Biophilic Urbanism: Redefining Walkability in the Urban Core

Abstract

As Seattle and other western cities continue to densify, the pedestrian bodily experience becomes an increasingly critical factor in fostering health for city inhabitants and their environment. To frame the effects of the built environment on human well-being, theories of biophilic design and walkability are hybridized to form a new framework of Biophilic Urbanism. This framework seeks to guide the future design of urban streetscapes to be better connected to the natural world and humankind’s spatial necessities, resulting in more comfortable, restorative, dynamic, and sustainable pedestrian experiences.