(As a Mental and Emotional Health advocate, in this article I have shared my findings for happiness and well-being of an individual through his/her natural development stages, regardless of his/her circumstances or place they live in)
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“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” -Jane Jacobs
Acts of civil disobedience are demands for the right to the city; they show that people want to be involved in the decisions that impact their communities. And this right to participate has been shown to be directly related to human happiness and well-being. Placemaking, by solidifying the links between people and their shared places, can enable us to stitch our cities back together. When we feel connected to a space, we are more likely to experience our connection to others within that space.
“Everyone has the right to live in a great place. More importantly, everyone has the right to contribute to making the place where they already live great.” -Fred Kent, Project for Public Spaces
Creating more diverse places is important, but the way to do this is not to focus directly on diversity; diversity itself is a goal, not a tool. To get there, we must develop mechanisms and processes that make people of all backgrounds feel welcome, as co-creators, in the making of places. Placemaking can bring people together and create a sense of shared ownership for a city and its public spaces by giving people their rights that they deserve and also freedom of voice in the city and where they live. The right to the city is right to create, to participate, to be represented – it is the right to see oneself reflected in the place they live. (Project for Public Spaces: Equitable Placemaking – Not the End, but the Means)
So, in order to ensure health and happiness of citizens in the city we must provide them with opportunities to feel, to be seen, to be heard, and to express authentically. And the way Peacemakers Pakistani believe; it is achievable, is by focusing on human age, interests and requirements and providing facilities accordingly. Human beings interests vary with age & energy how they want to invest in & to what brings them joy. Let’s go through the needs and demands of citizens according to their age. (Mentioning here, that it is one way of looking at things and can be a starting point to dive in the complexities of shared living and human oriented spaces)
Infants & Toddlers (0-2 years old) are dependent on parent’s help for mobility (prams, stumping, holding hands). They need separate circulation from traffic and we must avoid level difference or provide proper manoeuvring space, a peaceful area & levelled surface, also play areas. Pre-Schoolers (3-5 years old) are super active & responsive, like to explore & discover, and are playful & unbound. They need play areas with equipment, spaces for interaction and for activities, art & crafts & connection with nature.
Children (6-7 years old) are thinkers, they enjoy slow process of activity, have calmed, disciplined & focused interests. They need disciplined activity zones for arts, reading & story-telling and also opportunities and activities for thinking & reflecting. Children (8-12 years old) demand freedom of playing, sports, as they are adventurous, new equipment to play with & brag about attracts them and they love friends time. They need open fields & multi-purpose spaces, opportunities to explore & streets play, also activities of arts & play.
Youth (13-25 years old) are energetic, vigorous, active, adventurous, and they talk loud. They need space for active sports with spectators, informal work activities, food points & interactive spaces. Adults (26-40 years old) require a place to relax alone or with family. They need connection with nature, family time spaces & activities. Elders (41 years above) need place to rest & talk & tell stories to kids or friends or else read newspaper. Thus, they need sitting spaces around nature or people, and we must avoid level difference or provide proper manoeuvring space.
If we create spaces while considering these interests, needs and requirements of humans and provide something for everyone, we can have places with great vibrancy and human involvement. Having such spaces conveys a message through non-visual perception of inclusion that all humans are welcomed in a place, regardless of gender, race or any difference. Such acceptance and opportunity to express one’s personal desires and needs in spaces, ensures happiness and well-being of individual and this leads to their active participation in the places they live in and inspires sense of ownership for their place, city and country. This leads to happy healthy individuals and thus a healthy nation and ensures development and progress of a country on the whole.
Placemaking not only allows acceptance and well-being of oneself but for other living beings and nature as well. And it is achievable through practice and continuous involvement of users in the community projects, that’s how we learn about needs and demands of people. Susan Silberberg, in her article, “Places in the Making” put it forward truly: “In placemaking, the important transformation happens in the mind of participants, not simply in the space itself. … The iterative actions and collaboration inherent in the making of places nourish communities and empower people.” And this must be the goal of making things happen and making change happen, not only in a place, but at individual level as well. Here, we have a introduction video about the part we are playing for Placemaking Movement in Pakistan.
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