Insights

Individual evolution: Mindful living.

In part 1, we looked at the importance of building strong and diverse communities.

Personal needs become sacrosanct

With the growth of technologies such as personal assistants, people have greater access to data on their wellbeing and are more informed than ever about the benefits of having healthy lifestyles. We also increasingly more tapped into our own personal needs, and how they might differ from others, whether mentally or physically. Wellbeing requires an element of control and autonomy over our own bodies and decisions, so places that offer us flexibility and freedom will naturally move further up the desirability chain.

Cultivating urban wellness

Wellness spans both the conscious and subconscious. Inclusive public space, green infrastructure, accessible public realm and people-centric design and mobility come together to create a holistic health landscape for all. Ultimately, cleaner, quieter and healthier environments encourage people to walk and play, to discover and share, to meet and talk. Places will respond to the innate human need to connect with nature, by integrating biophilic design elements within buildings, celebrating horticultural heritage of an area, and maximising the potential of public space from both an ecology and people perspective.

Safe inviting environment

How safe a place is directly related to how safe a place feels. Creating reassuring but also inviting environments will be given prime consideration from the outset, ensuring that we all feel safe in large gatherings and accessible areas. Attractive and sociable public spaces will provide a natural stimulus for opening up areas and enhancing inclusive access to spaces, but also ensuring people’s safety in unobtrusive, and often nature-led, ways.

Part 3 coming soon.