Attention is a cognitive process that enables the selection and focus on relevant stimuli from the environment, filtering out irrelevant information to facilitate perception, comprehension, and action. In the context of the built environment, attention is influenced by spatial, sensory, and environmental characteristics, shaping how people experience and relate to the city.

Posner, M. I., & Petersen, S. E. (1990). The attention system of the human brain. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 13, 25–42.

Urban well-being refers to the integral state of physical, mental, and social health of individuals in relation to the urban environment they inhabit. This concept integrates environmental, spatial, social, and perceptual factors, recognizing that the quality of urban design, access to nature, mobility, and social cohesion directly influence quality of life in the city.

World Health Organization. (2016). Urban green spaces and health: A review of evidence. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe.

Biophilia is the hypothesis that human beings possess an innate affinity for nature and other forms of life. This evolutionary predisposition influences the way we perceive and experience the built environment, fostering physical and psychological well-being when spaces integrate natural elements such as vegetation, water, natural light, or landscape views.

Wilson, E. O. (1984). Biophilia. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Cognitive load refers to the amount of mental resources required to process information in a given task or environment. Within the built environment, complex, disorganized, or sensory-overstimulating spaces can increase cognitive load, making orientation, decision-making, and user experience more difficult.

Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive Science, 12(2), 257–285.

Spatial cognition is the ability to perceive, process, remember, and navigate space. This process involves the construction of mental maps and the understanding of spatial relationships, and is fundamental for orientation and interaction within the urban environment. Its study enables the design of more legible, accessible, and comprehensible cities.

Golledge, R. G. (1999). Wayfinding behavior: Cognitive mapping and other spatial processes. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

The connectome refers to the complete map of structural connections between neurons in the nervous system. This concept describes the organization of neural networks that enable communication and information processing in the brain. The study of the connectome seeks to understand how the architecture of these networks influences cognition, behavior, and human experience, providing a framework for analyzing the brain as a complex system of interconnections.

Sporns, O., Tononi, G., & Kötter, R. (2005). The human connectome: A structural description of the human brain. PLoS Computational Biology, 1(4), e42. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.0010042

The urban connectome refers to the network of physical, functional, and relational connections that shape the structure and functioning of the city. This concept emphasizes that urban environments should not be understood as isolated elements, but as complex systems of interactions among mobility networks, public spaces, infrastructures, human activities, and ecological processes. From this perspective, the city can be analyzed as a dynamic network of flows and interdependencies, where urban quality emerges from the density, diversity, and accessibility of these connections, directly influencing human experience and well-being.

Mehaffy, M. W. (2019). Cities Alive: Jane Jacobs, Christopher Alexander, and the roots of the New Urban Renaissance. Portland, OR: Sustasis Press.

Batty, M. (2013). The new science of cities. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Connectomics is the field of study dedicated to analyzing, mapping, and interpreting the networks of neural connections that constitute the connectome. Through neuroimaging techniques and computational modeling, this discipline seeks to understand how the organization of these networks influences perception, memory, emotion, and behavior. Its contributions have helped explore the relationship between brain, environment, and experience.

Sporns, O. (2011). Networks of the brain. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Embodiment refers to the process through which the experience of the environment is constructed through the body, integrating perception, movement, emotion, and cognition. This concept recognizes that our relationship with space is not solely visual or rational, but deeply sensory and embodied, shaping how we inhabit and understand urban environments.

Pallasmaa, J. (2012). The eyes of the skin: Architecture and the senses. Chichester: Wiley.

Biophilic design is a design approach that seeks to integrate nature into built environments in order to enhance human well-being. Through the incorporation of natural elements, biomorphic patterns, natural light, ventilation, and visual or sensory connections with nature, this approach promotes healthier, restorative, and more meaningful spatial experiences.

Browning, W. D., Ryan, C. O., & Clancy, J. O. (2014). 14 patterns of biophilic design. New York: Terrapin Bright Green.

Urban scale refers to the different spatial levels at which the city is organized and analyzed, ranging from the street and public space to the neighborhood, district, or system of cities within a territory. Understanding urban scales allows for a comprehensive approach to urban processes, recognizing how design, planning, and management decisions influence the form and functioning of the built environment and the everyday life of its inhabitants.

Kevin Lynch. (1981). A theory of good city form. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Public space refers to the set of accessible and shared areas within the city—such as streets, squares, parks, or corridors—where social, cultural, and everyday activities take place. Beyond its physical dimension, public space functions as a setting for interaction and perception, shaping social cohesion, urban identity, and the experience of the environment.

Gehl, J. (2010). Cities for people. Washington, DC: Island Press.

Environmental stress is the physiological and psychological response experienced by individuals when exposed to adverse environmental conditions such as noise, pollution, overcrowding, or sensory overstimulation. In urban contexts, this phenomenon can affect mental health, behavior, and quality of life, highlighting the importance of designing more balanced and healthy environments.

Evans, G. W. (2003). The built environment and mental health. Journal of Urban Health, 80(4), 536–555.

Embodied experience refers to the lived experience of space through the moving body, integrating sensations, perceptions, and emotions. This concept emphasizes that architecture and the city are experienced in a multisensory and dynamic way, where the body acts as a mediator between the environment and consciousness.

Merleau-Ponty, M. (1945). Phenomenology of perception. Paris: Gallimard.

Urban experience is the subjective lived experience of the urban environment, constructed through perception, memory, emotion, and social interaction. This concept recognizes that the city is not only physically inhabited, but also interpreted and felt, shaping individual and collective meanings that influence the relationship with space.

Lynch, K. (1960). The image of the city. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Attention fatigue is the depletion of the capacity to concentrate due to prolonged exposure to demanding stimuli. In intense or saturated urban environments, this condition can affect cognitive performance and well-being, highlighting the importance of incorporating restorative spaces that allow attention to recover.

Kaplan, S. (1995). The restorative benefits of nature: Toward an integrative framework. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 15(3), 169–182.

Green infrastructure refers to a strategically planned network of natural and semi-natural spaces—such as parks, green corridors, urban trees, rivers, wetlands, or gardens—designed to provide multiple ecosystem services. In the urban context, this network contributes to improving environmental quality, strengthening climate resilience, supporting biodiversity, and promoting human well-being.

Benedict, M. A., & McMahon, E. T. (2006). Green infrastructure: Linking landscapes and communities. Washington, DC: Island Press.

Plant intelligence proposes that plants possess complex capacities for perception, communication, and adaptation to their environment, despite lacking a central nervous system. Through chemical and physiological networks, plants are able to respond to environmental stimuli, cooperate with other organisms, and optimize their survival. This perspective has contributed to rethinking the understanding of ecosystems and their role in urban systems.

Mancuso, S., & Viola, A. (2015). Brilliant green: The surprising history and science of plant intelligence. Washington, DC: Island Press.

Urban metabolism refers to the flows of energy, materials, water, and waste that circulate within the city, enabling its functioning. This approach understands the city as a dynamic system similar to a living organism, facilitating the analysis of its efficiency, sustainability, and relationship with the natural environment.

Kennedy, C., Cuddihy, J., & Engel-Yan, J. (2007). The changing metabolism of cities. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 11(2), 43–59.

Sustainable urban mobility refers to the set of strategies and transportation systems that enable the efficient movement of people and goods within the city while minimizing environmental, social, and economic impacts. This approach promotes active and collective modes of transport, such as walking, cycling, and public transit, fostering more accessible, healthy, and equitable cities.

United Nations Human Settlements Programme. (2013). Planning and design for sustainable urban mobility: Global report on human settlements 2013. London: Routledge.

Neuroarchitecture is an interdisciplinary field that studies how the built environment influences brain activity, emotions, and human behavior. By integrating knowledge from architecture, neuroscience, and environmental psychology, it seeks to understand how factors such as light, scale, nature, materials, and spatial configuration impact well-being, cognition, and spatial experience.

Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture. (2021). ANFA Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture: Research and education overview. San Diego, CA.

Neurodesign is an interdisciplinary approach that applies knowledge from neuroscience to the design process, aiming to understand how spatial, sensory, and environmental stimuli influence human perception, emotions, and behavior. This approach enables the development of more conscious design solutions, oriented toward enhancing human experience, well-being, and interaction with the environment.

Edelstein, E. A., & Macagno, E. (2012). Form follows function: Bridging neuroscience and architecture. Neuron, 75(5), 728–729.

Neurolandscape design is an emerging field that integrates landscape architecture, neuroscience, and environmental psychology to study how natural and designed environments influence mental health, perception, and human well-being. This approach examines the relationship between landscape features—such as vegetation, water, topography, and biodiversity—and human cognitive and emotional responses, guiding the design of more restorative, resilient, and meaningful outdoor spaces.

Söderlund, J., & Newman, P. (2017). Biophilic architecture: A review of the rationale and outcomes. AIMS Environmental Science, 4(6), 950–969.

Neurourbanism is an emerging interdisciplinary field that studies how urban environments influence the brain, mental health, and human behavior. It integrates knowledge from neuroscience, psychiatry, urbanism, architecture, and social sciences to understand how factors such as urban density, social stress, public space, and contact with nature affect psychological well-being in cities. This approach seeks to generate scientific evidence to guide the design and planning of healthier cities.

Adli, M., Berger, M., Brakemeier, E. L., Engel, L., Fingerhut, J., Gomez-Carrillo, A., Hehl, R., Heinz, A., Mayer, H., Mehran, N., Tolaas, S., Walter, H., Weiland, U., & Stollmann, J. (2017). Neurourbanism: Towards a new discipline. The Lancet Psychiatry, 4(3), 183–185. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(16)30371-6

Environmental perception is the process through which individuals interpret and assign meaning to stimuli from the physical environment, through the senses and prior experience. This process shapes how urban spaces are experienced, influencing emotions, behaviors, and forms of spatial appropriation.

Gibson, J. J. (1979). The ecological approach to visual perception. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Urban strategic planning is a process of management and decision-making that guides the development of cities in the medium and long term. Through a shared vision among public, private, and social actors, this approach defines objectives, priorities, and actions to improve quality of life, strengthen territorial sustainability, and guide urban transformation in a coordinated and adaptive manner.

Patsy Healey. (2007). Urban complexity and spatial strategies: Towards a relational planning for our times. London: Routledge.

Environmental psychology is the field of study that analyzes the interactions between people and their physical environment, both natural and built. It examines how spaces influence perception, behavior, emotions, and well-being, as well as how individuals perceive, use, and transform the places they inhabit.

Robert Gifford. (2014). Environmental psychology: Principles and practice (5th ed.). Colville, WA: Optimal Books.

Urban resilience refers to the capacity of cities to withstand, adapt to, and recover from disturbances such as natural disasters, economic crises, or the impacts of climate change. This concept involves strengthening the social, ecological, and infrastructural capacities of urban territories, promoting flexible, inclusive systems capable of transforming in the face of new challenges.

Brian Walker, & David Salt. (2006). Resilience thinking: Sustaining ecosystems and people in a changing world. Washington, DC: Island Press.

Attention restoration is the process through which the capacity for attention is recovered after being fatigued, particularly through exposure to natural or restorative environments. This concept highlights the role of nature in enhancing cognitive and emotional well-being within urban contexts.

Kaplan, R., & Kaplan, S. (1989). The experience of nature: A psychological perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Ecosystem services are the benefits that ecosystems provide to human beings, including provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural services. In urban contexts, these services contribute to improving air quality, regulating temperature, managing water, and enhancing human well-being.

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. (2005). Ecosystems and human well-being: Synthesis. Washington, DC: Island Press.

Nature-Based Solutions are actions that protect, sustainably manage, or restore natural and modified ecosystems, addressing societal challenges such as climate change, water management, and urban health. These solutions generate co-benefits for biodiversity, human well-being, and territorial resilience.

International Union for Conservation of Nature. (2020). Global standard for nature-based solutions: A user-friendly framework for the verification, design and scaling up of NbS. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN.

Urban sustainability is a development approach that seeks to balance the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of the city to ensure the quality of life of present and future generations. It involves promoting responsible resource use, reducing environmental impacts, and creating more equitable, healthy, and efficient urban environments.

Peter Newman, & Isabella Jennings. (2008). Cities as sustainable ecosystems: Principles and practices. Washington, DC: Island Press.