It is important for people to feel at home in their neighbourhood as that contributes to their well-being (Kuurne & Goméz, 2019). However, essential services in our neighbourhoods, such as housing, care and welfare, are under pressure. From the establishment of the ‘participation society’ onwards (Van Campen & Olsthoorn, 2022), citizens have been facing increasing responsibilities, tasks and activities in these fields. This can be justified in light of demographic developments - population ageing in particular – and financial challenges, that inform political and policy choices. Professional support is becoming more and more scarce. At the same time, trust in societal organisations is declining. An important and relevant transition in this light is the change from intramural to extramural care. An example that foregrounds the changes in housing and care for older adults is the closure of so-called residential care homes and the emphasis on ageing in place.
In this context, it is important to collaborate on finding (sometimes radical) solutions for complex societal problems in the fields of housing, care and welfare. Here, it is important to take local socio-spatial characteristics into account. Therefore, we focus on a specific place in thie Bachelorproject: the municipality of Noordenveld, and specifically the town of Roden. Roden has almost 15,000 inhabitants and is located 15 km southeast of the city of Groningen. In the ‘Neighbourhood 2040’ project (Wijk 2040) in Roden, different organisations work together with inhabitants on finding solutions for societal challenges in relation to the availability and accessibility of housing, care and welfare – focusing on creating a positive neighbourhood together. To achieve this, it is essential that residents (continue to) feel at home in their neighbourhood. Health Hub Roden facilitates Wijk2040 and has commissioned this Bachelorproject.
The central theme of this Bachelorproject is sense of place (Kyle et al., 2004): what are important places and services in the neighbourhood, for residents and professionals in housing, care and welfare? The goal of this Bachelorproject is to: 1) get insight into important (types of) places in different neighbourhoods in Roden/ Noordenveld, for different target groups; 2) analyse the development of the socio-spatial and demographic composition of neighbourhoods in Roden/ Noordenveld, in light of the changes in housing, care and welfare.
In this project, a wealth of topics and methods are possible. Target groups can include but are not limited to children/ young people, older adults, parents with young children, dog owners, and people engaging in outdoor sports in the neighbourhood. Potential topics and theoretical angles include the role of social infrastructure, or informal meeting places, in the neighbourhood (Yarker, 2019); social cohesion, or social relations between people in the neighbourhood (social capital) (Hoogerbrugge & Burger, 2018); place-attachment, with a focus on why and how people feel at home in the neighbourhood (Van Hees et al., 2018); the role of places for physical activity in health and well-being in the neighbourhood (Kepper et al., 2019); everyday mobility in the neighbourhood (Meijering, 2021; van Hoven & Meijering, 2019). Methods can include qualitative methods, such as go-along interviews (Carpiano, 2009), in-depth interviews, or focus group discussions; spatial methods including the use of Maptionnaire; or quantitative methods with use of LifeLines data.
This Bachelorproject is commissioned by Health Hub Roden, an NGO located in the village of Roden. The Health Hub is an inspiring open space where companies, institutions and students work together across disciplines and sectors. They challenge each other in creating, developing and implementing (innovative) applications and health-technical solutions. The goal of the Health Hub is to enable a meaningful existence for residents in their own living environment. The Health Hub considers this Bachelorproject a success when it has resulted in new knowledge and images of those socio-spatial characteristics that impact the transition towards care and welfare in the neighbourhood. The results should inform, inspire and prioritise focus areas in the Neighbourhood 2040 project.