%0 Journal Article %J Health & Place %D 2021 %T Exploring how the urban neighborhood environment influences mental well-being using walking interviews %A Laura Lauwers %A Michael Leone %A Madeleine Guyot %A Ingrid Pelgrims %A Roy Remmen %A Kris Van den Broeck %A Keune, Hans %A Hilde Bastiaens %X
Mental well-being in cities is being challenged worldwide and a more detailed understanding of how urban environments influence mental well-being is needed. This qualitative study explores neighborhood factors and their interactions in relation to mental well-being. Individual semi-structured walking interviews were conducted with 28 adults living in the Brussels-Capital Region. This paper provides a detailed description of physical neighborhood factors (green-blue spaces, services, design and maintenance, traffic, cellphone towers) and social neighborhood factors (neighbor ties, neighbor diversity, social security) that link to mental well-being. A socioecological framework is presented to explain interactions among those neighborhood factors, and personal and institutional factors, in relation to mental well-being. The findings are linked to existing concepts and theories to better understand the mechanisms underlying the associations between the urban neighborhood environment and mental well-being. Finally, implications of the walking interview method are discussed.
%B Health & Place %V 67 %8 Jan-01-2021 %G eng %R 10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102497