Places, spaces, people and wellbeing 2018

We have worked with researchers at Leeds Beckett University and the University of Liverpool to update the 2018 review. This incorporates evaluations published 2017-2022, from academic and grey literature.

The refresh explores the extent to which we can better identify what works in changing community infrastructure and improving wellbeing.

Read the 2023 report.

Find further assets and information on our project page.

Systematic review: places, spaces, people, and wellbeing 2018

The systematic review and briefing look at the global evidence base for improving people’s wellbeing through changes to the community infrastructure. This covers:

• Public places and ‘bumping’ places designed for people to meet, including streets, squares, parks, play areas, village halls and community centres.
• Places where people meet informally or are used as meeting places, such as cafes, pubs, libraries, schools and churches.
• Services that can facilitate access to places to meet, including urban design, landscape architecture and public art, transport, public health organisations, subsidised housing sites, and bus routes.

The focus of our review has been on interventions operating at the neighbourhood level rather than city or national level. Virtual spaces, such as social media, are beyond the scope of this review, although these are important and there is a growing evidence base.

The parameters and focus of the 2018 were maintained in the 2023 review refresh.