Keynote Lecturers and Invited Speakers / Докладчики

Title: “The Potential of Forest Therapy for Health Benefits and Children’s Learning” The idea that spending time in nature promotes comfort and well-being has been recognized since ancient times. In Japan, experiments have been conducted to scientifically demonstrate the health benefits of “forest bathing” (shinrin-yoku). These results are now being applied to develop strategies for maintaining and improving health, preventing disease, and addressing national challenges such as the aging population. This presentation will introduce some of these developments. Moreover, the use of forests as spaces for children’s experiences, education, and practical learning is progressing. However, due to the difficulty in obtaining both subjective and objective evaluations from children, there have been few high-level evidence-based presentations on this topic so far. From 2014 to 2019, we conducted forest therapy events involving 258 children. Our findings suggest that forest therapy for children has the potential to evoke feelings of joy and comfort, while also encouraging behaviors characterized by spontaneity and cooperation.

Title Neurourbanism: Brains and Cities

Outdoor therapies: Applications, benefits and the role of nature. Nevin is a professor in exercise science, physical and health education at the University of Victoria. He is also a clinical counsellor, outdoor leadership and forest therapy trainer. His research and writing center on the potential health and wellbeing from outdoor therapies and more generally, human-nature interactions. This talk will explore a range of health promotion and therapeutic approaches termed outdoor therapies. Key elements of outdoor therapies will be shared with the aims of appreciating their application across numerous settings and contexts. Descriptions of the benefits of time in nature and what mechanisms may be at work will further support the argument for offering of outdoor nature-based interventions, programs and services, as well as the development of urban spaces. Benefits of contact with nature will be shared based on reviews of current literature. Aiming to be engaging and a bit entertaining, the presentation will end with opportunities for questions and dialog.

Cognitive models of Urban space The quest for the comfortable public space in Russian cities awaked the interest for urban design theory. The concept of embedded socio-spatial sells: micro-, meso-, and macro spaces was first published in the book «Residential Quarters» (A. Krasheninnikov, 1985). In the course of field studies, saturation and structuring of the basic prototypes for each level of the urban environment the system of “cognitive models” for urban environment units were identified and tested. The systematization of ideas about public space and urban form allows architects and planners to adjust the city space, and enhance the quality of the built environment. “Cognitive urbanism” study the urban environment as an object of design by comparing the archetypes and prototypes of places. The social parameters of human behavior such as proximity of people, social control and pedestrian connectivity are considered in relation to the dimensions, borders, structure and network of places. The traditional archetypes of an urban environment that can be found in language and culture, are classified and ranged by level of psychological comfort, social control, and identification of places. The book Cognitive Urbanism was published in 2020 in Russian. The main theses about cognitive urbanism were developed in Moscow Architectural Institute and published in the electronic journal AMIT 2012 - 2019

Population Studies of Students' Psychological Well-Being

Condition and Structure of Urban Green Infrastructure: Assessment and Modeling Methods Million-plus cities in Russia and the world have undergone rapid development and natural changes, shaping the composition and configuration of their modern green infrastructure. Since the 21st century, these cities have experienced active population growth, which has led to a greater need for green areas to adapt to the urban environment and mitigate its negative impacts on physical and mental health. In this report we aim consider the spatial analysis of green infrastructure, indicators of its current state, and its functions on different landscape and spatial level by using statistical data, open spatial data, and spectral space images to evaluate the effectiveness of green infrastructure in improving the quality of life in urban areas. The results show that the implementation of green infrastructure functions is determined not only by quantitative indicators but also by indicators of its spatial configuration, mutual arrangement and position relatively urban districts. We identify four key statements: 1) the efficiency of green infrastructure depends on the spatial configuration and position in the landscape, 2) it is necessary to assess both the anthropocentric and sustainability aspects of green infrastructure because it performs ecological and social functions, 3) the quality of green infrastructure is partly defined by natural conditions, but mostly by management and planning, and 4) the potential improvement of green infrastructure by 20-30% according to the different national projects and standards is possible and can be cost-efficient if landscape modelling is applied and urban areas are used to the fullest. This report contributes to the development of a methodology for assessing the quality of green infrastructure in large cities and informs policy recommendations for improving urban planning and environmental sustainability.

Title Analysis of Territory Using AI and Satellite Imagery

Title Designing healthy urban environment

Title Международная инициатива UNICEF — концепция «Город, дружественный детям — Child Friendly Cities» и ее реализация в пространстве российских городов

Modern methods of analysing the urban environment The report will be devoted to the explanation of the process of collecting, processing and preparing data on the urban environment and territories, their use in applied tasks in various subject areas. Also, it will be told about the platform of "Digital Urban Studies" developed at the Institute of Design and Urban Studies of ITMO University, designed to analyze the urban environment based on spatial data. The platform can be used for storage data on cities based on digital models of the urban environment and population, developed by the Institute. Also there are methods of analyzing the urban environment, including methods of spatial analysis applied at the stages of pre-project research and examination of situations in the city which can be used on the platform.