The last twenty years have witnessed an important movement in the aspirations of public policy beyond meeting merely material goals towards a range of outcomes captured through the use of the term 'wellbeing'. Nonetheless, the concept of wellbeing is itself ill-defined, a term used in multiple different contexts with different meanings and policy implications. Bringing together a range of perspectives, this volume examines the intersections of wellbeing and place, including immediate applied policy concerns as well as more critical academic engagements. . Conceptualisations of place, context and settings have come under critical examination, and more nuanced and varied understandings are drawn out from both academic and policy-related research. Whilst quantitative and some policy approaches treat place as a static backdrop or context, others explore the interrelationships of emotional, social, cultural and experiential meanings that are both shape place and are shaped in place. Similarly, wellbeing may be understood as a relatively stable and measurable entity or as a more situation-dependent and relational effect. The book is structured into two sections: essays that explore the dynamics that determine wellbeing in relation to place and essays that explore contested understandings of wellbeing both empirically and theoretically.

About the Author
Sarah Atkinson, Dr, Associate Director, Centre for Medical Humanitites, Durham University, UK, Sara Fuller, Centre for Medical Humanitites, Durham University, UK and Joe Painter, Centre for Medical Humanitites, Durham University, UK.

Reviews
'This edited collection brings together some novel, and at times challenging, new insights into the dynamics that determine wellbeing in relation to place. The theoretical and empirical contributions offered by both new and leading researchers from different disciplinary and policy perspectives, ensure that this volume will be of interest to a wide range of researchers and practitioners working in the field.' Christine Milligan, Lancaster University, UK 'The term "wellbeing" is increasingly appearing in policy and scholarship. This excellent collection of essays is therefore timely. The contributors offer an unrivalled depth of reflection and diversity of perspectives on the ways that place is integral to wellbeing's development and experience.' Robin Kearns, University of Auckland, New Zealand 'Wellbeing and Place is a wonderfully wide-ranging examination of two increasingly important policy concepts. This must-read collection offers a critical analysis of mainstream approaches to wellbeing, and shows convincingly how wellbeing and space are linked insolubly. This book takes our understandings of wellbeing in new and exciting directions.' Tim Schwanen, University of Oxford, UK 'The book will be vital reading for those assessing the legacy of regional planning under New Labour, whether their core interest is within England or beyond.' Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design



Book Information
ISBN 9781138254749
Author Sara Fuller
Format Paperback
Page Count 274
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 403g