Abstract
Rapid urbanisation across many global cities has quietly produced environments that are efficient yet psychologically exhausting. Densification, heat islands, air pollution, and the steady erosion of everyday contact with nature have contributed to rising levels of stress, anxiety, and lifestyle-related illness. Within this context, green infrastructure (G1) is often treated as an environmental afterthought rather than as a public health strategy. This article reconsiders that position. This study aimed at examining how the integration of green infrastructure (G1), guided by biophilic design principles, can function as a catalyst for urban renewal and improved human wellness. Drawing on a structured literature review of 32 peer-reviewed sources, the article adopts a theoretical framework informed by the Biophilia Hypothesis and Attention Restoration Theory. Through comparative synthesis and thematic analysis, recurring design strategies, performance outcomes, and implementation challenges were identified. The findings suggest that integrating vegetation systems, restorative landscapes, and nature-based spatial configurations into urban redevelopment projects enhances psychological restoration, social cohesion, and microclimatic comfort. However, benefits are uneven where governance, maintenance, and socio-economic equity are neglected. Urban renewal, therefore, cannot rely on symbolic greening alone; it requires deliberate, theory-informed design integration. Ultimately, embedding biophilic green infrastructure within renewal policies offers more than aesthetic value. It reframes cities as regenerative ecosystems, capable of supporting both environmental resilience and human wellbeing.