Housing interventions, perceptions and the quality of the built environment

Housing interventions, perceptions, and the quality of the built environment

Multi-sensory design – creating healthier public spaces

Wouter Poortinga, Cardiff University

PoortingaW@Cardiff.ac.uk

@wouterpoortinga

•  Place Attachment

–  core research area of environmental psychology, including related concepts such as ‘sense of place’ and ‘place identity’

–  how individuals develop emotional bonds with physical surroundings (Low & Altman 1992; Manzo & Devine-Wright 2014)

•  Public Health –  place matters for wellbeing –  neighbourhood quality linked to better wellbeing, including

green spaces (Maas et al 2006) and CPTED (Cozens 2008)

•  Built Environment Studies –  what constitutes a good quality built environment? –  how is environment perceived?

Background

•  Place Attachment (PA) Research

–  “A dynamic field of research that has developed over the years with a wide variety of definitions and theoretical frameworks, as well as empirical studies on the origins, development and consequences of…“ (Lewicka 2013)

–  Elements that are good for health and wellbeing are also beneficial for place attachment (e.g. green spaces, defensible space)

–  Place attachment acts as mediator, moderator or covariate in link between built environment and wellbeing

–  Neighbourhood perceptions central to attachment

Place attachment

•  CHS = Welsh Housing Quality Standard +

–  investment programme of £138m in Carmarthenshire, housing improvements of 8,558 homes (2007-2015)

–  extensive tenant consultation about delivery and content of improvements

•  Intervention work elements: ü internal works (kitchens, bathrooms, heating system ü upgrades, electrical system upgrades); ü windows and doors (double glazing, locks etc); ü thermal insulation (walls and loft insulation); ü gardens and estates (fencing, paths)

Carmarthenshire Homes Standard (CHS)

Housing improvement programmes don’t only improve homes…

…they also have the potential to change the outlook of neighbourhoods, and act as a catalyst for wider neighbourhood

regeneration

Jones et al. (2016)

Carmarthenshire Homes Standard

Carmarthenshire Homes Standard

Revised Residential Environment Assessment Tool

REAT 2.0 ─  tool to measure of quality of

neighbourhood environment ─  mainly as a public health tool

(Dunstan et al 2005/2013) ─  poor quality NBH associated

with poor health

Dimensions ─  street-level & property level

x ─  neighbourhood condition ─  natural surveillance ─  natural elements

Street level Property level Condition (SL) Condition (PL)

Surveillance (SL) Surveillance (PL) Greenery (SL) Greenery (PL)

•  The Carmarthenshire Homes Standard NBHQ Study

–  part of major regeneration programme in Carmarthenshire

–  282 Postcodes assessed using REAT2.0

–  Wave 1: 30 May - 8 August 2012 –  Wave 2: 25 June - 6 August 2014

•  The Neighbourhood Perception Study

–  Postal survey sent to addresses in 279 postcodes (n=7,452)

–  Response rate 14% (n=1,054; from 243 Postcodes)

–  1 August – 30 September 2014

The Research

Housing intervention & neighbourhood quality

Neighbourhood quality, perceptions & attachment

cf. Preacher & Hayes (2008)

•  REAT2.0 is a reliable, easy-to-use instrument to assess quality of the built environment

•  Housing intervention programme changes the outlook of neighbourhood

•  Certain features associated with neighbourhood attachment (natural elements and house maintenance)

•  Associations mediated by residents’ perceptions

•  Social features of neighbourhood more important for attachment and wellbeing than physical features

Conclusions

Wouter Poortinga, Cardiff University PoortingaW@Cardiff.ac.uk

@wouterpoortinga

Thank you!

Reserve slides

•  Residential Environment Assessment Tool (REAT) –  Developed at Cardiff University in 2001, as part of the

“Housing and Neighbourhood and Health” project

–  Provide measure of quality of neighbourhood environment

–  Mainly used as a public health tool (Dunstan et al 2005, 2013)

–  Poor quality NBH associated with poor health, after adjustment for neighbourhood deprivation

à But not all items reliable; lengthy (20-30 minutes per

Postcode); some items complex/ambiguous/non-intuitive

à Modularise the instrument to increase its versatility

The (original) REAT

Structure and Content of REAT2.0

Weather

Weather

Neighbourhood perceptions & wellbeing

Perceived physical features

Neighbourhood perceptions & wellbeing

Perceived social features