Guest Speaker: Prof Jenny Roe

We have a zeitgeist opportunity of opining right now on what aspects of city design matter most for our mental health during Covid-19. Jenny Roe will offer a broad perspective on what the current pandemic means for public life and public space and how we can leverage tools like tactical urbanism to explore solutions for more permanent – and healthier – city design. She will also present some of the ideas from her book with co-author, Layla McCay, Restorative Cities, urban design for mental health and wellbeing (August 2021).

About Jenny Roe

Jenny Roe is a Professor in Design and Health and Director of the Center for Design and Health at the University of Virginia, US. Jenny is a former Lecturer in the Built Environment at Heriot-Watt University and now an Honorary Professor of the Urban Institute. Jenny is an environmental psychologist who explores how our interactions with the world shape our health, wellbeing and behaviors. She specializes in understanding how access to restorative environments in our cities create and sustain our health and wellbeing. Jenny has led on world leading research initiatives including multi-disciplinary collaborations amongst experts in public health, medicine, urban design, environmental sciences, geography and psychology. Her research aims to advance social justice by tackling health and environmental inequities.