Brown University to Study ‘Environmental Comfort’ in Jackson Neighborhoods
Residents across Jackson know what it feels like when a space just doesn’t feel right, whether it’s a room that’s too warm, a street that’s too noisy or air that doesn’t smell as fresh as it should. In early 2026, researchers from Brown University will begin a new project in Jackson to better understand those everyday experiences and how they affect health, neighborhoods and quality of life.
The effort is part of the Community Noise Lab at Brown University, which has worked in Mississippi for several years. Its newest initiative, the Environmental Comfort Index, will launch in January 2026, with field measurements beginning the following month. Before then, the team is asking Jackson neighborhood organizations for help distributing a community survey.
What ‘environmental comfort’ means
Environmental comfort is a term researchers use to describe how physically and mentally comfortable people feel in the spaces where they live, work and spend time. It combines several sensory experiences that can influence well-being.
Brown University’s research team will focus on three main components:
Physical conditions
These include temperature and humidity, air quality and lighting levels.
Researchers will collect spot measurements across different Jackson neighborhoods at various times of day to understand how conditions shift from area to area. These environmental factors influence sleep, health and how safe people feel moving around their neighborhoods.
Noise and sound
The Community Noise Lab specializes in understanding acoustic environments. Noise from traffic, industry or other sources can cause stress, affect sleep and make it difficult to concentrate. The team will take spot noise measurements at multiple times to detect consistent patterns and sudden spikes.
Psychological and emotional factors
Comfort isn’t based only on physical conditions. Personal perception also shapes how people experience a space. That includes whether they feel in control of their surroundings and how sounds or lighting influence their sense of safety or calm. To understand these experiences, the team will distribute a community survey.
Why the study matters for neighborhoods
Environmental comfort affects overall quality of life. Uncomfortable conditions can contribute to chronic stress and fatigue. Supportive, comfortable environments help people focus, work and learn more effectively. And when homes and community spaces feel good to be in, residents are more likely to gather, socialize and participate in neighborhood life.
For Jackson neighborhoods, the findings could offer data to help associations, city leaders and community groups advocate for improvements such as better lighting, reduced noise, cleaner air or enhanced public spaces.
How residents can participate
The Community Noise Lab is already collecting information through a community survey ahead of physical measurements, which will begin in February 2026. The team has printed copies available and can deliver them directly to neighborhood offices. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete, and completed surveys will be entered into a raffle to win one of five $50 gift cards.
A chance to shape the research
This project gives Jackson residents an opportunity to shape how environmental comfort is defined and measured locally. The more community input researchers receive, the more accurately the study can reflect daily life across the city.
Complete the survey here. Download the program graphic here. Residents or neighborhood leaders with questions can contact Cristina Nica, project supervisor for the Mississippi site of the Community Noise Lab at Brown University, at cristina_nica@brown.edu.
