Can well-designed urban areas boost mental health? Absolutely.

May is Mental Health Month. At Dallas Leadership Foundation, we're commemorating this special time because we recognize the connection between mental health and the physical spaces where we live. The connection between mental health and the physical functionality of a neighborhood have never been lost on us. When we partner with community leaders, for example, they often share a laundry list of challenges they want to tackle.

Making the list every time is a neighborhood’s physical condition. In response, we’ve operated cleanups for decades and assisted community leaders in painting houses or landscaping yards. We’ve also partnered with donors who’ve provided the supplies residents need.

Dallas Leadership Foundation volunteers work on a home in one our targeted neighborhoods in Dallas.

Researchers around the globe increasingly are alerting the public about the connection between wellness and living spaces. The Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health launched last year at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. to discuss the intersection between mental health and urban spaces. Panelists addressed issues such as walkability, reducing commuting time, and access to nature.

In other words, sitting on a park bench with a view, or coming home to a freshly painted house may lift hours of stress. Litter, intrusive power lines and erratic signage in a neglected neighborhood may impact the senses more than many realize. Transportation planning that leans on a car-dependent model may ignore seniors who need safe crosswalks. Food deserts and the lack of walkable, public markets also can take a mental and physical toll on residents.

On Wednesday at dusk, prominent buildings in downtown Dallas will be lit green to commemorate Mental Health Month, according to the National Alliance on Mental Health Dallas. While checking out the green light show, maybe you can consider joining Dallas Leadership Foundation to make our neighborhoods healthier and more beautiful.

We’d love to hear your ideas! Let us know about them in the comments below.