Theraputic Landscapes

Introduction

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Instructions

Introduction:

Health Geographers are interested in the relationship between health and place. The idea of a ‘therapeutic landscape’ was put forward by Wil Gesler in the early 1990s to get geographers to think about and understand how the healing process works itself out in particular places. Some geographers have thought about places like Bath where the water is said to have health properties. Others have examined places like Lourdes which is also believed to have particular qualities that result in healing. Many healing places are associated with water. Beyond these very clear relationships between health and particular places, there are certain types of places that we also associate with health (and illness) such as hospitals, doctor’s surgeries and so on. These places are interesting for their location but also their layout. Most hospitals in this country are architecturally similar.

In this project, you will be exploring the relationship between health and place in Keswick. Many people visit Keswick on holiday and while they are not necessarily ill, we all use holidays as a form of recuperation from the stresses and strains of daily life. You need to explore Keswick then to consider how it might be viewed as a therapeutic landscape by both locals and tourists.

Instructions:

• Work in groups of 3 or 4
• Make sure everyone is involved and contributes to your discussions
• Undertake a survey of the whole town in order to prepare a ‘map’ of Keswick as a therapeutic landscape.
• Prepare a case study diagram of ONE location or place that your group consider to be therapeutic
• Prepare a presentation of your findings

Activities:

1. Walk around Keswick and its suburbs, think about how the ‘landscape’ might be considered to be therapeutic. Consider the place from the perspective of different groups of people (men, women, young, old, disabled, able-bodied, tourist, local etc.) Prepare a map of your findings. You should try to think innovatively about your map and how you present your findings.

2. Select ONE place that your group agree to be a therapeutic landscape and prepare a diagram of this place – children might think a playground is therapeutic, others might find shopping centres or tea rooms to be ‘healing’ environments. Make sure you label and provide explanations as to why you consider it to be therapeutic. You should think about:

• The relative and absolute location of the place
• If it is a building, consider the organisation of space (internal and external), décor etc.
• Who is it therapeutic for and why.

3. When we meet for the feedback session, you will be asked to present your map and case study to the group.