Wissen Weekly–SO ungesund ist das Stadtleben! 

In the “Wissen Weekly” podcast, Simone Kühn, Director of the Center for Environmental Neuroscience, discusses the health effects of living in an urban environment.

Why are more and more people moving from cities to the countryside? Does living in a green environment actually make people happier? In the “Wissen Weekly” podcast episode “City vs. Countryside: What Makes People Happier?”, Simone Kühn, Director of the Center for Environmental Neuroscience, discusses the connection between living environment, the brain, and mental health.

In the interview, Kühn explains that your well-being is not just determined by where you live. Rather, environmental factors such as noise, air pollution and access to green spaces also play an important role. Research findings show that green spaces, and forests in particular, are associated with lower stress levels and can positively affect brain regions involved in processing emotions and stress. However, Kühn emphasises that moving to the countryside isn’t necessarily required. Even in cities, nature-based spaces can be important places to relax and improve health.

Youtube video version of the podcast: Wissen Weekly | 22.06.2026 (German)