From Copenhagen to Gorton : Wellbeing, Spatial Justice and the Role of Urban Design

Sabbagh Gomez, Aissa and Boyko, Christopher and Cooper, Rachel (2025) From Copenhagen to Gorton : Wellbeing, Spatial Justice and the Role of Urban Design. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.

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Abstract

Spatial inequality cannot always be avoided, but it can be maintained or it can be mitigated. The continued support of unjust geographies can diminish wellbeing outcomes at neighbourhood level, exaggerating the effects of disparity and tensions within communities, leading to conflict between groups and eroding trust in institutional systems. This PhD research proposes that urban design has a role to play in reducing spatial injustice and increasing wellbeing at neighbourhood level in deprived and socially diverse communities. Despite extensive research on health impacts, little is known about the relationship between urban design and social interactions. Under the umbrella of a post-positivist stance and constructivist ontology, lived experiences of wellbeing and inequality at neighbourhood level were explored in two communities, Nørrebro in Copenhagen, and Gorton & Abbey Hey in Manchester, through semi-structured interviews of 22No. participants. These were analysed following the thematic model that integrates reflexive iterations, and data interpretation at the scales of micro, meso and macro perspectives. The analysis process culminated in the generation of three themes – Dynamic Values, Space to Meet, and Creative Dialogue. Based on this analysis, this research argues that the distribution of wellbeing in these communities is spatially structured, and that deprivation is maintained by wider institutional processes. It further proposes that, lessons from the production of exemplar public spaces in Copenhagen can have an application to mitigate and/or disrupt the patterns of unjust geographies in Gorton. This study concludes with two contributions to knowledge: a theoretical framework that calls for the production of public space to be driven by a balance of values, exposure and power; and a set of principles to be used by designers, policy makers and community leaders, to facilitate a creative dialogue amongst diverse user groups in the production of an urban space, that is democratic in both in its outcome and its design process. The work presented here offers a fresh perspective on the complex relationships between urban design, people, and governance. By addressing these aspects, this work has the potential to inform and influence the development of cities towards a more equitable, socially sustainable urban sphere that is conducive to promoting wellbeing in the community, particularly in deprived and diverse neighbourhoods.