The design of every aspect of the urban landscape—from streets and sidewalks to green spaces, mass transit, and housing—fundamentally influences the health and safety of the communities who live there. It can affect people’s stress levels and determine whether they walk or drive, the quality of the air they breathe, and how free they are from crime. This lecture will look at the new science and art of urban planning, showing how scientists, planners, and citizens can work together to reshape city life in measurably positive ways. Drawing on the latest research in city planning, economics, criminology, public health, and other fields, this lecture will demonstrate how well-designed changes to place can significantly improve the well-being of large groups of people. This lecture coincides with the publication of Professor Macdonald’s book: Changing Places: The Science and Art of New Urban Planning (Princeton University Press). The book argues that there is a disconnect between those who implement place-based changes, such as planners and developers, and the urban scientists who are now able to rigorously evaluate these changes through testing and experimentation.

For further information on the release of ‘Changing Places’, see: press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691195216/changing-places