Out of the comfort zone–Reflections on interdisciplinary efforts between urban studies and cognitive sciences

Abstract

Understanding how urban environments affect people’s cognition, emotions, and perceptions can help urban practitioners create public spaces that support active mobility, health and social equity. This requires researchers from different disciplines to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries and integrate insights from fields such as psychology, neuroscience, and urban studies. Emerging fields such as neurourbanism explore how urban environments shape behaviour, perception, and emotional and cognitive responses. However, interdisciplinary research also poses substantial conceptual, methodological and practical challenges: differences in epistemologies, research paradigms, and communication norms require new ways of thinking, learning and working together. This paper reflects on these challenges and opportunities from the perspective of an urban researcher who works in an interdisciplinary space between cognitive sciences and urban planning. Drawing on this experience, I reflect on what it means to work across disciplinary boundaries and discuss the challenges of 1) understanding interdisciplinary foundations, 2) conducting research, and 3) disseminating interdisciplinary research. These reflections aim to support researchers and practitioners in navigating interdisciplinary pathways and to advance the understanding and application of neurourbanism in the collective effort to design healthier urban environments.