The Improvement Service’s Planning for Place Programme provides specific support to councils and their partners to collaborate in place-based approaches to joint planning, resourcing and delivery of places that enable all communities to flourish.
Why place matters?
Scotland faces significant inequalities, while navigating through the social and economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and the climate crisis. We are now faced with an opportunity to create what we call a 'triple win' where our places enhance the wellbeing of our planet and our people while reducing inequalities.
Every place is a different blend of physical, social, and economic characteristics and needs that interact and influence each other. A successful place allows its communities to thrive. We need to ensure that our interventions to improve one of these characteristics don’t have unintended negative consequences on another which will push people further into poverty or negatively impact the planet.
What do we mean by place, placemaking and place-based work?
Place
Place is the geographic area or physical environment where people of different ages, population groups, interests, and identity live, learn, work, socialise and interact. The quality of social relationships and connections within communities and places all impact on health with positive relationships nurturing health and wellbeing.
Placemaking
Placemaking is best understood as the interaction between the physical and economic environment around us and its impact on the people who live, work and learn within that environment (the social environment). This relationship affects different ages, geographic communities, and population groups in different ways. Therefore, interventions should be designed in collaboration with public, voluntary, business sectors and communities.
Place-based work
Place-based work is founded on the understanding that health and the right to a healthy and sustainable environment are basic human rights and that the social, economic, and physical environment are building blocks of good health and wellbeing.
If you are looking to take a place-based approach, or if you want to know more about the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes, please get in touch at PlaceandWellbeing@improvementservice.org.uk, or follow us on X @PlaceNetworkSco to keep up to date with all of our latest news.
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Place Network
For those interested in the importance of place as a working approach to delivering national outcomes around improved wellbeing and inclusive growth.
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Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme
The Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme is a joint delivery partnership between the Improvement Service and Public Health Scotland. This forum is for those interested in our work supporting the role of place to reduce inequality and improve the wellbeing of people and planet.