Going into its second year, the NLA Expert Panel on Wellbeing continued to meet, discuss and explore issues related to wellbeing standards within the built environment and the role of design in delivering healthy places that make a positive difference to the emotional, mental and physical health of Londoners. 

As London emerged from COVID-19, patterns in lifestyle changed in the wake of the pandemic. The built environment needed to respond to ensure we could live, work and play in healthy places. In 2022 the Wellbeing panel explored a diverse range of subjects from space standards and pocket living to healthy buildings and communities. Whilst passionate and informed discussions were held across the year, supported by guest speakers, it was the final panel session of the year where the group arrived at the consensus that London required a dedicated wellbeing standard of its own as opposed to navigating the many and varied standards in existence.
 

Mass urbanisation is having a dramatic effect on wellbeing, particularly as new housing stock materialises in the form of high-rise apartments and it has therefore never been more vital for us to rethink how we plan and build the city and deliver wellbeing at the same time. 

 

London’s built environment is however more than just homes; it is our high streets, workplaces and green spaces which collectively promote and encourage healthy outcomes and a healthy population. With climate change set to increasingly disrupt our cities, this panel will continue to explore how we future-proof our building stock to mitigate the effects of climate change on wellbeing. How do we ensure our buildings are healthy and sustainable and capable of supporting current and future citizens? 

 

The year ahead will see this panel deep-dive into a well-being standard for London, a framework against which effective well-being can be measured and delivered within the built environment.