Creating Great Places: Evidence-based Urban Design for Health and Wellbeing

This book provides a bold vision and roadmap for creating great places. Imagining and designing urban environments where all people thrive is an extraordinary task, and in this compelling narrative, Cushing and Miller remind us that theory is a powerful starting point. Drawing on international research, illustrated case studies, personal experiences, as well as fascinating examples from history and pop culture, this practical book provides the reader with inspiration, guidance and tools. The first section outlines six critical theories for contemporary urban design - affordance, prospect-refuge, personal space, sense of place/genius loci, place attachment, and biophilic design. The second section, using their innovative ‘theory-storming’ process, demonstrates how designers can create great places that are inclusive, sustainable, and salutogenic. Creating Great Places is an insightful, compelling, and evidence-based resource for readers who want to design urban environments that inspire, excite, and positively transform people’s lives.

Debra Flanders Cushing is Associate Professor in Landscape Architecture within the School of Design at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia. With expertise in landscape architecture and community planning, Debra worked as a design practitioner before focusing on teaching and research in academia. Debra is passionate about promoting evidence-based design within multi-disciplinary initiatives to create parks and urban environments that better support health and wellbeing for all people, especially children and youth.

Evonne Miller is Professor and Director of the QUT Design Lab in the School of Design at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia. Drawing on her background in environmental gerontology and design psychology, her research focuses on creating sustainable, inclusive and age-friendly places. Evonne has published widely in the fields of urban design, population ageing, climate change and sustainability, and is a passionate advocate for creative arts-based participatory research.