This project seeks to transform a series of streets and spaces in Leith by prioritizing healthy lifestyles, social interaction, sustainable green spaces, carbon footprint, increased property value, improved security, while simultaneously ensuring the needs of the community are met. Importantly, the negative health effects of loneliness and social isolation are addressed. Additionally, the project seeks to address climate change and flooding by incorporating features such as rain gardens, and soft surfaces that absorb water.
Shayan Kamil
Leith Community Grove
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A former parking lot, repurposed as a community courtyard.
Project description
Phase 1
The project's first phase focuses on Zone 1 of Cadiz Street, which is currently used for car parking. This proposal aims to transform this space into a vibrant environment that serves the needs of the community, creating a people-centric, biophilic, common outdoor space.
Beyond Asphalt Streets
The way local transportation has been implemented at present has distorted the region’s urban environment. The emphasis on prioritizing cars has reshaped how we organize our life and transportation, and it has changed our understanding of a neighborhood. With the dominance of cars, our feeling of safety has declined, depression and loneliness has increased (Chatterton, 2019, p. 25), and as a consequence, social interaction is reduced; in summary, cars and streets have replaced formerly walkable and child-friendly spaces with extensive asphalt streets, roads, and parking lots. In turn, there is a loss of potential of informal social interaction, reducing social cohesion that may develop through spontaneous exchanges, interactions, and small talk with neighbours and community members (Chatterton).
Phase 2
The second phase of the project aims to redesign the surrounding streets, dedicating them to new, environmentally friendly means of transportation, for example, scooters and bikes. The shift is aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of the area and promoting healthier and more active modes of transport.
The scale of the spaces in red compared to the green spaces. The sparse green surfaces in this neighborhood are predominantly private ownership land or on a roof top of a building. As a result, they are mostly inaccessible to the neighbourhood and local residents. Therefore, they do not serve any purpose when it comes to creating a foundation for the potential of social interaction in the community and providing a green space for the community.
Health Impact: Addressing increasing isolation
The Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB) has warned that increasing loneliness and isolation is a growing problem, resulting in poorer mental wellbeing and negative mental health outcomes. In fact, twenty percent of consultations with primary care givers may be the consequence of social isolation, rather than strictly medical (Jopling, 2015). A growing body of research is demonstrating that one of the main causes of overall disease burden worldwide is due to mental health conditions, costing the global economy £1.6 trillion per year (Barton & Rogerson, 2017); a figure that has likely significantly grown.
As a result of increasing social isolation causing poorer mental health outcomes, we are finding a greater number of people suffering from depression (Jopling). In addition to depression, the risk of alcohol use disorders, chronic smoking, and obesity are significantly increased (Novotney, 2019). Dr. Holt-Lunstad of Bringham Young University warns that “social isolation and loneliness significantly increases risk for premature mortality.” (Novotney).
With that in mind, in 2018, the consultations for the Edinburgh Locality Plans emphasized that loneliness and isolation is a major issue for local populations. And as architects, one way to begin dealing with this problem is by creating neighbourhoods and spaces that encourage social interaction and cohesion, allowing communities to develop a greater social connectedness. In other words, architecture has the potential to set the stage for social interaction (Cutieru, 2020).
This project has created a common greenspace through a courtyard, laying the foundation for social encounters, community development, while also taking advantage of research that demonstrates the importance of greenspaces for mental health. As Barton & Rogerson argue, green spaces provide health services, environmental services, they facilitate better mental health and well-being while reducing socioeconomic health inequalities; biophilic design (increasing connectivity between nature and building spaces for the purpose of health and wellbeing of occupants) may provide a cost-effective public health intervention (Barton & Rogerson).
Phase 2
Salamander PI
Phase 2 of this project begins the transformation of streets into vibrant community spaces, making way for interaction points along the sides of roads and redesignating streets to prioritize sustainable modes of transportation, such as bikes, scooters, and public transit
The project location works as a biobridge to connect Leith Links to Leith docks; by increasing the green space, there is a continuity of biodiversity.
Awards
Shayan Kamil
Leith Community Grove
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