Undergraduate Dissertation

Can the life expectancy of the more vulnerable parts of Glasgow communities be higher by introducing better design solutions?

Abstract

The built environment has a huge impact on human physical and mental health. People living in urban areas, surrounded by multiple structures, have a much bigger impact on a person than in less dense rural areas. Glasgow, for many years, infamously is achieving average life expectancy lower than the Scottish average or life length of citizens from different cities in the United Kingdom. This phenomenon was even named Glasgow Effect, although this term is not used anymore as it was connected more to political factors, and researchers started calling this difference as excess mortality. The document will explore the relationship using available statistical data and chosen areas of Glasgow, which are: Pollokshields West; Greater Govan; Anniesland, Jordanhill and White inch; and Ruchill and Possilpark. The areas will also be compared to National Design Guide to show whether the current design is adequate and if it should be improved. This dissertation is concerned with the impact of low-quality building design on excess mortality in Glasgow to understand more fully what needs to be done to allow healthy living spaces for citizens. This document employs secondary research to examine the history of less and more vulnerable areas of the city and their differences in health inequalities. Following a literature review exploring the definition and origin of health inequalities, their socio-economic factors and characteristics of the Glasgow Effect, it leads to the conclusion that a series of decisions undertaken resulted in a major loss of workplaces, pushing chosen communities into multiple poverty issues, which affected many people and our city for many years until today.