Urban forests are increasingly planted for their climate and ecological value, yet their potential to support mental well-being remains underused in most urban greening strategies. This thesis explores how restorative urban forests can be systematically designed and implemented to address psychological needs, using Paris as a testing case.
This thesis begins be developing a typological framework grounded in environmental psychology and landscape architecture. Drawing on theories such as Attention Restoration Theory (ART), Stress Reduction Theory (SRT), Biophilic Design, Shinrin Yoku and the Perceived Sensory Dimensions (PSD’s), four universal forest typologies are defined: the Refuge Forest, Healing Forest, Social Forest and Focus Forest. Each typology is linked to specific emotional and sensorial needs in our modern cities; such as withdrawal, recovery, connection and cognitive clarity.
These typologies are then translated into the Parisian context through spatial analysis, in situ testing and design research. Within this dense city, the forest typologies are adapted to work within the existing infrastructural networks and urban morphology. The Healing, Social and Focus Forests are reimagined as linear interventions inserted along mobility corridors, while the Refuge Forest takes the form of compact, immersive pockets within the city.
The result is a multilayered system of forest interventions that not only enhances urban ecology and environmental resilience, but also addresses mental health at the scale of everyday experience. By integrating emotional restoration into the logic of urban forestry, this thesis proposes a new design language: one that expands the role of trees from climate infrastructure to psychological infrastructure, reconnecting the city with the human need to pause, breathe and feel.