How The City Hurts Your Brain-Hana Nobel

Boston Globe Article: How The City Hurts Your Brain

I found this article while searching for something else, and though it is two years old, it is definitely relevant to the study of the city we have been doing this semester. This article discusses the difficulty of city life as a "deeply unnatural and overwhelming place" and discusses the psychology of city life.


Scientists have been examining the city's effect on the brain.  "Just being in an urban environment, they have found, impairs our basic mental processes. After spending a few minutes on a crowded city street, the brain is less able to hold things in memory, and suffers from reduced self-control. While it's long been recognized that city life is exhausting -- that's why Picasso left Paris -- this new research suggests that cities actually dull our thinking, sometimes dramatically so."

I've always thought that city living would enhance one's memory and brain function-one has to remember a lot of directions, frequented intersections, stops on public transportation, alternative ways to get home when the green line is out of service, etc. I agree that city life is exhausting, but was surprised that it may inhibit brain function.

The article goes on to say that, "One of the main forces at work is a stark lack of nature, which is surprisingly beneficial for the brain. Studies have demonstrated, for instance, that hospital patients recover more quickly when they can see trees from their windows, and that women living in public housing are better able to focus when their apartment overlooks a grassy courtyard. Even these fleeting glimpses of nature improve brain performance, it seems, because they provide a mental break from the urban roil."

Perhaps this is a reason for increased green space in urban areas. Maybe there is a real scientific reason behind why I head to the Boston Common to relax on busy days.

Check out the article-it's pretty short and Boston-based, so you'll be able to relate the discussion of being overwhelmed on Newbury Street.