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Neuro-Urbanism: Rethinking Cities

With the amazing breakthroughs taking place in the neurological and cognitive sciences, we are on verge of a vital revolution in a number of related fields, such as urbanism, architecture, linguistics, educational theory, medicine, philosophy, and the arts. A very large body of neurological investigation over the last forty years has clearly delineated a unified biological theory of mind and body. The neurologist Semir Zeki has called for the creation of a neuroaesthetics and John Onians, who has recently published a book entitled Neuroarthistory. and my hope is to call for a creation of neurourbanism. Changing the way we conceive and use public space can change the way we move, the way we treat other people and ultimately the way we feel. Cunningly speaking, these measures should be often sold as emergency actions to tackle global warming or other official worrisome problems.

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Marco Frascari
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601 views20 pages

Neuro-Urbanism: Rethinking Cities

With the amazing breakthroughs taking place in the neurological and cognitive sciences, we are on verge of a vital revolution in a number of related fields, such as urbanism, architecture, linguistics, educational theory, medicine, philosophy, and the arts. A very large body of neurological investigation over the last forty years has clearly delineated a unified biological theory of mind and body. The neurologist Semir Zeki has called for the creation of a neuroaesthetics and John Onians, who has recently published a book entitled Neuroarthistory. and my hope is to call for a creation of neurourbanism. Changing the way we conceive and use public space can change the way we move, the way we treat other people and ultimately the way we feel. Cunningly speaking, these measures should be often sold as emergency actions to tackle global warming or other official worrisome problems.

Uploaded by

Marco Frascari
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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NEUROURBANISM 

DE BEATA URBIS,  
urban places for thinking.  

Marco Frascari 
Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism 
October 15,2008 
An urban body can 
be built, explained 
and inhabited only 
through the 
vagueness 
storytelling.  
Saul Steinberg Archite1o 
Bauplan  bauhouse 
Cunningly speaking, these measures should be 
oJen sold as emergency acKons to tackle global 
warming or other official worrisome problems. 

Changing the way we conceive and 
use public space can change the 
way we move, the way we treat 
other people and  
ulKmately the way we feel.  
A neologism Neuro‐urbanism 
•  With the amazing breakthroughs taking place in the 
neurological and cogniKve sciences, we are on verge of 
a vital revoluKon in a number of related fields, such as 
urbanism, architecture, linguisKcs, educaKonal theory, 
medicine, philosophy, and the arts.  
•  A very large body of neurological invesKgaKon over the 
last forty years has clearly delineated a unified 
biological theory of mind and body.   
•  The neurologist Semir Zeki has called for the creaKon 
of a neuroaestheKcs and John Onians, who has 
recently published a book enKtled Neuroarthistory.  
The applicaKon of the rules 
of modern urbanism has 
generated an incredible 
number of places for urban 
existence. There places for 
buying, selling, banking, 
cooking, eaKng, sleeping, 
washings, playing, working, 
pracKcing sports, learning, 
and so on. However, only a 
few of these places have 
“thinking” as the dominant 
dedicaKon.  
In many urban bodies, 
the devising and 
nurturing of urban 
happiness has been 
prevented by the fusion 
of fashionable elaKons 
with financial 
graKficaKon. This fusion 
has changed the thought 
process of many 
architects and urbanists: 
they do not think 
anymore within the 
body of the city, but 
merely think about the 
body of the city.  
What are hints and clues of the neural paZerns of cogniKve 
percepKon and thoughts detectable in architectural drawings 
and theoreKcal wriKng and the corresponding manifestaKon 
in architectural and urban elements?  
the art of urban joy  
•  We are learning a 
new way of sharing 
the city.  
•  Look at what 
happens on a 
crowded sidewalk; 
everyone must be 
aware or we smash 
into each other. We 
must choreograph 
our movements. 
The result is a kind 
of dance.  
Within the overwhelming amnesia generated by the project of modernity, too 
many urbanists and architects have forgot that ciKes can become engines not 
just of economic growth, but also of happiness.  
Then the quesKon is:  
could we figure out a 
way to enhance the 
power of  
one's well‐being and 
consciousness by 
conceiving a proper 
architecture for an 
urban environment? 
Francesco Patrizi (in Italian) and Frane Petrić (in CroaKan) 
signed his name as Francesco PatriKo. 
 La Ci1a' felice.  
Venice : Griffio, 1553. 
Ferrara Palazzo di Schifanoia 

The name "Schifanoia" is thought to originate from 
"schifar la noia" meaning literally to ”scorn boredom" 
Register of Bologna Drapers's 
Guild, Bologna, follower of 

Niccolo da Bologna, c.1411 : 
MY URBAN HOPE  
•  I hopes to challenge the 
theoreKcal scenes of 
architecture and urbanism 
that during the last forty years 
have disregarded 
consciousness embodiment 
and econiches embedment 
with a consequent 
unforgivable loss of the 
merging of the art of living 
well, building well and 
thinking well. In the 
overwhelming amnesia 
generated by the project of 
modernity, too many 
urbanists and architects have 
forgot that ciKes can become 
engines not just of economic 
growth, but also of happiness.  
The Sensorium and the urban form 

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