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Place and Wellbeing Outcomes

The Place and Wellbeing Outcomes provide a consistent and comprehensive focus for where place impacts on the wellbeing of people and planet.

They are also key features for delivering Scotland’s 20-minute neighbourhood ambitions. Their development has been supported by the organisations that sit on the Spatial Planning, Health and Wellbeing Collaborative Group, now named the Place and Wellbeing Collaborative.

More background information and context to the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes can be found in this briefing paper and in the spreadsheet, where you can find the core set of data and the indicators linked to them.

The Place and Wellbeing Outcomes

How to use the outcomes

The outcomes support all sectors to focus decision-making and implementation on a common set of evidenced features that make every place.

Local Authorities can ensure they have a joined-up approach to place by embedding the outcomes as part of the decision-making process in policy and implementation. They ensure everyone is working together as part of a whole systems approach and that every aspect of a place is being considered.

We piloted the use of the outcomes at local, council-wide and regional scales to explore the 20-minute neighbourhood ambition. We are now working on guidance for local authorities and other stakeholders to conduct their own ‘Place and Wellbeing Assessment’ using the outcomes.

The work of the Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme is anchored in using the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes to improve Scotland’s wellbeing and reduce inequality. The programme aims to raise awareness of the outcomes and their use in achieving systems change.

Place and wellbeing outcomes: movement, space, resources, civic, stewardship

The Place and Wellbeing Outcomes are:

  • Movementactive travel; public transport; traffic and parking
  • Spacesstreets and spaces; natural spaces; play and recreation
  • Resourcesservices and support; work and economy; housing and community
  • Civicidentity and belonging; feeling safe
  • Stewardship care and maintenance; influence and control

The Place and Wellbeing Outcomes are the evidenced features of what every place needs to enable those who live, work and relax there to experience wellbeing.

All outcomes are underpinned by three principles:

Equitable outcomes for all

Each outcome takes account of the needs of different populations and geographies and is applied in a way that ensures they achieve equitable outcomes for all. The impact of policy and practice on the experiences of these different populations within Scotland must be considered. Population groups such as those at the end of the table.

Achieving net zero, sustainability and biodiversity

Each outcome takes account of climate impacts in Scotland and globally and the need to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As well as enhance broader environmental sustainability and biodiversity and are applied equitably in a way that contributes to both greater climate resilience and reduced GHG emissions.

Supporting the system

Each outcome becomes embedded in the right policies and plans both nationally and locally.

Themes and Outcomes

ThemeOutcome
Movement

Active Travel

Everyone can:

  • easily move around using good-quality, accessible, well-maintained and safe wheeling, segregated walking and cycling routes and access secure bike parking.
  • wheel, walk and cycle through routes that connect homes, destinations and public transport, are segregated from, and prioritised above, motorised traffic and are part of a local green network.
 

Public Transport

Everyone has access to a sustainable, affordable, accessible, available, appropriate, safe, and public transport service.
 

Traffic and Parking

Everyone can benefit from:

  • reducing traffic and traffic speeds in the community.
  • traffic management and design, where traffic and car parking do not dominate or prevent other uses of space and car parking is prioritised for those who don’t have other options.
Spaces

Streets and Spaces

Everyone has access to:

  • buildings, streets and public spaces that create an attractive place to use, enjoy and interact with others.
  • streets and spaces that are well-connected, designed for climate resilience and maintained, providing multiple functions and amenities to meet the varying needs of different population groups.
 

Natural Spaces

Everyone can:

  • access good-quality natural spaces that support biodiversity and are well-connected, safe, maintained, designed for climate resilience and provide multiple functions and amenities to meet the varying needs of different population groups.
  • be protected from environmental hazards including air/water/soil pollution or the risk of flooding.
  • access community food growing opportunities and prime quality agricultural land is protected.
 

Play and Recreation

Everyone can access a range of high quality, safe, well-maintained, accessible places with opportunities for play and recreation to meet the varying needs of different population groups and the community itself.

Resources

Services and Support

Everyone has access to:

  • health enhancing, accessible, affordable and well-maintained services, facilities and amenities. These are informed by community engagement, responsive to the needs and priorities of all local people.
  • a range of spaces and opportunities for communities to meet indoors and outdoors.
  • information and resources necessary for an included life in a range of digital and non-digital formats.
 

Work and Economy

Everyone benefits equally from a local economy that provides:

  • essential goods and services produced or procured locally.
  • good quality paid and unpaid work.
  • access to assets such as wealth and capital and the resources that enable people to participate in the economy such as good health and education.
  • a balanced value ascribed across sectors such as female dominated sectors and the non-monetary economy.
 

Housing and Community

Everyone has access to:

  • a home that is affordable, energy efficient, high quality, and provides access to private outdoor space.
  • a variety of housing types, sizes and tenancies to meet the needs of the community. And of a sufficient density to sustain existing or future local facilities, services and amenities.
  • a home that is designed and built to meet need and demand, is adaptable to changing needs and includes accessible/wheelchair standard housing.
  • new homes that are located and designed to provide high levels of climate resilience and use sustainable materials and construction methods.
  • homes that are designed to promote community cohesion.
Civic

Identity and Belonging

Everyone can benefit from a place that has a positive identity, culture and history, where people feel like they belong and are able to participate and interact positively with others.

 

Feeling Safe

Everyone feels safe and secure in their own home and their local community taking account of the experience of different population groups.

Stewardship

Care and Maintenance

Everyone has access to:

  • buildings, spaces and routes that are well cared for in a way that is responsive to the needs and priorities of local communities.
  • good facilities for recycling and well organised refuse storage and collection.
 

Influence and Control

Everyone is empowered to be involved a place in which:

  • local outcomes are improved by effective collaborations between communities, community organisations and public bodies.
  • decision making processes are designed to involve communities as equal partners.
  • community organisations co-produce local solutions to issues.
  • communities have increased influence over decisions.
  • democratic processes are developed to be accessible to all citizens.

Each outcome takes account of the needs of different populations groups such as the following:

  • Older people, children and young people
  • Women, men (including trans men and women and issues relating to pregnancy and maternity)
  • Disabled people (including physical disability, learning disability, sensory impairment, cognitive impairment, long term medical conditions, mental health problems)
  • Minority ethnic people (including Gypsy/Travellers, non-English speakers)
  • Refugees & asylum seekers
  • People with different religions or beliefs
  • Lesbian, gay, bisexual and heterosexual people
  • People who are unmarried, married or in a civil partnership
  • People living in poverty/ people of low income
  • Homeless people
  • People involved in the criminal justice system
  • People with low literacy/numeracy
  • People in remote, rural and/or island locations
  • Carers (including parents, especially lone parents; and elderly carers)
  • Staff (including people with different work patterns e.g. part/full time, short term, job share, seasonal)
Want to find out more? Get in touch with us

If you are looking at place-based approaches, or if the Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme sounds like something you would like to know more about, please contact Irene Beautyman, Place and Wellbeing Partnership Lead, below or follow us on X (Twitter) @place4wellbeing to keep up to date with all of our latest news

Irene Beautyman

Irene Beautyman - Place and Wellbeing Partnership Lead

Phone: 07908 930763

Email: placeandwellbeing@improvementservice.org.uk