Therapeutic landscape experiences of everyday geographies within the wider community: A scoping review

Abstract

As community dwelling populations of older people and those living with chronic and life limiting conditions continue to grow, the role of everyday geographies, particularly of community based settings and activities, in supporting health and wellbeing has become a focus in both research and policy development. The therapeutic landscape scholarship provides a holistic view of how place promotes health and wellbeing, and has in recent years expanded its focus from reputable places of healing to everyday geographies. Based on a scoping review of 45 studies on everyday community based therapeutic landscapes, this paper identifies and critically examines the settings, populations and mechanisms of therapeutic experiences. It presents critical summaries of the scales and boundaries of landscapes; the diverse and dichotomous characteristics of places; the therapeutic benefits of proximal and distal socio-spatial interactions; the role of everyday settings and activities as sources of refuge, anchor and resonance and finally the broader social, cultural, political and economic contexts in which everyday therapeutic landscapes are embedded. In so doing the paper highlights the complex nature of everyday therapeutic landscape experiences and how this research can further inform the development of community based settings and activities that promote health and wellbeing. It also identifies areas for future research on everyday therapeutic landscapes.