American neighborhoods have declined over the past few decades, contributing to rising isolation, mistrust, and polarization. Weaker social ties are leading to greater depression, anxiety, addiction, suicide, and alienation. Moreover, during the past 50 years, the number of high-poverty neighborhoods has tripled and the population of poor people in these neighborhoods has doubled, even as spending on welfare has soared. And yet, there are few systematic efforts to bolster neighborhoods. The role of institutions is key to reviving a neighborhood. The way these institutions structure—or fail to structure—relationships at the neighborhood and interneighborhood level affects the vitality of each locale and the well-being of everyone living there.

With the growing global mental health crisis, this event is dedicated to fostering insightful discussions, exploring innovative approaches, and understanding the evolving landscape of mental wellness in our community. We will bring together diverse perspectives exploring the future of design for mental health through the lens of programs, place, and tech. We will break down silos, charting a transdisciplinary path forward to cultivate meaningful change and provide a context for future design and research.

Where we live, work, play, and learn impacts our social health and how connected we are as a society

As cities invest in infrastructure, design for social and community well-being benefits everyone

Design guidelines for social health can be created with PANACHe

“There is a serious skills shortage in many countries, which has been part of the reason a lot of businesses have gone all in on offering employees flexibility. This raises an interesting question about where the duty of care lies in terms of employers being responsible for their employees’ wellbeing. Is an area you’ve looked into, and what are your thoughts are about how that dynamic is playing out?”…

Children with adverse childhood events may have increased sensitivities and struggle to self-regulate.

Thoughtfully designed school environments can help children soothe themselves and cope with triggers.

Trauma-informed design can help all children—not just those who have undergone trauma.

Author and architect, Erin Peavey, discusses ways to find a support system and combat feelings of loneliness.

Our digital and physical workplaces can support or inhibit our brain health.

Our reliance on single office workstations can reduce our effectiveness and render us less active and adaptive.

Creating a range of spaces provides people choice, allowing them to fit their place of work for the type of work they are doing.

"I think a lot of the beautiful traditional forms of architecture over the centuries, really, [have] responded to the natural environment of that area. And they responded to the people and their needs. And I think in so many different areas of life, right now, we're going back to understanding this wisdom that we used to have, that we sort of talked ourselves out of, and I hope that the built environment can be a part of that," said Peavey.

"It doesn't actually have to cost more, it just needs to be designed mindfully."

John Oliver discusses environmental racism, how both government and industry are failing people of color, and pandas. Featuring the Floral Farms community, where Shingle Mountain once stood 6 stories high.

Park for Floral Farms won honorable mention in the general excellence category of Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards honors the broadest ideas, whether they’re new government policies, new business models, or entirely new consumer categories. Anything that has the potential to effect true systems change or solve wicked problems.

The new park would replace the vacant lot of about 4 acres, where the notorious Shingle Mountain once stood. Shingle Mountain was the 100,000-ton pile of hazardous waste that loomed over the community for three years. Residents said it “stood as a vivid reminder of their worth to the city.”

‘A place of community and healing’: This Dallas architect led park design for Shingle Mountain site .

‘Together we can move mountains’ is the motto of the park — and of Erin Peavey’s effort to ensure that the Floral Farms neighborhood got the proposal it envisioned.

Struggling to balance it all? How to listen to your inner voice and redefine your worth.

Loneliness and social isolation are threatening millions of people; however, increasing connection can reduce risk.

The places we live can exacerbate our sense of isolation and loneliness.

Concrete design strategies—like universal accessibility, incorporation of nature, and shared spaces—can foster social health.

“done without being planned, organized, or rehearsed.”

In a new series of one on one talks, An Impromptu Discussion aims to re-instill the desire for spontaneous and critical discussion around architecture and design. An Impromptu Discussion will be held every two weeks, hosted by Michael Friebele in partnership with the Architecture and Design Exchange. In the spirit of being “impromptu,” there will be no prepared slides. Each session will cover a number of topics and interests with audience participation in shaping the discussion encouraged.

Designing on the Front Lines (DOTFL) is a series of online conversations organized by the Health Design Lab at Jefferson University School of Medicine with Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Twelve live sessions were recorded during Summer 2020, as Covid-19 spread to cities and rural areas around the United States and the world. In each episode, doctors, nurses, designers, architects, and other professionals discuss design as a weapon against Covid-19. Topics discussed include designing medical devices and PPE; addressing racism’s role in the pandemic; redesigning patient rooms and emergency departments; and creating new rituals for death and grieving. Delivered via Zoom, the conversations are moderated by Dr. Morgan Hutchinson and Dr. Matthew Fields, emergency physicians and faculty in the Health Design Lab.

In a time of hyper connection and communication, many of us report feeling lonely and detached, and there is strong evidence that this has a toxic effect on our health and happiness. This panel will discuss what’s driving increases in social isolation and loneliness (hint: it’s not just technology) and examine scalable strategies — some unexpected — that lead to social environments that promote meaningful connections. The trick is to think not only about places where communities are formed IRL, but the people who gather there and the shared experiences that keep them coming back. Huge opportunities await entrepreneurs who can leverage this knowledge to build a future marked by connections that boost our collective health.