A city with infrastructures designed to influence behavior needs to be complemented with other elements to make people act sustainably. Through frictions in the most common infrastructures, we can create present individuals who make sustainable choices for their own well-being, their fellow humans, and their planet.
"Sustainable Wellbeing" is a concept that I have begun to define, based on the intersection of subjective experience, architecture, and urban planning. It refers to a state where we acknowledge that our own experiences are interconnected with those of others and the environment, promoting personal well-being within a holistic sustainable framework.
It allows for everyday design solutions that nurture new sustainable values, habits, and behaviors, promoting well-being and increased awareness and a desire for behavior change in line with sustainability.
As philosopher Richard Lang observed, just as we require our lungs to breathe, we also require the air and its constituent molecules. Our perception of this interconnectedness varies with our perspective. From a first-person viewpoint, we are distinctly "here," but as we zoom out, we discover connections to our family, community, and sometimes even the planet—this is our existence "there." Conversely, when we zoom in, we find ourselves composed of cells, molecules, and eventually empty space, much like the objects around us. Defining "you" at this scale becomes even more complex. These diverse perspectives of zooming in and out illustrate our interconnectedness, even from our individual viewpoints.
Collage Attention Bachelor Project
Umeå City