Making Place international conference takes place in Glasgow

Architecture and Design Scotland is participating in the first international conference on place and the Place Standard in partnership NHS Health Scotland, with the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the Scottish Government.  

Aileen Campbell MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government, will formally welcome delegates to Scotland and the Lord Provost of Glasgow, Eva Bolander will also provide a city welcome followed by a special performance from the Govanhill-based Big Noise orchestra, a community music programme for nursery and primary school children.

The places in which we live and work impact on our health. A place-based approach is therefore crucial to addressing the fundamental causes of health inequalities and improving health for everyone. Scotland is emerging as a world leader on this, not least as the designer and developer of the ‘Place Standard Tool’.

The tool, which is used internationally, was developed in Scotland to support communities to assess and design their own places. Delegates from across Europe will come together to explore and learn new ways of using such place-based approaches and build on the success of the Place Standard Tool.

NHS Health Scotland Chair, David Crichton, will chair the morning session of the conference, ‘Making Place’, and will launch a new online Place Standard Learning Resource to further support the implementation of the Place Standard Tool across communities. The afternoon session will be chaired by Mark Beaumont, record-breaking long-distance British cyclist, adventurer, broadcaster, documentary maker and author. 

David Crichton, Chair, NHS Health Scotland, said: 

“Where we spend our time, live and work shapes our experiences and relationships. These places impact on our physical and mental health.

"We all have a right to the highest attainable standard of health and it is crucial that communities everywhere are empowered to shape the physical, social and economic environments that support this."

"That’s why, with partners, we developed the Place Standard Tool and we are delighted to be sharing our work on this with other public health and place experts across Europe.”

Aileen Campbell MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government said: 

“Place is where people, location and resources combine to create a sense of identity and purpose, which is at the heart of addressing the needs and realising the full potential of communities.

“A place-based approach is crucial to addressing our public health priorities, helping to improve physical and mental wellbeing by empowering people to shape their local environments.

“I am delighted to see our innovative Place Standard tool being recognised internationally, and I look forward to collaborating with experts across Europe to build on this success and explore new approaches to place-making here in Scotland.”

Jim MacDonald, Chief Executive, Architecture and Design Scotland said:

“It is clear from the evidence that the quality of the places where we live, learn and work has a major impact on our health and wellbeing.

"Architecture and Design Scotland works to ensure that people in Scotland are involved in decisions that affect their places."

"The Place Standard has been designed to support people of all ages to do this and to measure the experience of a place. This approach promotes improvement, empowerment and a healthier built environment.”