Shared Space
By Erin Peavey
Shared SpaceJul 13, 2020
Best of Season 2: Design for Health, Happiness and Connection
In this special Best Of Shared Space Season 2! We talk with architects, psychologist, designers, activists, writers, urban planners – a host of amazing community changemakers on season two and we weave all of those together for you all. We start with a basic understanding of what is loneliness, social health, and social capital and why is it so important? Then we dive into office spaces, public places, housing, and more – exploring examples from across the globe as to what types of design strategies and approaches foster health, happiness, social connection and combat loneliness.
Interviews
Dr. Mario Luis Small, sociologist, endowed professor at Harvard University, and Panama native - shares his studies on social networks, and starts by defining a key component of our social health – social capital, and why it is critical for so many of the other social determinants we think of from transportation, education and habit formation.
Nigel Oseland, author and environmental psychologist – shares findings from his recent book Beyond The Workplace Zoo: Humanizing the Office. He specializes in workplace design for human connection, and I was honored to be his first interview for his new book.
Emily Anthes, New York Times reporter and author shares findings from her book – The Great Indoors: The Surprising Science of How Buildings Shape Our Behavior, Health, and Happiness.
Mitchell Reardon, urban planner with Happy Cities – talks about what it means to create truly accessible spaces for everyone, where everyone feels welcome. He shares fascinating research findings around Streets for People, a study they did in Canada at the beginning of the Pandemic.
Katie Swenson, design activist and author of MASS Design Group just published two books – Design with Love: At Home in America about her time with Enterprise Communities, and In Bohemia about her personal journey. She discussed how architecture needs to rethink and evaluate the success of spaces and the importance of dignity in design as a fundamental need.
Shelby Blessing, Architect and Activist in Austin Texas shares her experiences working with the Community First Village in Austin – designed specifically for community building and connection for formerly homeless individuals.
June Grant, Okland based activist and architect shares her experiences working with AARP – the largest non-profit dedicated to older adults to create a guidebook for Accessory Dwelling Units – as a method for maintaining community fabric and fostering social connection in communities.
Andrew Howard, urban planner with Team Better Block and WGI talks about what is really important about not only the product but the process of community design.
Judy Sullivan and Meg Moschetto from the Cochrane Heights Neighborhood Association in Dallas, Texas share their perspective of citizen activists that transformed a rundown empty space into a vibrant public community space. They share what it took to get it done and what it changed for their neighborhood community.
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About the Host:
Erin is an architect and design researcher bridging the gap between research and practice with a focus on design for health.
Website: www.erinpeavey.com
Twitter: @erin_peavey
Instagram: @design.for.health
Building Connection, One Alley at a Time
In this episode, I speak with community leaders, and all-around good neighbors, Judy Sullivan and Meg Moschetto of the Cochrane Heights Neighborhood Association in Dallas, Texas. They recently transformed an ‘eyesore’ alley into a place of connection, expanding their neighborhood, increasing safety, and paving the way for a butterfly garden, kids playing and many more dog walks with neighbors. Their journey and the beautiful results were first captured by the Dallas Morning News, and serve as an example to us all for how small community-led changes can have a big impact.
Fighting Workplace Loneliness By Design - with Nigel Oseland
How do our workplaces and practices impact loneliness? How can you design for connection of all kinds? In 2019, 61% of U.S. working adults reported experiencing loneliness, which is tied to decreased productivity, work satisfaction and turn over. Yet, we rarely ask the question of how to design for connection in our workplaces as a priority. In this episode, I speak with Dr. Nigel Oseland who shares design strategies for fostering four types of connections in the work environment!
Dr. Oseland is an environmental psychologist, workplace strategist, change manager, researcher, author, and international speaker. He works with his clients to redefine their work styles, and create cost-effective, space efficient workplaces that enhance concentration, collaboration, and creativity. I was first introduced to his work through the Centre of Conscious Design. His lessons about loneliness and the workplace are exciting and important. We hope you enjoy this episode!
In this episode, we discuss...
- Introduction [0:30]
- A Place of Connection for Him When He was Growing Up [01:11]
- How He Got into This Field [03:21]
- Is Loneliness a Personal Issue that's Completely Separate from Work? [08:08]
- The Generation Age Divide Around Loneliness [12:42]
- What the Research Says About Employee Loneliness and Sense of Connection [14:18]
- How to Design Differently for the Four Types of Relationships that Workplaces Foster [16:56]
- What Small Offices can Tweak to Encourage Different Types of Relationships in Workspace [25:20]
- Other Considerations Outside Built Space to Foster Workplace Relationships [29:33]
- The Difference Between Loneliness and Social Isolation [30:00]
- His Tips for Building Open Office Spaces, that Also Support Privacy [32:19]
- His Upcoming Book and What it is About [34:38]
- One Thing He Wishes People Knew and Used When Designing for Social Connection [38:40]
Nigel Oseland, PhD - Environmental Psychologist:
Website: www.workplaceunlimited.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/oseland?s=20
Social Capital, The Currency of Community - with Mario Small
Dr. Mario Luis Small grew up in Panama City, the son of an architect in a tight knit community of other families. He learned first-hand the way that spaces and social connections shape well-being and community.
In this episode of Shared Space, I talk with Mario, Grafstein Family Professor in the Department of Sociology at Harvard University, about how his early experiences shaped his future work and his discovery around the importance of social capital, trust and social ties in strengthening communities across the globe, and specifically the nature of architecture and urban design to shape connection.
Dr. Small has published award-winning articles, edited volumes, and books on topics such as social relationships, urban poverty, and the relationship between qualitative and quantitative methods. He has amazing books, from Villa Victoria to Unanticipated Gains, to his latest book, Someone To Talk To: How Networks Matter in Practice.
In this episode, we discuss...
- Introduction [0:30]
- A Place of Connection for Him Growing Up [02:56]
- What are Social Capital and Social Ties, and Why They are Important [05:47]
- Bridging versus Bonding Ties [07:57]
- How Social Ties Impact Our Health and Overall Well-being [09:25]
- Self-Care versus Caring for Others [14:43]
- How Nature of our Social Connections Changed During the Pandemic [18:08]
- Do Fewer Connections Mean Deeper Connections? [24:27]
- Places where He Feels the Environment Has Impacted the Connections of Communities [26:45]
- Networking of Mothers at Childcare Centers [31:20]
- How Things are Different for Communities of Lower Socioeconomic Status [32:54]
- What He Wishes Designers Would Consider When Designing for Social Connection [35:48]
- Closing Remarks [38:33]
Where to Find Dr. Mario Luis Small
Twitter: @MarioLuisSmall
Website: http://www.marioluissmall.com/
Resources Mentioned
Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection by John T. Cacioppo and William Patrick
About the Host
Erin is an architect and design researcher bridging the gap between research and practice with a focus on design for health. She believes in the power of places to heal, connect, and serve vulnerable people — from hospital patients and staff, to people struggling with social isolation and mental health challenges. Erin is driven by a commitment to help others and the joy of working together to solve complex problems with shared purpose.
Twitter: @erin_peavey; LinkedIn: Erin K. Peavey; Instagram: @design.for.health
Building a Better Block with Andrew Howard
How can a one-day event spark lasting change? How can community design be open sourced? What should we be measuring if we want to gauge positive change?
I talk with transportation and placemaking expert, Andrew Howard about his experiences doing just this with Team Better Block. Andrew is the director of placemaking at WGI, a national design and professional services firm leading in technology-based solutions for the construction of public infrastructure and real estate development. Andrew co-founded Better Block in 2010 as a transportation and placemaking focused public outreach firm that temporarily re-engineers auto-dominated, blighted, and underused urban areas into vibrant centers.
In this episode, Andrew and I discuss:
- How his abuelita first kindled his passion for the lives of city centers.
- His journey from Mineral Wells, Texas to being a Harvard Loeb Fellow.
- How he and Jason Roberts first founded Better Block in 2010, and the problem they wanted to solve.
- Why we need to get out in the community more, and spend more time making and less time behind computers.
- What we should be measuring if we want to impact positive change (hint, it is not the number of cars)
- Andrew’s hopes for the future of food and beverage as intrinsically linked to city and community planning.
Alongside his neighbors he and Jason Roberts built the first two Better Blocks in Dallas, Texas and pioneered the idea of using pop up demonstrations as an urban planning method. Now having been used in over 200 communities from Sydney, Australia to Bethel, Vermont Better Block is seen as an alternative to the typical design and defend urban planning method of the past. They have some amazing resources on their website so make sure to check out Team Better Block.
Designing Equitable Communities with June Grant
June Grant is an architect, designer and researcher committed to the craft of buildings, their potential to enhance cities and develop socially responsible solutions to complex real-world problems. She is the founding Principal of blink!LAB architecture, a boutique, research-based architecture practice focused on adaptive and transformative sustainable development. June has a master’s in architecture from Yale and has studied economics and sculpture. She is the immediate-past President of the San Francisco Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (SFNOMA), where she is committed to growing practice opportunities for under-represented groups by strengthening the role of communication. June is a community builder in every sense of the word.
In this episode, June shares:
- Her memories growing up in Jamaica and how they shaped her journey to be an architect.
- The strength and joy of intergenerational living.
- How AARP – the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to older adults – found her work and wanted to partner.
- How “granny flats” (i.e., accessory dwelling units (ADUs), in-law units) can help support diverse, sustainable, and equitable communities.
- The power of observation as critical to design and community building.
To learn more, visit our website at erinpeavey.com/sharedspace
Community First - Designing to End Homelessness in Austin with Shelby Blessing
What is the most talked about neighborhood in Austin, TX? The Community First! Village, a 51-acre master planned village that fosters independence, friendship and community in service with the homeless. This innovate residential program, developed by Mobile Loaves & Fishes is rethinking housing and showing amazing results.
Shelby Blessing, AIA is a design architect, impassioned activist and Austin-based design for equity leader, with Page/. She shares stories from years of working with and serving the Community First! Village through design and research.
Where to Find Shelby Blessing & The Community First! Village
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelby-blessing/
Community First! Village: https://mlf.org/community-first/
Resources Mentioned
Beyond Homelessness: Christian Faith in a Culture of Displacement by Steven Bouma-Prediger
Designing Happy Cities with Mitchell Reardon
Can our cities be designed to make us happier? What is the role of public space in fostering a more civil society? Can street design foster trust – or even romance?
Mitchell Reardon, a senior urban planner, lecturer, and leader at Happy Cities. Happy Cities is an interdisciplinary firm working at the intersection of urban design, policy, engagement and human wellbeing. They turn evidence into action for happier, healthier and more inclusive communities.
Mitchell’s experiments, projects and research have helped clients achieve high standards in health, wellbeing and sociability in cities around the world, including Vancouver, Wuhan, Mexico City and Stockholm. Mitchell co-founded Metropolitan Collective, a group of tactical urbanists who have transformed unloved and overlooked spaces in Vancouver and beyond. He is a board member for the Vancouver Public Space Network. Mitchell is a compelling lecturer whose paradigm-shifting keynotes on the link between urban design, sustainable planning and human health have moved audiences in Canada and in Europe.
Mitchell received his Masters of Science in Urban and Regional Planning at Stockholm University in Sweden. His work and insights have been published or broadcast on Next City, CBC News, StarMetro, CBC Radio and more.
In this episode we talk about:
- How snow boarding shaped how his lens on design
- Why design for social well-being matters
- Measuring the impact of interventions
- How to create an inclusive process
- The role of policy is making happy, healthy design a reality
- Why and how to connect with local communities
The Science Behind Healthy Buildings with Emily Anthes
Emily Anthes is an award-winning science journalist and author whose work has appeared in the New York Times, The New Yorker, Atlantic Wired, Nature, to name a few. Emily has a master's degree in science writing from MIT and a bachelor's degree in the history of science and medicine from Yale, where she also studied creative writing. Emily lives in Brooklyn, New York.
In this episode, we discuss...
Introduction [0:30]
Earliest Memory of Architecture's Impact [02:10]
How Emily Started Writing the Book [03:13]
Link Between Public Health and the Built Environment Then, and Now [04:52]
How Did Our Cities Get These Designs? [09:17]
Shifting the Balance Back [11:50]
Path to a More Inclusive and Universal Design [14:03]
Why Did the Open Office Design Backfire? [18:08]
It's all Just in Good Design [22:13]
Bringing in More Permeability [24:44]
Climate Resilience and The Social Fabric [25:33]
Amphibious Housing [27:11]
Top Recommendation to Design for Connection [27:50]
Final Message [29:24]
Where to Find Emily Anthes
Website: http://emilyanthes.com/
Twitter: @EmilyAnthes
Newsletter: https://emilyanthes.carrd.co/
Resources Mentioned
The Great Indoors: The Surprising Science of How Buildings Shape Our Behavior, Health, and Happiness by Emily Anthes
Amphibious Housing: An Innovative Approach to Seasonal Flood Mitigation for Vulnerable First Nations Communities by Ropel-Morski, Zachary, Elizabeth English, and Scott Turner
About the Host
Erin is an architect and design researcher bridging the gap between research and practice with a focus on design for health. She believes in the power of places to heal, connect, and serve vulnerable people — from hospital patients and staff, to people struggling with social isolation and mental health challenges. Erin is driven by a commitment to help others and the joy of working together to solve complex problems with shared purpose.
Website: www.erinpeavey.com
Twitter: @erin_peavey
LinkedIn: Erin K. Peavey
Instagram: @design.for.health
Design with Love, At Home and In Community with Katie Swenson
Shared Space Trailer: Season 2
Last season on Shared Space, we explored the research behind design for connection, exploring evidence-based strategies to foster community and belonging. This season, we are digging into the How.
How do people work in communities across the globe to use architecture and space to as a force to make the world a brighter place? Community leaders, activists designers, and award-winning authors will shared what they've learned about creating a happier, healthier and more connected world.
Look forward to sharing the journey with you!
Holidays On My Mind: Strategies for Feeling Well & Fighting Loneliness
This holiday season is unlike any other for most of us. In this episode, I try something a little different, share a little more of myself, and share strategies for navigating loneliness through these holidays. I share stories from listeners who are trying something new this holiday season to stay connected and I share a advice from experts across the landscape of psychology, philosophy and wellbeing.
A few highlights include:
- Gratitude Practice: The regular (daily or more) expression of gratitude, through a journal, app, or other means is one of the most researched and demonstrated ways to find happiness in difficult times. There is always something to be thankful for – your health, enough to eat, people that love you, or maybe just the warmth of the sun.
- Reach Out & Connection: Reaching out to others through letter writing, zoom calls, virtual art party, a pie on your neighbors’ door, or just the old fashioned phone call can be great ways to give and receive connection.
- Giving to Others: It is hard to believe but volunteering or giving gifts to others is demonstrated to lead to more long-term happiness then treating ourselves.
- Feel the Feelings: Allow yourself to be sad and to feel the loss of this time, and help create space for other people to be sad and know that they are loved and supported.
There are so many more ways to connect. I would love to hear from you, how you’re navigating this time.
This is my last episode of the season, and I can say without a doubt hearing from listeners like you these past few months has been one of the greatest gifts. I have loved to hear what resonates, what you want to hear more of, and what these stories have meant to you all. Thank you sincerely for sharing your time and your stories with me. I always want to hear them.
I am planning for next season and would love to hear from you! Look forward to talking with you all in the new year!
Much warmth,
Erin – Host of Shared Space
Choice: Designing for Variety, Flexibility, and Control in Social Connection
Have you ever walked into an office and seen a sea of cubicles and wondered - how is anyone supposed to get work done here? How can I have private conversation with colleagues, or collaborative brainstorming session? Or maybe walked into a café and thought, 'where in the world can I tuck out of the way with my toddler so I can still connect with others' (hint: I can relate to that one)? All of that is related to this concept of Choice and why it is so important in shaping opportunities for social connection. In this episode of Shared Space, Erin Peavey dives into this concept and shares real world architectural and interior design examples.
Places that provide variety, flexibility, and choices on how to use the space foster personal control and support habitual use for a wide range of activities that suit people’s varying needs and moods. Providing people the freedom to choose how to engage (e.g., play, relax, focus) and where to locate themselves (e.g., booth seating, communal table) facilitates person-environment fit, or the ability for a person to choose or modify an environment to fit his or her needs and preferences (1), and creates a sense of comfort (2).
The dynamic and changing nature of comfortable spatial proximities to people we encounter (e.g., strangers, acquaintances, or friends) is the basis of proxemics, the study of personal space, and helps inform different types of seating options (3). Third places should support a wide range of uses and options for gathering with people or finding privacy. There should also be flexibility to fit a spectrum of needs and abilities (e.g., older adults, new mothers, children’s groups)(4). For children, this means creating a variety of ways to play (e.g., reading corner vs. jungle gym, playing in the fountain vs. on the grass) and the ability to control what activities to engage in (5). In workplaces, this means balancing privacy and collaboration—a concept often called “we, me, us”—by allowing people to control where they sit and how they engage with others, based on the formality or informality of the circumstances.
To learn more from my report on Designing for Social Connection & Combating Loneliness that was featured at SXSW here.
To listen to other episodes of Shared Space here. Or to share your feedback on the episode please respond in the comments on the episode page, or email me at designtohealth@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you!
To Learn more about Maggie's Centers click here.
To Learn more about We & Me Spaces.
Design for Connection Through Cancer Care with Kati Peditto
Today on Shared Space, I talk with Kati Peditto PhD, an award winning environmental psychologist from Cornell University and assistant professor at the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Kati’s research focuses on the social and psychological dynamics of space, and particularly on how to create spaces for adolescents and young adults with cancer. We address both universal and specific strategies work for this patient population, and how we can all think of space for connection as a more natural and vital part of our lives.
Below are some of the highlights of our conversation. Hope you enjoy it!
1:40: Dr. Peditto shares her background and her current role as Assistant Professor at the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at the US Air Force Academy.
4:55: Kati discusses how our social needs change throughout our lifetime and how having a cancer diagnosis can change the typical dynamics for anyone and especially for young adults.
9:00: Kati shares her research and how she went about interviewing and learning from adolescents and young adults with cancer to create spaces that supported their wellbeing.
13:45: The importance of informal spaces for interaction rather than planned game spaces. “Shared spaces that allow for these informal interactions if I had to pick the most important element to social design, that is what it would be.”
16:25: Kati shares her own personal story of how she got interested in AYA cancer care and why she loves this population so much (hint: the sense of shared purpose helps).
18:25: Discuss the example of Maggie’s Centers across the UK as prime examples of social spaces to support the social health needs of cancer patients and their families. And specifically, the role of the hearth and breaking bread as the center of gathering.
22:45: Discuss how just maybe Maslow gotten wrong in his hierarchy of needs. “We evolved as group-oriented people, because we need a group of people to achieve those basic physiological needs… at the root of it, without having people around you that you can depend on, not just for resources, but for love and warmth, you cannot achieve food and safety”
24:45: Discuss Spatial Justice as a way to create more equitable spaces: “It is still a spatial justice issue to think about the populations that have otherwise been invisible in the design process and how we champion for them. “
30:25: Involving the people who will use the space in the design process: "I wish more people considered the voice of the people they are designing for. Why is it that we are still having conversations about user design discrepancies, we wouldn't be having these conversations anymore if these users were meaningfully involved in the process."
Fighting Loneliness and Finding Belonging - with Dr. Julianne Holt-Lundstad
Today on Shared Space, I am talking with Julianne Holt-Lundstad, who studies social relationships, stress and our health. She is a renowned professor of psychology and social neuroscience at Brigham Young University - where her seminal research identified social isolation and loneliness as risk factors for early mortality. Her work has been highlighted in the BBC 100 Breakthrough Health Discoveries in 2015, and covered in the New York Times, The Washington Post, Time Magazine, The Today Show, Brené Brown, Former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, and well just about everyone else. It is not an over exaggeration to say that my guest has changed the conversation on loneliness across the globe – and yet somehow she stays humble, kind, mission driven, and persistently dedicated to truth.
In this episode, Julianne and I discuss:
- Her own life experiences and what drove her to explore the important topics of loneliness and social isolation.
- More drastic examples of loneliness across history (e.g., solitary confinement, infants in custodial care) and what they can teach us about the biological need for human contact.
- Why loneliness and social isolation are such a big health crisis that it has earned the name of "epidemic" and how the loneliness and social isolation manifest differently.
- How she came to see the role of the built environment in fostering (or hindering) social connection in our everyday lives. She shares examples from living in Amsterdam, and Blue Zone cities across Greece and Italy, and her stories are filled with so much joy.
- A potential silver-lining of this pandemic.
- Her advice for policy makers and community leaders to foster social health as we respond to COVID-19 and beyond.
And we share a rapid-fire round of questions that includes everything from her favorite quote to what is keeping her excited today!
There is seriously too much to enjoy in this episode and we really hope you find it interesting and helpful. I would love to hear your thoughts, what resonated and what you would like to hear more about on my website - www.erinpeavey.com/sharedspace.
Design for Safe Connection Through COVID-19 in Senior Housing and Beyond with Patricia Gruits
Do you ever wonder how can we socially connect and still be safe? What is the role of the design of the physical spaces around us? What strategies could work for both you, and perhaps your loved ones living in senior housing? In Episode 9 of the Shared Space podcast, I sit down with Patricia Gruits of MASS Design Group to explore synergies between designing for COVID-19 and designing for social connection with a special focus on senior living. Patricia shares findings from her recent report “Designing Senior Housing for Safe Interaction The Role of Architecture in Fighting COVID-19”. Understanding the toxic health effects of loneliness, her team identified ways to help people safety connect. We explore how to design for joy, hope, and connection rather than fear. Not ignoring the dangers, but rather finding the synergies in these.
Patricia is a Senior Principal & Managing Director with MASS Design Group, a leading not-for-profit design firm, where she leads both design and research projects in health, education, and equity. Her work has been featured in journals of architecture and design as well as on the BBC World News and the Discovery Channel. She has lectured and taught design across the nation. Patricia has a Bachelor of Science and Master’s in Architecture from the University of Michigan, a program that is well known for their integration of purpose driven design and research that continues to inform her approach today.
Link to the abbreviated transcript of our interview will be here soon: https://www.erinpeavey.com/sharedspace
To learn more about Patricia & The work at MASS Design:
- Patricia Gruit's Bio at MASS Design
- Portable Light Project: The Portable Light Project enables people in the developing world to create and own energy harvesting textiles, providing the benefits of renewable power as an integral part of everyday life.
Links from topics and projects mentioned during our interview:
- Green House Project: A different way to design for aging at scale
- Research on how Green House project homes have fared through COVID-19. Spoiler alert - Green House Project residents have fared much better than other types of skilled nursing.
Designing Senior Housing for Safe Interaction:
- Link to Full Report on MASS Design.
- The team (excerpt from report): MASS Design team members, Patricia Gruits, Katie Swenson, and Regina Yang -- who led the development of the senior living COVID-19 guide. This guide and its design principles were developed through research and focused conversations with leaders in affordable housing development, operation, and design. We are grateful to Jennifer Molinsky of the Joint Center for Housing Studies; Emi Kiyota, founder of IBASHO, for their partnership and to Alma Balonon-Rosen, Massachusetts Housing Partnership; Susan Gittelman, B’nai B’rith; Carrie Niemy, Enterprise Community Partners; Jane Rohde, JSR Associates; and Enterprise Rose Fellows Peter Aeschbacher, Sam Beall, Nick Guertin, Yuko Okabe, Kelsey Oesmann, and Jason Wheeler for their experience, consultation and review.
How To Design for Comfort: Human Scale
This week's podcast we dig into one of the six attributes that help to create environments of connection, Human Scale. I interview Thom Grieving, Principal of HKS, about his team's work around a very special project that helps to exemplify what design with human scale for connection looks like at University of California at San Diego, Theater District Living and Learning Neighborhood. For this project, the Dean and leadership of UCSD had thoughtfully embedded considerations around social health and social connection in the original program of spaces and considering community health and wellness were key aims that the project targeted.
Spaces designed at a human scale use architectural detailing and variety to create small and intimate environments that are comfortable for people to move through or occupy. These are spaces that meet our basic human needs for comfort, safety, and interest (1), and that feel good to be in for reasons that are often indescribable. City blocks designed at a human scale have been shown to promote more social interactions and lingering (2), whereas research reveals that blocks with large expanses of monotonous storefront elevate stress responses and speed walking (3).
This conclusion was tested at a Whole Foods in New York City, where a research team found that despite the store operator’s desire for Whole Foods to feel like a local grocery store and blend with the existing neighborhood, the expansive glass storefront actually repelled passersby, who quickened their pace to get past it (4). This finding echoes a growing body of research in both human and mouse models that show how spaces devoid of ornamentation and variety can elicit a strong stress response (5), believed to be linked to the painful boredom they provoke (6).
A well-established component of human-scale design is the quality of providing prospect and refuge (7), offered by buildings or spaces that create a sense of enclosure while giving people the ability to look out—for instance, being under a patio pergola or on a front porch and watching the street. If you have ever felt the pull of a cozy booth seat or rested at the base of a tree, you have experienced the natural comfort of a space that provided prospect and refuge. This quality promotes a dual sense of security and openness that allows us to deepen existing friendships and form new ones.
Citations: 1. Montgomery, 2018; 2. Ellard, 2018;3. Ellard, 2018; Montgomery, 2018; 4. Ellard, 2018; Montgomery, 2018; 5. Bayne, 2018; Salingaros, 2014; 6. Ellard, 2018; 7. Dosen & Ostwald, 2016
Links:
How Architecture Can Foster Inclusion with Maya Bird-Murphy
In this episode, Maya and I explore how architecture can help create community and foster inclusion – how often it’s purposefully designed to exclude and how we can change that. Maya’s journey to create Chicago Mobile Makers started off with two questions - 1. How can we diversity the design profession? 2. How can we improve disinvested communities? And, can those two things happen simultaneously?
Maya believes that architecture should not be a privilege and must expand to accommodate more people through teaching and community engagement. While working full time and completing her master's, she founded Chicago Mobile Makers, a nonprofit bringing design focused skill-building workshops to marginalized Chicago communities. Her journey - from growing up in the Historic Oak Park with Frank Lloyd Wright tours down the road, to architecture school at Ball State and a Master's degree at Boston Architectural College while working full time, to where she is today - is a roadmap for those looking to chart their own path and be the change they want to see in the world. '
Her story is an inspiration for anyone thinking about going into a design field, or really any field, and doesn’t see themselves represented. In many ways she let pain be her guide and created something uniquely special and life giving. As her and her colleagues at Chicago Mobile Makers look to this next school semester in the face of COVID-19, the mobile maker has some very special things in store that are uniquely positioned to benefit Chicago area youth. If you want to learn more about here or her work please check out the links below to her website, Chicago Mobile Maker’s Website and their recent feature in Dwell Magazine. Links: Maya Bird-Murphy: Website / @mayabirdmurphy Chicago Mobile Makers: @chicagomobilemakers / https://www.chicagomobilemakers.org/ Dwell feature of Chicago Mobile Makers
Accessibility: How to Create Places That Are Safe, Inclusive, and Walkable
On this episode we discuss the importance of designing accessible and inclusive places of connection. When we use universal design principles that honor the human experience, we are creating more inclusive, equitable and welcoming places for all people. I share an example from my own practice working with clients to create spaces that are accessible for the people they serve, like the new clinic at Parkland Hospital.
Perhaps the most foundational attribute of a good third place is that it is accessible to those who can use it. The best versions foster a sense of ownership and become regular parts of people’s lives. This requires safe, convenient, affordable, and comfortable access to the place (1). For children, this means they can gather, play, and explore with some independence from parents as developmentally appropriate. For senior adults or people with disabilities, this means that there are easy physical access options, benches to rest, and spaces to shelter them from the elements. For all ages, the ideal is a space that is within walking distance from home, work, or school. Humans evolved to navigate our worlds on our feet, and much research has shown the benefits of physical activity on the health of our minds and bodies(2), and the role of pedestrian friendly streets, neighborhoods, and cities in fostering well-being for all - on foot, wheelchair, stroller or walker.
Studies have demonstrated that people living in walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods have more social capital compared to residents of car-oriented suburbs. People in walkable neighborhoods report being more likely to trust others, participate politically, know their neighbors, and be socially engaged (3). Car dependence limits opportunities for in-person interaction, and whenever possible, it is best to shift away from auto travel when we think about how people access a third place.
1. Cattell et al., 2008; Cheang, 2002; 2. Renalds et al., 2010; Wood, Frank, & Giles-Corti, 2010; 3. Leyden, 2003
My Website: https://www.erinpeavey.com/sharedspace
FULL REPORT: https://www.hksinc.com/how-we-think/research/connecting-irl-how-the-built-environment-can-foster-social-health/
Parkland Clinic: https://www.mccarthy.com/projects/parkland-hospital-outpatient-clinic-2
Redlining & Green Space: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/past-racist-redlining-practices-increased-climate-burden-on-minority-neighborhoods/
How to Build Inclusive Cities: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-17/how-to-build-inclusive-cities
Equity and Green Space: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-19/access-to-green-space-varies-by-class-race-in-the-u-s
Universal Design: http://universaldesign.ie/What-is-Universal-Design/The-7-Principles/
Research on impact of neighborhood environment on postpartum depressive symptoms: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032719320105
The Psychology of Places of Connection with Dr. Colin Ellard [Part 2 of 2]
I speak with acclaimed author, researcher, TEDx speaker, and professor of environmental psychology, Dr. Colin Ellard.
Part 2: On the second half of our two-part episode, Dr. Colin Ellard and I explore research around what small tweaks can shape how we evaluate and want to connect with others, difference between what people think will make them happy and what they want, vs. what actually makes us happy in our home environments, and lastly he leaves us with his top 3 things that he hopes we consider in design and beyond. Referenced in the show: Colin Ellard's website: http://colinellard.com/ Places of the Heart (Book by Colin Ellard): https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781942658009 Susan Susanka's Not So Big House: https://susanka.com/not-so-big-house/ Study findings from healthcare settings that supported the peak-end rule: https://www.behavioraleconomics.com/resources/mini-encyclopedia-of-be/peak-end-rule/; non-peer reviewed publication of our study's preliminary findings: https://www.healthcaredesignmagazine.com/trends/using-interior-design-reduce-mri-anxiety/ Sharp vs. Angular fMRI - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280023039_Curved_versus_Sharp_An_MRI-Based_Examination_of_Neural_Reactions_to_Contours_in_the_Built_Healthcare_Environment
![The Psychology of Places of Connection with Dr. Colin Ellard [Part 1 of 2]](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/5347340/5347340-1613869132399-9f58d8dc679e1.jpg)
The Psychology of Places of Connection with Dr. Colin Ellard [Part 1 of 2]
I speak with acclaimed author, researcher, TEDx speaker, and professor of environmental psychology, Dr. Colin Ellard.
Part 1: On this first part of our two-part episode, Colin and I explore how he discovered his passion for this field, how COVID-19 is shaping his current research and how we are all connecting, and lastly we discuss what evolutionary psychology can teach us about ideal group sizes for connection and community.
Part 2: On the second half of our two-part episode, Colin and I explore research around what small tweaks can shape how we evaluate and want to connect with others, difference between what people think will make them happy and what they want, vs. what actually makes us happy in our home environments, and lastly he leaves us with what he hopes we consider in design and beyond.
Referenced in the show: Colin Ellard's website; University of Waterloo’s Urban Realities Lab
Colin's most recent book, Places of the Heart
Dunbar's Number, Ideal Group Sizes - Research; Popular Press
Places of Connection: The Role of Public Space in Our Social Health
The prehistoric Stonehenge monument and other archaeological sites offer ample evidence of human civilization’s enduring need for communal gathering spaces, those places where people can come together for celebration, ritual, and the mundane (1). These places are what sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined third places (2)—places unlike the private, informal home and the public, formal workplace, being both informal and public. These are places where people gather and socialize deliberately or casually (3): meet friends, cheer for the home team with fellow fans, or just sit to people-watch. Third places are defined by their “ordinariness”(4) and allow people to meet, relax, play, and just be, with minimal cost to themselves (5). Third places have been shown to strengthen social capital (6), foster social connection (7), and boost diversity (8) and well-being (9). They also serve as “enabling places” (10) that promote recovery from mental illness by providing social and material resources11.
The social interactions that occur in these spaces can provide opportunities for making and sustaining bonds, offer relief from daily stresses, support a sense of community, and facilitate tolerance between diverse people (12). Research also shows that the social support (i.e., emotional support, companionship) that people get in third places may match their deficit of social support elsewhere13. In light of this evidence, as loneliness is on the rise (14), the need for third places, and public space, is greater than ever. Yet across the nation, third places are closing (15),fraying the ties that hold communities together.
To create places that connect us, we need policymakers, entrepreneurs, developers, city planners, architects, and, most of all, citizens to advocate for the importance of cultivating these spaces, which provide a buffer from the physical and psychological stresses of modern day. Although third places have traditionally been studied and understood as standalone brick-and-mortar spaces, this report makes the case that they also exist as small, semi-public spaces within larger buildings or areas—for example, the office kitchen, or the communal space in a long-term inpatient unit, or the shared interior courtyard of a large building. These places can be small- to largescale: office watering coolers, local coffee shops, corner markets, daycares, community centers, city parks, and street blocks16. Some have argued that virtual worlds can serve as “fourth places” or a type of digital third place; however, there is little evidence that virtual places can fill the real world physical needs for connection, community, leisure, and support that third places do...
REFERENCES: 1. Ellard, 2018; 2. Oldenburg, 1999; 3. Soja, 1996; 4. Hickman, 2013; 5. Cheang, 2002; Finlay, Esposito, Kim, Gomez-Lopez, & Clarke,2019; Oldenburg, 1999; Thompson & Kent, 2014; 6. Lifszyc-Friedlander et al., 2019; 7. Klinenberg, 2018; Williams & Hipp, 2019; 8. Klinenberg, 2018; Williams & Hipp, 2019; 9. Cattell, Dines, Gesler, & Curtis, 2008; 10. Duff, 2012
FULL REPORT: https://www.hksinc.com/how-we-think/research/connecting-irl-how-the-built-environment-can-foster-social-health/
The Built Environment, Loneliness and Our Health
Many people see health as the responsibility of clinicians, nutritionists, and other health care professionals. Yet it has become clear that although vitally important, clinical care makes up just 10% to 20% of overall health (1). The physical environment is an important factor underlying our health ecosystem, influencing how we think, feel, and behave (2). The United Nations (3) and the World Health Organization (4) have identified better housing and neighborhood conditions as critical to reducing health inequalities.
Physical environments designed to enhance social connections enrich people’s lives on a daily basis but especially pay off in moments of crisis, such as in the aftermath of man-made or natural disasters, when people’s reliance on neighbors and local friends is critical to their survival (5). This report is not suggesting that the physical environment is the answer to every challenge, but it is an important and often overlooked part of our lives.
REFERENCES: 1. Hood, Gennuso, Swain, & Catlin, 2016; Sir et al., 2012; 2. Cerin, 2019; Hood et al., 2016; Nanda et al., 2017; Peavey Hsieh & Taylor, 2016; Sallis et al., 2006; Wilkie, Townshend, Thompson, & Ling, 2018; 3. United Nations, 2015b, 2015a; 4. World Health Organization, 2018; 5. Klinenberg, 2018
FULL REPORT: https://www.hksinc.com/how-we-think/research/connecting-irl-how-the-built-environment-can-foster-social-health/
Loneliness and Our Health
Have you ever felt lonely, and looked at how your it felt inside your body? Perhaps you felt stress, anxiety or like a foundational part of being alive was missing? That feeling, like hunger or thirst evolved to signal a threat to our survival.
As humans, we evolved in community. People gathered in small tribes to support one another, to provide protection, warmth, food, and care for children. Given our nature, being completely autonomous and independent is a threat to survival. Our basic need to be interdependent remains even though the backdrop of humanity has transformed over centuries.
A 2020 Cigna survey showed that more than three in five working American adults are lonely, and rising numbers report feeling left out, is understood or as though they lack companionship 1. These findings contribute to the sense that we are facing a “loneliness epidemic,” as described by former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. Loneliness and social isolation have been linked to sleep loss, ill health, dementia, premature death, and even heartbreak—literally 2. These effects on our health are as harmful to our life expectancy as a 15-cigarette-a-day smoking habit 3.
REFERENCES (1. Cigna, 2020; (2. Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018; Holt-Lunstad, 2017; Holt-Lunstad, Smith, & Layton, 2010 (3. Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010.
LINK TO FULL REPORT: https://www.hksinc.com/how-we-think/research/connecting-irl-how-the-built-environment-can-foster-social-health/
Intro to Shared Space, The Podcast!
COVID-19, the resulting stay at home orders, social distancing, and ultimately the social isolation that we've had to go through has been tough for our mental health as nation and as a globe, and that's one of the main reasons I wanted to start a podcast that talks about not only loneliness and social isolation, but also the role of the built environment.
I know you might be saying right now. “What does architecture have to do with our health, with our loneliness, or with how connected we are to our communities?” I'm here to tell you a lot more than we think! It is definitely not the only factor, but it is an important and often overlooked structure of our lives and our communities that helps to inform how well we will be able to interact with one another. Our physical environments (e.g., cities, streets, homes) are a critical component of social determinants of health.
And there's been a lot of research that digs into how different aspects of the built environment serve as social determinants, how they help to shape aspects of loneliness, social connection and ultimately our overall health -- so that's really what we're going to be talking about on this podcast.
We all understand the deleterious effects of loneliness and social isolation, and this podcast will lean into those, while also exploring how physical spaces can make us feel more connected and less lonely. We will share research-informed guidelines on how to use space to foster connection, social health and well-being. And we will be sharing examples of spaces and strategies that work!
I am so excited and honored that you are spending time here with us and I hope you find it enjoyable and interesting. If so, I would love if you can subscribe, rate and review us! Check out more resources and articles on my website erinpeavey.com. Thanks for joining me on this journey!