ABSTRACT
In the aftermath of the collapse of modernism, built environment professionals distanced themselves from anything that might be labelled ‘environmental determinism’, and urban design texts from the 1970s to the 1990s say precious little about improving human health and wellbeing. The term ‘flourishing’ is drawn from positive psychology, which suggests that the concept not only encompasses satisfaction with life, happiness, and positive psychological function, but that individuals are free to develop and reach their potential. Urban designers, Forsyth observes, have been active in working on healthy built environments, for example drawing on cognate expertise in sustainability. However, there are still huge gaps in knowledge, and urban design would benefit from ‘appreciating the importance of individual and collective behaviours’. The term was the central focus of the ‘Space to Flourish Charter’ drawn up at an international symposium on design for wellbeing in the built environment, organized by Prof. Libby Burton.
