The HCPS
Shaping the psychology of cities. Sharing the knowledge to build healthier urban futures.
The CUP Human-Centred Planning System (HCPS)
The HCPS operates through five connected steps. Each step builds on the one before it, creating a full pathway from insight to implementation.
1. Diagnose
CUP begins by examining how urban environments shape human experience—how people think, feel, behave, cope, connect, and move through the city.
- urban psychology and behavioural science
- spatial and environmental analysis
- observational and participatory research
- data from urban psychology observatories
- lived experience and community insight
Understanding how cities affect people
This diagnostic stage draws on:
The focus is on identifying psychological, behavioural, and experiential patterns that are often invisible in conventional planning processes.
Typical outputs include:
- urban psychology diagnostics
- behavioural and wellbeing assessments
- psychological audits of neighbourhoods or systems
- baseline indicators for future measurement
2. Define Human-Centred Outcomes
Clarifying what cities should deliver for people
Rather than starting with design solutions, CUP works with partners to define clear human-centred outcomes.
These outcomes describe what people should experience in everyday urban life, such as:
- safety and perceived security
- reduced stress and mental strain
- dignity and comfort in housing and public space
- social connection and inclusion
- resilience to climate, social, and economic pressures
This step ensures that planning and policy decisions are guided by human experience, not only technical or economic performance.
3. Design Planning & Governance Tools
Translating evidence into rules, policies, and systems
This stage is where urban psychology becomes institutional change.
CUP translates evidence and outcomes into tools that cities can formally adopt, including:
- planning policies and local provisions
- design guidelines and development controls
- behavioural design frameworks and toolkits
- assessment criteria and decision-making tools
- policy briefs and governance prototypes
Through this process, human wellbeing and behaviour are embedded into:
- planning schemes and regulations
- development assessment processes
- urban design standards
- governance and approval frameworks
4. Deliver Through Pilots and Practice
Testing human-centred approaches in real urban contexts
CUP supports implementation by working with cities and partners to test ideas in real places.
This includes:
- live urban labs
- pilot projects and urban test beds
- behavioural and spatial interventions
- practitioner-led and community-based initiatives
Pilots allow cities to:
- test new approaches safely
- refine policies and tools before scaling
- build internal capability and confidence
- demonstrate early results
5. Demonstrate, Learn, and Scale
Measuring impact and strengthening planning systems
CUP evaluates outcomes to understand what works, why it works, and how it can be improved or replicated.
This includes:
- before-and-after analysis
- behavioural and perception measures
- wellbeing and experiential indicators
- case studies, reports, and indices
The results feed back into:
- policy refinement
- institutional learning
- broader adoption across cities or regions
How this connects to CUP’s Core Culture
CUP’s work is guided by its core culture of People, Place, Psychology, and Design, which defines how we understand cities and human experience.
The HCPS operationalises this culture by translating these principles into a practical system for planning, governance, and implementation.
- People shape the outcomes the system prioritises
- Place grounds the work in real urban contexts
- Psychology provides the evidence base
- Design turns insight into policy, tools, and action
Together, CUP’s core culture and the HCPS ensure that values are consistently translated into practice.
How cities and partners work with CUP
Engagement with CUP may include:
- a city or system-level diagnostic
- policy and planning framework development
- pilot projects and urban labs
- training and capacity building
- research and evaluation partnerships
CUP works with city governments, planners, policymakers, researchers, and partners to embed human-centred approaches into everyday urban decision-making.