How do you feel when you enter a building or use the spaces around a building? Do you feel happy and comfortable or depress and intimidated? The attribute of the buildings and spaces around it has a direct and indirect impact on human behaviors and psychology. Even though, the development of new buildings and infrastructure has fuelled national economic growth in terms of job opportunities and trades for centuries. It's also significantly affecting human health overall due to an increase in environmental psychology and behaviors. Therefore, a successful build environment required careful consideration of the environmental consequences of urban development and mental well-being. First of all, it is essential to realize how the built environment could improve or hinder mental well-being. The urban population is well associated with the different urban structural characteristics such as neighborhood characteristics, walkability, community gardening, density, infrastructure, amenities, urban greenspace, and accessibility by public transport.

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Urban green spaces, such as parks, playgrounds, and residential greenery, can promote mental and physical health, reduce morbidity and mortality in urban residents by providing psychological relaxation. Green space also alleviates stress, stimulating social cohesion, supporting physical activity, reducing exposure to air pollutants, noise, and excessive heat. Nevertheless, there are some drawbacks to urban green space in terms of health and social benefit. Parks in deprived socioeconomic areas are considered to be more a cause of distress and uncertainty due to perceived crime and security issues. This is mainly due to the issue of antisocial behavior which has widely been reported by people in deprived socioeconomic areas.

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On the other hand, high-rise buildings are more economical and sustainable than urban sprawl. It makes a great entry purchase for property buyers, especially B40 income groups when compared to landed property due to land price value. High-rise buildings usually feature a range of amenities from security to swimming pools, gyms, saunas, and tennis courts as well as restaurants within the building. While, the low-density building is often lack of mixed development, which become challenges for the end-users. However, staying in a high-rise building, where the placement of buildings is close to one another could reduce levels of sunlight penetrate the building. Levels of illumination, particularly the amount of daylight exposure impact psychological well-being such as depression, unwanted worries, apathy, irritability, unable to focus on daily activities, and poor social engagement.

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Researchers revealed that greater walkability neighborhoods with close proximity to shops, restaurants, public transport, and recreational areas stimulus users’ physical activity, improve cognitive memory and mental well-being. It is also reported that a good neighborhood enhances social bonding and reduces the levels of stress and promotes healthy psychological development. Residents who choose walkable neighborhoods could save on transportation costs by having a shorter commute to work and other places. However, properties that are within walking distance to shopping and other attractions will cost more to buy and drives real estate values. Property price values would bounce back higher and faster in walkable neighborhoods than in the so-called exurbs due to its facilities, amenities, and transportation.

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The following attributes of the built environment would be community gardening. Research shows that the positive effects of community gardens can be felt as gardening is not only a venture that feeds and rejuvenates the body, but also one which nurtures the mind and is just as important as a local fitness or community health center. Gardening is a physical activity and participation gives the prospect of improved physical health. The state of mental health could also be given a positive boost because gardening is a stress-reducing, relaxing activity. It is even backed by scientific studies. When gardening, one interacts with soil antidepressant microbes that make people happier and healthier. In contrast, community gardens are also considered a part of the built environment. Personality clashes are among the problems with community gardens. Many community gardens are sited in areas with a wide population of ethnic and racial groups. Not everyone is going to agree to the same rules and this can lead to arguments or even physical confrontations.

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Last but not least, roads and highways are crucial attributes of a built environment that link one place to another. Roads are also known as arteries through which the economy pulses. By linking producers to markets, workers to jobs, students to school, and the sick to hospitals, roads are vital to any development agenda. Transport links, availability, and quality of public transport, journey times, and reliability are important factors for local communities and in deciding where to locate businesses. However, research shows that chronic noise from the busy highway has a strong impact on end-users: difficulties in paying attention, worries about the performance in school, lack of outdoor activity, limited social engagement, diminished social and motor skills. While breathing air pollution from motor vehicles is unhealthy for everyone, the people who live and work near highways and traffic are at much greater risk.

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However, built environments have a more positive impact than a negative impact on end-users. A better-built environment could only be achieved by understanding both the positive and negative impacts of its attributes, natural environment, and the mental well-being of end-users. Therefore, urban planners, architects, landscape architects, local authority and researchers as the main key players of the built environment, should come out with effective, sustainable strategies and innovation from time to time to endure the current trend of the 21st century and the challenges in a holistic approach to achieving good mental health and quality of life.