ABSTRACT
This chapter presents stock of the contemporary pressures on and expectations of the relationship between people and place in cities, and draws attention to future challenges for those who study cities and those who rely on an evidence-base for policies and practice. It explores the pressures on people; and finally it reflects on some of the ambitions for people–place relationships in a 21st-century city. Chronic stresses weaken the fabric of a city on a day-to-day or cyclical basis. The idea of well-being and its essential components vary across disciplines, but objective measures of well-being consistently include: physical, psychological, and emotional health; social connectivity and engagement; participation in employment; and economic security. A key recommendation to all city-makers is to ensure that people–place relationships are one of the key drivers for urban planning, design, and management, rather than simply viewing them as good outcomes of a successful process.
