For more than three decades, the cognitive neuroscientist Colin Ellard has been studying how urban environments shape our moods, behaviors and possibilities. He is a renowned authority and pioneer working at the intersection of psychology, neuroscience and architectural and urban design. He directs the Urban Realities Lab at the University of Waterloo in Canada, and is the author of several books including Places of the Heart: the Psychogeography of Everyday Life. He consults with architectural and urban design teams from all over the world.

In this episode we talk about the universal attraction to vitality, boring building syndrome, our rich non-conscious experiences of places, how to speed people up or slow them down though methods of design and much more . . .