives and Cities

What if our cities were designed to heal? How can we design cities that offer places of wellness and connectivity? 

Mitchell Rocheleau, Principal Architect of ROST Architects travels to Amsterdam to explore how Restorative Urbanism, an approach that analyzes how urban design can support mental health, has the power to foster change in our cities and our interconnected lives. He touches on psychosocial health, the importance of walkable cities, our sensory perceptions in urban environments, as well as his personal experiences in cities. Beyond sustainability, restorative urbanism aims to create cities that actively improve our well-being. By incorporating green and blue spaces, focusing on community, looking at different indigenous cultures, and diving into the core principles of restorative urbanism, we can help create cities that are truly thriving. In doing so, we can begin to promote the power of cultivating connections with others and ourselves. 

Our future cities will serve our physical and our mental nature. Their purpose will be to create an environment that does its best to support the emergence of people's authentic human expression.

Read Along on our Website | https://www.rostarchitects.com/articles/2025/8/11/restorative-urbanism-how-designing-for-human-connection-can-improve-our-lives-and-cities

Watch the YouTube Episode | https://youtu.be/sy0944XBom4
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Connect with Host Mitchell Rocheleau:

ROST Architects | https://www.rostarchitects.com/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/rost.architects/
Spotify | https://open.spotify.com/show/703zS0SPOZd6D24TbWjz51
LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/rost-architects/

Explore other ROST Architects Contemplations of the Built World:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sy0944XBom4&list=PLZSuBNzpIw07qgUaOrKfL1Cj2-6lgx_KJ
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About ROST Architects: 

In addition to practicing architecture, principal and founder of ROST Architects, Mitchell Rocheleau AIA, searches the world to learn more about the buildings and cities humans have created, from the modern era to prehistory. 

Through writing, expert interviews, and video documentation, we hope to make our journey available and accessible. Our mission is to understand the environments humans have created throughout history, learn from the successes and failures, and contribute to designing a better future.

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Books Mentioned:

"Restorative Cities: Urban Design for Mental Health and Wellbeing" co-authored by Jenny Roe and Layla McCay, sparked an emergence in the field of urban design for mental health and provides a network of information on wellness, health and how that can look moving forward in our fast paced environment.
https://a.co/d/1bKkHdv

"Walkable Cities: How Downtown can Save America One Step at a Time" by Jeff Speck, analyzes how increasing walkability in our cities is a major factor in improving our overall mental health, and recognizes the various ways in how prioritizing humans over cars, can create a long lasting effect on our overall wellbeing.
https://a.co/d/iJR2Wos

"Spell of the Sensuous" by David Abram, explores indigenous cultures connection with their natural environments, as we compare it to our modern world, we can begin to recognize the lack of connection with our natural surroundings, as well as the importance of moving towards a connection to Earths natural rhythm.
https://a.co/d/jaPhRzh

“The North Atlantic Cities” by Charles Duff, beautifully surmises trends of cities and suggests a new era of urban development that's arising: cities of friendship and love. He explores how thoughtful planning and can encourage health and human expression in our communities and cities.
https://a.co/d/i0Z0MkB