Designing for wellbeing

uses and to share local knowledge. The design interventions had a key
role in creating social wellbeing that enabled the introduction of locals
to locals, and brought forth the power of individuals and local groups to
the rest of the community.
Intervening in suburban areas using social design and participatory
approaches helps to break the ice between people and create a shared
space where strangers become familiar. Moreover, designing for wellbeing
through design interventions can help to map and test what kind of activities
can be carried out in neighbourhoods and how people from different
communities can contribute to them. For example, children and youth
together with seniors can have a role in producing cultural activities that
create wellbeing in neighbourhoods.
Designers can have a key role in initiating actions, activating places and
engaging citizens. They can facilitate events, situations and spontaneous
interactions and they can make local knowledge visible. Designers have
the potential to become like social workers, enabling people with design
methods, tools and approaches to make things happen. Furthermore, they
can create design strategies for suburban wellbeing. Above all, designers
make things and they make things happen, they create environments
where experiences take place and which can be told and explored later.
Designers can have an essential role in revitalising places and communities.
With stronger synergy and collaboration between design universities,
neighbourhoods and the public sector there could be the beginning of a
truly social design application, embedding design for wellbeing in our
everyday urban life.
124 · Design interventions for wellbeing in neighbourhoods