Social interaction plays a crucial role in enhancing people’s quality of life. Having strong social connections and feeling part of a community can contribute to our emotional, mental, and physical well-being in high-density living conditions. Our observations in the field have shown that well-designed green spaces between buildings can serve as a "living room" for various social groups to gather and interact, contributing to the improvement of social integration in the culturally and linguistically diverse society that is Singapore . Furthermore, green spaces also promote physical activity, which is beneficial to individual health and underpins the creation of healthier communities.

The ability of urban areas to facilitate a connection with nature through direct contacts like parks, green spaces, etc., indirect contacts like natural materials and textures, and the use of patterns and processes of nature or biomimicry in the forms and functions of the built space contribute directly to the psychological comfort in high-density built environments.

The development of psychological comfort goes beyond the traditional emphasis on individual well-being toward a more systemic approach to social health, which includes the notions of equity, inclusion, and socio-spatial justice.

Our onsite observation shows that the design and provision of accessible communal green spaces play a decisive role in enhancing social integration and coherence.

High-density building typologies can reduce competition between building footprints, infrastructure and open spaces on the ground, increase public spaces for diverse activities, and endorse social values in urban development.

Urban density is often associated with over-stimulation, for example from high levels of noise or crowding. Studies have found that being in natural and green spaces can provide psychological benefits such as reducing stress levels and balancing emotional and attention processes when compared to built-up areas. Pedestrian activity is associated with urban vibrancy but also crowding.

We are using methods from environmental neuroscience to better understand the complex people-place interactions, the influence of design and typology of urban public spaces and the perception of crowding. If we can identify which design features help people cope with crowding, we can create places that support high population density, without compromising liveability.

Through a multi-sensory approach, a study of two high-density public housing neighbourhoods in Singapore explored how older residents perceive and utilise their familiar outdoor settings. We find that high-density neighbourhoods are sensory rich settings. When designers neglect to cater to different bodily and mental abilities, this sensory richness can become overly taxing for older adults. However, well-arranged neighbourhood spaces can promote walkability, wayfinding and independence, and enhance people-place and social interactions.