The Division of Innovation & Sustainability published a new request for proposal (RFP) asking faculty to propose social and environmental impact research through cross-sectoral partnership. One of the winning projects ‘Emotional Mapping in Haifa through Citizen Science,’ aims to explore the connection between urban and natural elements of the city landscape and citizens’ emotional well-being. Led by the Department of Learning and Instructional Sciences, the project engages the public and students in citizen science to raise awareness about the environment’s impact on emotional state. City’s residents are asked to report how they feel while staying in various places around the city: roads, buildings, green spaces, and more. 

The project combines several fields of research, including environmental psychology and social civic science, which make the residents of Haifa active partners in the research process, and strengthen their awareness of different urban environments and their effect on their psychological state. One of the practical goals of the project is to provide recommendations for urban development adapted to the needs of the residents.