The Healthy Communities Research Network explores the social, spatial, and policy dimensions of community health and wellbeing.
Our research focuses on three interconnected themes: healthy places and spaces, social connection, and policy and practice with overlapping focus areas that include placemaking for social infrastructure, planning for belonging, and designing healthy communities. Projects are grounded in qualitative inquiry, community collaboration, and a commitment to social relevance.
Healthy places and spaces
We study how physical environments, such as parks, public spaces, and neighbourhoods, shape experiences of place, belonging, and meaning.
Drawing on humanistic place theory and critical spatial theory (e.g., Lefebvre’s spatial triad), we examine how people interact with space and how placemaking practices influence wellbeing.
Our work often explores how design, planning, and everyday use contribute to inclusive or exclusionary experiences of place.
Social connection
We study how physical environments, such as parks, public spaces, and neighbourhoods, shape experiences of place, belonging, and meaning.
Drawing on humanistic place theory and critical spatial theory (e.g., Lefebvre’s spatial triad), we examine how people interact with space and how placemaking practices influence well-being.
Our work often explores how design, planning, and everyday use contribute to inclusive or exclusionary experiences of place.
Policy and practice
We bridge theory and action through community-based planning, program evaluation, and applied policy research.
Collaborating with municipalities, nonprofits, and practitioners, we investigate how recreation, public participation, and planning systems can support livable and healthy communities.
Our projects often inform practice and aim to improve public policy and community outcomes.
These three pillars do not operate in isolation. Much of our work explores their intersections. For example:
- How do place-based policies shape social infrastructure?
- How does placemaking reduce loneliness?
- How does community engagement improve the design of public spaces?
At the core of these intersections is our enduring focus on advancing healthy communities: environments in which people feel connected, supported, and empowered to thrive.