In the UK, there are growing concerns regarding the health and wellbeing of our ageing population. Problems of loneliness and isolation are widely documented, and stem from a range of social, economic and environmental factors. Further research is crucial to understanding how these problems can be alleviated in the future.
Design for Wellbeing is a multidisciplinary research project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. The project aims to investigate ‘community severance’; the concept that major transport infrastructure, such as busy roads, can negatively influence elderly people’s physical and psychological wellbeing, by segregating their community and restricting their mobility.
The project will explore this concept in four case study areas; Finchley Road (London), Woodberry Down (London), Southend-on-Sea, and Stratford Road (Birmingham). All sites are characterised by the presence of major main roads.
Our Role
Mapping for Change are responsible for the engagement of communities in each site. We have used our expertise in engagement to ensure the perspective of harder-to-reach elderly people has been included. Inclusive participatory mapping techniques have encouraged elderly residents to document their experiences of the local area, and maps have enabled us to carefully analyse residents’ perceptions of community severance.
We have carried out this engagement through a range of desk research and direct engagement. In each site, Mapping for Change have pursued a variety of qualitative research approaches including structured and semi-structured interviews, street surveys, and workshops.
You can download a final version of the Street Mobility Project Toolkit here. Get PDF.
Related Projects
Eco21.PL
Funded under the Swiss Block Grant, Mapping for Change in collaboration with the Centre for Training and Personal Development MERITUM, the Cultural Authority City of Gardens and Highways 4 Elements carried out a two year training programme in the Silesia region of Poland.
Leicester Family Hubs
We are excited to help introduce this transformative approach to health and social care to the city of Leicester. Family Hubs will serve as a bridge that bring together various organisations, services, and resources, making it easier for families to access the care and support they need.
InSPIRES
InSPIRES is a EU-funded project which aims to address the information gap that vulnerable demographics can hold about the impact that air pollution has on their health. Mapping for Change works with a school in London, whereby parents and pupils will have the opportunity to monitor particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide pollution levels in and around their homes.