Place and Wellbeing Collaborative

We are a founding member of the Place and Wellbeing Collaborative.

Representatives from the Improvement Service, Public Health Scotland, Directors of Public Health, Heads of Planning Scotland, COSLA, and Health Improvement Managers who share the same ambition around promoting and supporting the impact of the places where live, work and relax on delivering the Triple Win. We are combining our expertise and evidence to:

  • Articulate the evidenced aspects of every place that enable health and wellbeing, the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes, and embed them into place-based approach decision making.
  • Develop a set of Place and Wellbeing indicators to monitor delivery of the Outcomes and undertake ongoing generation of evidence that supports them.
  • Promote the role of the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes as anchors for system change as embedded in the Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme.
  • Combine our evidence and expertise to inform national policy on the need for the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes to be given consistent national support when assessing the impact of plans and policy on place and wellbeing.
  • Promote the value of the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes when delivering places that support Scotland's local living neighbourhood ambition.
  • Embed and broaden links between planning, place, and health practitioners.

Our work so far

Integrating land use planning and public health in Scotland report cover

Place and Wellbeing: Integrating land use planning and public health in Scotland

The Place and Wellbeing Collaborative has recently updated its Place and Wellbeing: integrating land use planning and public health in Scotland briefing paper.

The briefing raises awareness of the impact that the places where people live, work and play have on their health and wellbeing. It provides practical guidance for land use planners, public health practitioners and policy makers to work together, using a whole systems approach to improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities. It introduces land use planners to the public health system and public health professionals to the planning system and outlines a number of key opportunities for more integrated working to realise shared ambitions.

Place and Wellbeing Outcome Indicators

With support from advisory workshops, expertise from topic experts and user consultation, the Place and Wellbeing Collaborate have drafted a core set of indicators that can be measured and reviewed over time to assess the contribution to the delivery of the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes locally.​ You can find the core set of indicators in this spreadsheet. Work continues to develop and expand these indicators as we learn how they are being applied.

Place and Wellbeing Outcomes: Evidence Briefings

As part of the work carried out on behalf of the Place and Wellbeing Collaborative, Public Health Scotland are currently working on a series of documents outlining the evidence behind each theme of the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes. This evidence can be used by policymakers and decision makers to provide plans and strategies with greater benefits that would support those experiencing inequalities.

The Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme are currently pulling together evidence behind each of the Place and Wellbeing Outcomes from their Project Towns.

Want to find out more? Get in touch

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.