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Cities designed to work for neurodivergent people can make cities better for everyone

UNSW Sydney

Pedestrian-friendly streets with green space, calmer soundscapes and predictable layouts reduce the stress of city life for everyone: UNSW expert

New research from Dr Fatemeh Aminpour from UNSW’s City Futures Centre shows how neurodivergent people experience shared urban spaces – and how these insights can strengthen urban accessibility more broadly.

“Despite strong international and national commitments to disability inclusion, everyday public spaces often remain difficult to use for neurodivergent people,” says Dr Aminpour.

“Access is still too often framed around physical disability, rather than the sensory, cognitive and social demands that shape how people navigate the city.”

The report, Towards Neuroinclusive Public Open Spaces, funded by a City of Sydney Innovations and Ideas Grant, shows how existing guidelines can be strengthened in practice.

Over the past decade, a growing number of towns internationally have been recognised as “autism-friendly”. While valuable, these initiatives often focus on indoor or controlled environments such as shopping centres, transport hubs, museums, cinemas and libraries. They also tend to occur in lower-density contexts.

“Dense inner-city environments, where crowding, noise, competing uses and constant change are part of daily life, remain under-examined,” says Dr Aminpour.

“Yet these are precisely the places where barriers accumulate most intensely for neurodivergent people.”

The study deliberately focused on public open spaces – streets, footpaths, parks, plazas and civic squares – as they form the backbone of daily mobility, social participation and wellbeing.

“When these environments are overwhelming or unpredictable, the burden of access shifts onto individuals, shaping where people go, how long they stay, and whether they participate at all,” says Dr Aminpour.

How the study was conducted

The research was conducted in two phases. Phase 1 involved walking interviews with 15 neurodivergent adults, who guided researchers through public spaces they regularly used. They described, in real time, what felt supportive or challenging, and how these environments affected their energy, comfort and decision-making.

All the interviews took place within the City of Sydney local government area, which is Australia’s most densely populated LGA with a rich and complex typology of public spaces.

In phase 2 neurodivergent and neurotypical respondents filled in an online questionnaire so researchers could explore whether the environmental qualities identified in the interviews resonated more broadly.

What was found on the ground

Footpaths emerged as one of the most challenging everyday environments. In busy or tourist-heavy areas, participants described pedestrian movement as unpredictable, with sudden direction changes and unclear informal norms making it difficult to anticipate others’ movements. This led to near-collisions, constant adjustment and heightened vigilance, turning even short walks into exhausting or overstimulating experiences.

“Footpaths were also described as contested spaces. Café seating, queues, bus and light-rail crowds, bike parking and poorly placed infrastructure frequently reduced clear walking space,” says Dr Aminpour.

“Shared zones posed similar challenges with unclear rules about how to navigate them with mixed speeds and fast-moving micromobility along with sudden bells increasing anxiety. These spaces only worked when pedestrian priority was clear, and speeds were compatible.”

Noise, crowding and sensory load

Noise and crowding were also a significant challenge. Sharp, high-pitched and unpredictable sounds – sirens, alarms, tram bells and construction noise – were particularly distressing, often triggering rapid sensory overload.

“The issue was not volume alone but predictability,” explains Dr Aminpour. “Rhythmic, visible or time-limited sounds were often manageable, while chaotic, overlapping or sudden noises were not. And crowding amplified these effects, increasing cognitive load and reducing the ability to plan or adjust routes.”

Together, these conditions shaped whether walking felt manageable or overwhelming.

What worked better: calmer streets and alternative routes

Participants consistently preferred pedestrianised streets and plazas such as Pitt Street Mall, Darling Square and parts of Chinatown. The absence of cars reduced noise, visual distraction and perceived risk, allowing people to relax and engage more comfortably.

“Many participants also adapted their routes, often choosing quieter backstreets over main roads, even when this meant walking further,” says Dr Aminpour.

Backstreets with greenery, visual interest and places to pause made everyday travel more manageable and supported recovery when people felt overwhelmed.

“This highlights the importance of making alternative paths legible, safe and well-maintained,” says Dr Aminpour.

Nature and social belonging as access supports

Access to nature helped make the city more navigable for neurodivergent people.

“Larger or more enclosed parks, such as Hyde Park and the Royal Botanic Gardens, reduced exposure to traffic noise and constant pedestrian flow, supporting calm and recovery,” says Dr Aminpour.

“Natural sounds, greenery and water offered sensory relief and visual restoration, helping people feel momentarily “away” from the demands of the city without leaving it.”

Public spaces also supported inclusion when they enabled low-pressure social belonging. Participants valued being among others without needing to interact, preferring seating and edges that balanced clear sightlines with a sense of refuge. Free, informal social opportunities were particularly important, enabling participation without financial barriers.

Why this matters for policy

The research shows how existing guidelines can be strengthened when informed by lived experience.

“Many of the City of Sydney’s current policies already align with what participants valued; the opportunity now lies in applying them more consistently and with greater attention to sensory, cognitive and social dimensions of access,” says Dr Aminpour

“Importantly, the implications extend beyond neurodivergent communities. Our survey findings suggest that many of the environmental qualities valued by neurodivergent participants – predictability, greenery, quieter routes, clear pedestrian priority – were also appreciated by neurotypical respondents.

“Designing for neurodiversity strengthens comfort, legibility and usability for everyone.”

Contact details:

For enquiries about this story and interview requests please contact Samantha Dunn

Phone: 0414 924 364
Email: [email protected]