Affective Atmospheres in Urban Environments
Summary
Affective atmospheres in urban environments refer to the dynamic interplay between material, sensory and social forces that shape collective and individual moods within city spaces. These atmospheres emerge from the configuration of physical elements – such as light, sound, air quality, spatial geometry and temperature – combined with human activity, cultural practices and technological systems. They are neither purely subjective emotions nor solely objective properties of place but reside in the relational field between people and their surroundings. Research in this area has drawn on a wide range of disciplines, including human geography, urban studies, environmental psychology and design, to investigate how atmospheres influence well-being, social cohesion, civic engagement and perceptions of safety or exclusion. Globally, scholars have highlighted the role of affective atmospheres in mediating experiences of rapid urbanisation, social inequality and climate change. Practical applications extend to urban planning and design strategies that seek to enhance liveability through sensory interventions, to heritage conservation approaches that acknowledge the intangible qualities of place, and to public health initiatives that address environmental stressors. Methodological advances now employ mixed-methods, combining spatial analysis, sensory ethnography and digital mapping, to capture the fluidity and multi-scalar nature of atmospheres in both indoor and outdoor settings.
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Affective Atmospheres in Urban Environments publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in affective atmospheres in urban environments across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Affective atmosphere: A relational field of sensory, material and social elements that produces collective or individual moods in a specific setting.
Ambience: The overall character or mood of an environment as perceived through multisensory stimuli and contextual factors.
Spatio-materiality: The interdependence of spatial arrangements and material constituents in shaping social and affective experiences.
Urban rhythms: The temporal patterns of movement, activity and rest that structure daily life and influence the tone of urban spaces.
Atmospheric justice: A normative principle advocating equitable distribution of atmospheric qualities and the right of all inhabitants to favourable affective environments.
References
- Ambient vulnerability. Global Environmental Change (2024).
- The paradox of atmosphere: Tourism, heritage, and urban liveability. Annals of Tourism Research (2023).
- Researching affective atmospheres. Geographica Helvetica (2015).
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