Sites with inexpensive community-driven design interventions like colorful crosswalks and greenery in concrete lanes may be associated with higher levels of happiness, more trust in strangers, and greater sense of environmental stewardship as compared to typically-designed urban sites. According to this study of participant perception of six urban sites in Vancouver, simple design interventions may increase subjective well-being and sociability among residents.
Negami, Hanna R., Robin Mazumder, Mitchell Reardon, and Colin G. Ellard. “Field Analysis of Psychological Effects of Urban Design: a Case Study in Vancouver.” Cities & Health 2, no. 2 (2018): 106–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2018.1548257