Motion and Emotion: Understanding Urban Architecture through Diverse Multisensorial Engagements

Understanding how (dis)abled human bodies interact with the built environment is critical in Urban Design. We examine if somaesthetic theory combined with a neuro-architectural framework can help advance our understanding of human bodily interaction with the built environment. We do so first from a theoretical point of view, and second with an analysis of the situated context: Budolfi Square in Aalborg, Denmark. Our take-home-message is that architects and urban designers need to move beyond the established understanding of the multi-sensory soma, into an understanding of a situated mobile-emotional soma.