Community Co-Design of Public Spaces Boosts Active Lifestyles
Involving residents in the design and implementation of public open space interventions significantly increases their potential to promote active living.
BMC Public Health · 2017
Key Findings
- 01Community participation in the design process led to the creation of more relevant and appealing public spaces.
- 02The co-designed interventions were associated with an increase in active living behaviours among residents.
Application
Design takeaway
Integrate community members as active co-creators in the design process for public spaces intended to promote health and well-being.
How to apply
When designing or redesigning public parks, playgrounds, or streetscapes in urban areas, conduct workshops and focus groups with local residents to gather input and co-develop design solutions.
Project actions
- 01Clearly define the scope of community involvement from the outset.
- 02Utilize diverse methods to engage different segments of the community.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Emphasizes genuine community partnership.
- +Focuses on a tangible environmental intervention.
Limitations
It can be challenging to get consistent participation from all community members, and their ideas might not always be feasible within budget or technical constraints.
Reliability & validity
The study's validity is strengthened by its focus on a real-world intervention and its use of a participatory approach. Reliability might be a concern due to the complexity of measuring behavioural changes in a community setting and potential variations in intervention implementation.
Think critically
How might the 'deprived' nature of the neighbourhood influence the types of interventions that are feasible and desirable, and how can designers ensure equitable participation?
Design Principles
"Empower communities to shape their environments for improved health outcomes."
This approach ensures that interventions are relevant, desirable, and usable by the target community, leading to greater adoption and sustained engagement. It shifts the focus from top-down planning to collaborative creation, fostering a sense of ownership and efficacy among residents.
What This Means for Your Design
If you want to design a park that people will actually use for sports or walking, you should ask the people who live nearby what they want and help them design it.
How to use in your project
- 1.Reference this study when justifying the use of user research and co-design methods in your design project.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
(2017). Move the Neighbourhood: Study design of a community-based participatory public open space intervention in a Danish deprived neighbourhood to promote active living. BMC Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4423-4 Retrieved from https://designdex.org/study/99607f9b-69d0-415c-879c-f56ef6813ea9/community-co-design-of-public-spaces-boosts-active-lifestyles
Paragraph starter
This design project adopts a user-centred approach, recognizing that the most effective interventions are those developed in collaboration with the intended users. As demonstrated by research such as Pawlowski et al. (2017), community-based participatory design of public spaces can significantly enhance their utility and impact on promoting active lifestyles, suggesting that direct user involvement leads to more relevant and adopted solutions.
Source
BMC Public Health
Move the Neighbourhood: Study design of a community-based participatory public open space intervention in a Danish deprived neighbourhood to promote active living
journal · 2017
View sourceQuestions about this research
- What does the research say about community co-design of public spaces boosts active lifestyles?
- Integrate community members as active co-creators in the design process for public spaces intended to promote health and well-being. Evidence: BMC Public Health (2017).
- Why does "Community Co-Design of Public Spaces Boosts Active Lifestyles" matter for design?
- This approach ensures that interventions are relevant, desirable, and usable by the target community, leading to greater adoption and sustained engagement. It shifts the focus from top-down planning to collaborative creation, fostering a sense of ownership and efficacy among residents.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Integrate community members as active co-creators in the design process for public spaces intended to promote health and well-being.
- What were the main findings?
- Community participation in the design process led to the creation of more relevant and appealing public spaces.. The co-designed interventions were associated with an increase in active living behaviours among residents.
- What research method was used?
- Community-based participatory research (CBPR).
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2017 journal from BMC Public Health.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing or redesigning public parks, playgrounds, or streetscapes in urban areas, conduct workshops and focus groups with local residents to gather input and co-develop design solutions.
- What are the limitations?
- Generalizability to other socio-economic contexts may vary; long-term sustainability of behavioural changes requires ongoing support.
- Is there evidence that public spaces affects design outcomes?
- When communities actively participate in designing their local public spaces, those spaces are more likely to be used for physical activity. This approach ensures that interventions are relevant, desirable, and usable by the target community, leading to greater adoption and sustained engagement. It shifts the focus fro Source: BMC Public Health (2017).
- Where does this community research apply?
- Urban planning, public health, community development It sits within user-centred design research on designdex.org.
Related research topics
public spaces design research · evidence on public spaces · does public spaces improve design outcomes · community studies for designers · public spaces and community findings · user-centred design research evidence