It is already commonplace to talk about the positive impact on mental health of time spent in nature. It is a field whose research base and applications are currently developing in many studies. Here, however, we are also interested in the relevance of research for adults and children on the autism spectrum in intersection with local environmental policies concerning road traffic, air pollution, ambient noise, green spaces, and other subjects of urban ecology. 2Celsius aims to correlate programs such as those referring to Low Emission Zones (LEZ), reducing car traffic, measuring emissions or ambient noise levels, and the structure and biology of urban vegetation with the imperative of actively integrating neurodiverse individuals into community life. 2Celsius will assist in creating public policies in light of the above and in monitoring ecological, urban planning, and educational solutions for reducing sensory stimuli for people with autism.

2Celsius is dedicated to social inclusion from a political-ecological perspective; the organization’s projects address issues of racial discrimination – environmental justice, problems related to access to public services in isolated areas, and issues concerning the acceptance and affirmation of gender identities, race, or neurodivergent identities. This article stands at the very basis of a series of research and advocacy for autism friendlier environments within the urban ecology. 

Benefits of Exposure to Nature

A 2022 paper examined the benefits and warnings regarding exposure to nature for autistic children[1]. Benefits included improved outcomes in motor-sensory input, emotional regulation in the context of restoration, and the benefits of social inclusion. These are supported by broader research showing that contact with nature increases pro-sociality[2]. Barriers included challenges presented by accessing community environments that can be over-stimulating for some children and Behaviours of Concern (BoC) in the form of non-pro-social behavior due to greater proximity to others, any BoC related to specific phobias, and unexpected noises due to being situated in public space and sensory bombardment. There are also concerns related to tripping and falling hazards due to deficits in proprioceptive function (balance and spatial awareness) or sensory-motor functions.

Applications in the Workplace

A recent study examined this aspect more in-depth, from the perspective of workplace design and cohesion, with the aim of ensuring the inclusion of adults entering the job market who have or are in the process of receiving an autism diagnosis. The research makes recommendations in various contexts – such as schools, universities, and residential centers – but is also inclusive and holistic in considering the impact of sensory issues on the formulated recommendations.

Among the examples studied was the presence of vegetation as a beneficial aspect of design, with the note that plants should not be fragrant or have strong odors to prevent an unpleasant experience. The conclusion is that natural vegetation can be a useful way to separate distinct environments.

This sheds necessary light on the specific role that greenery and nature can play in promoting the well-being of autistic individuals. This correlates with the already well-documented positive impact on emotional and physiological expressions of stress and mental distress by reducing blood pressure, cortisol levels, and increasing positive emotions and prosocial feelings.

As interest in the intersectionality between ecological concerns and human health (and well-being) develops, this is also reflected in the diversification and support of neurodivergent groups, including autistic individuals.

Accessible Environments in Urban Ecology

Many autistic people have sensory differences, which means they can experience hyper- or hyposensitivity to different sensory stimuli (for example, light, smells, or noise).

Often hypersensitivity can be a positive thing; people with autism can have an excellent musical ear, be accomplished instrumentalists, or have excellent memory and visual analysis capacity. Often, however, hypersensitivity can also cause suffering or discomfort.

Examples of causes that can lead to sensory overload or shutdowns are:

  • Bright lights,

  • Excessive noise,

  • Smells,

  • Crowds,

  • Queues,

  • Environments that are too hot or too cold.

Urban Ecology

Road traffic, especially in large cities such as Bucharest or Cluj-Napoca, creates not only the immense problems related to air pollution, but also others such as olfactory hypersensitivity. Autistic people often have an heightened sense of smell (olfactory hypersensitivity), which makes everyday, common smells intense, overwhelming, or painful. Strong odors such as gasoline, exhaust fumes, or smoke can cause physical symptoms in autistic individuals, including headaches, nausea, and severe discomfort.

However, exposure to overwhelming smells, such as those from traffic, can lead to sensory overload, triggering meltdowns, shutdowns, or extreme avoidance behaviours.

People with autism process sensory input differently. They are often unable to filter out background smells or sounds that neurotypical individuals might ignore. Many autistic people will avoid everyday situations because of their sensory sensitivities. Simple adjustments can be made to make environments more autism-friendly.

Older cars and vans, such as those imported second-hand, evidently have increased emissions of carbon monoxide, particulate matter, excess nitrogen oxides (in the case of diesels), and volatile organic compounds, all with a considerable olfactory impact. Noise pollution[3] is also higher with an aging vehicle fleet; obviously, the poor culture of drivers who abuse their horns is an additional factor. These are direct causes of impairment and the creation of sensory hypersensitivities for neurodivergent individuals. The legislative framework already exists in Romania; its implementation depends only on time and opportunity.[4]

If individual solutions tailored to each person can be found in enclosed spaces, outdoors, in open public places, we are dealing with a sensory inferno. The causes and means of reducing these factors are exactly those related to reducing emissions from transport and industry and improving car traffic in cities.

The olfactory or auditory hypersensitivities of people with autism are real indicators of the level of pollution (from exhaust fumes or noise pollution) that our cities are experiencing. If many of our fellow citizens often seem impassive to measurements showing enormous exceedances of pollutant or particulate matter limits, neurodivergent individuals, through their extreme reactions to olfactory hyperstimulation, are veritable “agents” of urban air quality control.

The low emission zones that 2Celsius has been proposing for a decade, as well as the drastic reduction of urban road traffic, inevitably lead to a decrease in olfactory and noise disturbances in the city. Urban space must be inclusive; measures related to the integration of people with autism into society require cities adapted for everyone. Solutions cannot always be individual, meaning the person with autism is always in situations where they must avoid life on the busy and stressed city streets. Accessible environments for neurodivergent individuals should not be completely isolated environments.

Although low emission zones (LEZ) under Romanian law – ZNSE (Low Emission Zones)[5] – improve air quality, promoting genuine inclusion for people with autism requires additional adjustments to the built environment:

  • Sensory considerations – autistic people often experience sensory sensitivities to environmental stimuli such as pollution, noise, and exhaust fumes.

  • Creating safe spaces – inclusion involves designing urban areas with reduced loud noises and chaotic traffic, allowing for calmer environments.

  • Accessible urban planning – suggestions for better inclusion include creating “transition zones” and ensuring dedicated quiet spaces in cities, rather than focusing solely on pollution reduction.

  • Green spaces – increasing the number of urban green spaces – often a feature of cleaner cities – can positively impact the mental health of people with autism.

Accessible Environments*

In the absence of local public policies related to traffic improvement and emission reduction, there are (individual) solutions. Avoiding polluted and noisy spaces is the first. If a person is sensitive to smells or noises, it is recommended to avoid places where these are frequent, such as busy roads. A useful tool could even be a real-time mobile application regarding air quality – most of the time, high emission levels are correlated with car traffic (see AerLive in Bucharest).

Using air purifiers or filters at home, keeping windows closed while driving or in heavy traffic areas can reduce exposure.

Communication and support for younger ones are essential. Social stories can help individuals manage anxiety and stress caused by unpleasant odours.

In cases where exposure is unavoidable, as protective measures, some individuals may benefit from wearing masks to minimise the intensity of the smell.

For increasingly diverse spaces, there are many ways the environment can be adapted to minimise the risk of sensory overload. Here is a list of adjustments for public institutions and private companies:

Bright Lights

Reduce the brightness of lights in the building, either by dimming the light intensity or by turning off lights whenever possible – this can be done in a specific area if it is not feasible for the entire building.

Provide sensory tools for customers, such as sunglasses.

Noise

Reduce the volume of background music, either throughout the entire premises or in a specific, clearly marked area. You can also indicate if an area is likely to be particularly noisy at another time. Provide alternatives to noisy hand dryers in toilet areas, such as paper towels. Provide customers with headphones or ear defenders, suitable for both children and adults.

Crowds and Queues

Inform autistic customers, for example on the website, which hours tend to be quieter and which are busier. During busy periods, if possible, allow customers to enter your location outside of regular operating hours, opening earlier or later in the day.

If applicable, use a fast-track system for autistic customers so they can avoid queues and large crowds that can cause anxiety and sensory overload. Note: many museums use this measure.

Temperature

Evaluate ways in which you currently monitor temperatures and how you can adapt these temperatures throughout your buildings.

Maps

People with autism often prefer to prepare in advance before visiting malls, supermarkets, stores, museums, and others. This reduces their anxiety levels. The presence of maps on your website will help people prepare and familiarize themselves before the trip.

If possible, create a sensory map, indicating which parts of a premises are particularly bright or noisy. If applicable, offer alternative routes, such as “quiet paths” through a location.

Prepare a Sensory Story

A sensory story takes a visitor on a journey through your location using the senses.

Designate a Quiet Space

Allocate a quiet space within your company or service, away from the main crowd, with reduced noise and lighting, where an autistic person and their companions could retreat if the environment becomes too overwhelming. This space should also be clearly signposted.

Such quiet spaces could also include soft seating and sensory toys, such as stress toys, stress balls, and games.

Autism Hour

Organize a special autism hour during a less busy period, or this could be a quieter session exclusively for autistic visitors, where lighting is dimmed and background noise is reduced. This could be a monthly event, opening an hour or two later or earlier than usual.

Relaxed Performances

Theatres, cinemas, and other venues offering live entertainment could offer specific performances or screenings, adapted for people with autism. These could include:

  • Reducing sound levels,

  • Altering lighting,

  • Relaxed attitude regarding entering and leaving the hall,

  • Quiet areas, away from the main areas of the venue,

  • Training staff and cast to assist autistic individuals.
    Each person with autism is unique, each has individual sensory needs and preferences, but there are adaptations that can be made that will help many autistic visitors. If institutions and private businesses can adapt to neurodivergent customers or visitors, local authorities must dedicate themselves primarily to already essential urban ecology measures through which they will immediately and automatically help neurodivergent individuals. The benefits will be for the entire community: more vegetation and green spaces, reduced traffic and emissions, fewer traffic jams, expanded space, reduced noise, in short, less sensory overload, less stress.

 

Key Aspects of Legal Protection and Support at the Local Level for People with Autism

Legal protection for people with autism at the local level in the EU is primarily determined by international and EU-level frameworks that oblige member states, regional authorities, and municipalities to ensure accessibility, non-discrimination, and inclusion. Although the EU does not have a mandatory “autism directive”, protections are applied through the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and broader EU legislation, such as the European Accessibility Act (EAA).

Legal Foundations and Principles

Some clarifications regarding the implementation of the UNCRPD are necessary. Since all EU member states and the EU itself are signatories, local authorities are obliged to align their policies with the UNCRPD, which mandates inclusive education (Article 24), access to health (Article 25), and community living (Article 19). A healthy urban environment with as few causes leading to sensory hyper-excitation is necessary.

The European Charter of Rights for Persons with Autism (1996) is not law. Although not legally binding, this document was adopted by the European Parliament and is frequently used to guide local, national, and regional legislation on education, housing, and social services.

Regarding non-discrimination, EU Directive 2000/78/EC prohibits discrimination on the grounds of disability in employment and vocational training, applicable at the local level.

Local Actions and Implementation

Local authorities are responsible for ensuring the accessibility of public infrastructure, transport, and services (libraries, parks, community centres), in accordance with the European Accessibility Act and the Web Accessibility Directive (2016/2102).

The European Disability Card is still in its early stages. Currently being implemented, this card helps local service providers recognise disability status cross-border, allowing easier access to special conditions, benefits, or services, particularly for “invisible” disabilities such as autism.

Community support is essential. Local administrations are under increasing pressure to move away from institutional care and towards independent living. This involves funding personal assistants, local support services, and personalised educational environments. Environmental measures and the reduction of sensory bombardment at the local level would reduce local budgetary pressure and ensure greater autonomy for people with autism.

At the level of accessibility standards, local authorities use European standards (e.g., EN 301 549) to ensure that public websites, mobile applications, and public procurement meet the needs of neurodivergent citizens.

Gaps and Challenges in Local Protection

Legal protections for autism are far from uniform across the EU. Some member states have specific national autism plans, while others rely on broader disability laws, leading to varying levels of support, particularly in rural or less prosperous areas. Romania does not have an integrated national plan for people with autism.

Although the UNCRPD covers autism, it does not explicitly mention it, sometimes leading to a lack of specialised care or specific support for autism-specific needs at the local level.

Research highlights that autistic individuals, especially women, face high levels of social exclusion, and local services may not always address these intersectional needs, according to a 2023 European Parliament resolution.

[1] Zwilling M. and Levy B.R., How Well Environmental Design Is and Can Be Suited to People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Natural Language Processing Analysis by Moti Zwilling and Beni R. Levy, Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(9), 5037; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095037
[2] Passmore, H. A. and Holder, M. D. (2017). Noticing nature: Individual and social benefits of a two-week intervention. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 12(6), pp537-546
[3] Sarris, Marina, What Do We Know About Noise Sensitivity In Autism? https://sparkforautism.org/discover_article/what-do-we-know-about-noise-sensitivity-in-autism/
[4] https://lege5.ro/Gratuit/gm2dambxgy3a/legea-nr-121-2019-privind-evaluarea-si-gestionarea-zgomotului-ambiant
[5] https://lege5.ro/gratuit/geztombygqydq/legea-nr-155-2023-privind-mobilitatea-urbana-durabila