Health, well-being and a sustainably built environment: From the new research area of psychology of sustainability and sustainable development to innovation in architectural research

The role of the designer, from the urban to the architectural scale, can be determined in the promotion of both active lifestyles and scenarios and environments in harmony with the psychological well-being of the human being, with the design of neighbourhoods, streets and open spaces but also in the construction of buildings. The focus of the article is the theme of sustainable development of the urbanised environment. From the often only apparent sustainability of places and buildings, to advanced building technologies and compliance with regulations, a new redefinition of sustainability in architecture is required, with new scenarios and paradigms. New design sensitivity requires overall organic multi-perspective reasoning, anchored also to the recent psychological acquisitions on health and well-being, and the psychology of sustainability and sustainable development.