Places of Connection, Rest and Restoration | Keynote | Prof Allison Williams
$35
2021 Conference Recording
Free for Members
One of the better-known contributions made by health geographers to the study of health and place is therapeutic landscape theory. This theory brings together the natural, built, symbolic, spiritual and psycho-social elements of place for health, healing and renewal. A brief review of this theory will provide the foundation for best understanding the presentation of three case studies: (1) green spaces for university students under stress in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, (2) Bahamian yogic blue and green spaces for those seeking mental stillness, and (3) natural elements of the built environment for often isolated, housebound carer-workers who are both caring for an older family member and conducting paid work at home in Ontario, Canada.
Results confirm the important role nature plays in sustaining and restoring health and well-being, providing a range of social and cognitive benefits for users. A variety of qualitative and mixed methods research approaches are employed in these studies, illustrating an array of design options for therapeutic horticulture research. Policy and program implications are discussed before new research directions are suggested.