The Trauma-Informed Neighborhood: A Planning Framework for Healing and Spatial Justice

This article introduces the concept of the trauma-informed neighborhood as a systems-level planning framework rooted in neuroscience, environmental psychology, and spatial justice. Drawing on principles of trauma-informed care and emerging public health research, the paper describes planning strategies that prioritize nervous system regulation, co-located services, inclusive public and greenspace design, cross-sector collaboration, and argues that planning is a health intervention. Through precedent analysis and conceptual modelling, the trauma-informed neighborhood is proposed as a design and policy intervention, with planners as central actors. The article concludes with policy recommendations and regulatory tools to leverage planning for community healing and long-term resilience.