Prosocial Place is a synthesis of research into the psychological mechanisms of wellbeing and the quality of urban environments. The idea has grown from a concern that despite decades of design policy and guidance in the built-environment, we continue to deliver poorly performing places (CABE 2008), with exceptionally low social wellbeing within many new and existing communities. The effect of this is the creation and maintenance of unsustainable communities and places that perpetuate this cycle of failure.
Prosocial Place proposes the refocus of design policy towards social wellbeing as the key outcome for any place. The programme aims to provide an informed understanding urban living that will guide the way we design, develop and manage places. Prosocial Place aspires to a culture change that promotes the creation of benign city environments through cooperation and knowledge exchange.