NEUROURBANISM AND ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMINOLOGY

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.13176426270312

• Palavras-chave: Neuro-urbanism, urban design, environmental criminology, safety

• Keywords: Neuro-urbanism, urban design, environmental criminology, safety

• Abstract:

  Six out of seven people worldwide feel unsafe, according to a UNDP report (2022). Poorly designed and managed urban spaces can exacerbate perceptions of insecurity and create opportunities for crime. However, crime results from a complex interplay of social and environmental factors that go beyond urban design. Neurourbanism emerges as an interdisciplinary approach that combines neuroscience, architecture, urban planning, psychology, and environmental criminology to investigate how the urban environment influences cognition, behavior, and well-being. This study, through an integrative literature review (2020–2024), aims to explore the applicability of neuroscience in developing urban guidelines responsive to the sense of safety and cognitive health. Although Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) has advanced, its application has limitations. The results propose eight new neuroscience-based guidelines: active design, sensory attraction, human scale, public lighting, presence of green spaces, maintenance of urban infrastructure, natural and mechanical surveillance, and support for minority groups. These factors, while considered essential for meeting citizens’ biopsychosocial needs, must be understood as part of a broader urban ecosystem, whose effectiveness also depends on integrated public policies, social participation, and territorial justice.