Feeling good in People's House Absalon, Copenhagen: An enabling neighborhood gathering place

Abstract

This paper focuses on urban micro public space and examines the intricate indoor environment through users’ experiences. Although studies have revealed the role of public spaces in facilitating social encounters and relationships, further empirical work and place-specific analyses are required for an in-depth understanding of how everyday places work in the context of wellbeing. Grounding in assemblage thinking, this study employs participant observation and 18 semi-structured interviews to explore the socio-material setting and enabling properties of the former church-turned neighborhood gathering place, People's House Absalon (Folkehuset Absalon) in Copenhagen. Though privately owned, rich public life takes place there every day, which shapes positive human experiences. The unique combination of price strategy, opening hours, and interior material setting appeals to wider generations and allows people to conduct everyday tasks in attendance with others. Simple co-presence in the shared context is considered the most valuable experience by the daytime users. It is associated with gentle feel-good moments, from which various levels of restorative benefits are attained at the user's own pace. However, personal preferences, geographical distance, and free time-related conditions signify a complex pathway to be “in” the place to exploit its wellbeing value. Therefore, further empirical work is encouraged to see beyond neighborhood enabling places as a single entity isolated from people's routinized practices.