NeurodiverCity: Planning for ADHD and autism in Amsterdam

Cities today are increasingly dense, fast-paced environments, acting as constant generators of sensory stimuli. Sound, movement, light, and social interaction accumulate in ways that are rarely questioned, and even more rarely measured. Yet, little attention is given to how this intensity is experienced across different users. This gap is particularly evident for neurodivergent individuals, whose ways of sensing, processing, and navigating the city often diverge from the assumptions embedded in urban design. As a result, environments that are intended to be open and inclusive can become cognitively and sensorially demanding, limiting access, participation, and everyday presence in public space.

NeurodiverCity starts from a simple premise: urban experience is not universal. Rather than prescribing how the city should be used, the project seeks to provide individuals with greater agency in navigating it. At its core is the development of a Map of Stimuli: a tool that captures and visualises auditory, visual, olfactory, social, and spatial conditions across the city. Envisioned as a community-led platform, the map prioritises the knowledge of those most affected, enabling a more situated and meaningful understanding of urban environments. Starting from the Frans Halsbuurt in Amsterdam, we developed and tested a categorisation matrix to map sensory intensity at neighbourhood scale.

This initial prototype lays the foundation for a broader, city-wide application, currently being advanced in collaboration with the Gemeente Amsterdam through a dedicated workshop with the planning department, aimed at raising awareness and fostering new imaginaries for more inclusive urban design.

Davide Cardu, Josephine Little, Gabriele Mansi, Tosia Milewska, Leander Minuth, Louisa Möbs, Eva Ottenbros, Stella Zaalberg