Thesis

An exploration into thriving city initiatives : novel public mental health initiatives in the context of loneliness, connection, and wellbeing

Downloadable Content

Download PDF
Creator
Rights statement
Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2026
Thesis identifier
  • T17635
Person Identifier (Local)
  • 202257120
Qualification Level
Qualification Name
Department, School or Faculty
Abstract
  • Thriving City Initiatives are a novel approach to public mental health. The broad aim is to improve the wellbeing and mental health of all in an urban area; a population-level intervention. This initiative has emerged across the global North in various forms. This research is the first to explore what the core components, structures, and aims of Thrive are in order to answer: what is Thrive? Given the breadth of issues surrounding public mental health, this research chooses to focus on the pertinent matter of loneliness. The research investigates experiences of loneliness and connection in the case study locations of Balbriggan in Ireland and Edinburgh in Scotland; home to two very different iterations of Thriving City Initiatives. The research tackles the question through key informant interviews with leaders and key members of Thriving City Initiatives across the world, then focusses in on experiences of connection and loneliness of the general population in the case study cities through the use of participatory methods with people living in the case study locations: photovoice and Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS). This project employs a distinct and unusual triangulation of methods in order to explore experiences and perspectives at various scales to identify emerging themes and patterns. The thesis establishes that Thriving City Initiatives lack a core identity, definition, and framework. In lieu of this, the research identifies key ingredients of Thriving City Initiatives including: prevention and promotion, stigma, and partnerships. The leadership structures and implications of this are highlighted. Identifying key ingredients sets up a foundational understanding upon which future research and evaluative activity can be built. Thriving Cities are found to be ambitious and flexible, yet vulnerable to political will and changing priorities. My research further deepens understandings of how the social and structural environments of urban areas influence individual feelings of connection, isolation, and loneliness. The study concludes that, although experiences of loneliness and connection are inherently subjective and vary across individuals, they are nevertheless mediated by social and physical environments which facilitate particular outcomes. These insights underscore the scope for interventions to strategically engage with such social and environmental determinants in order to enhance wellbeing and mental health, thereby contributing to the improvement of population mental health, and health more broadly, in urban settings.
Advisor / supervisor
  • Quinn, Neil
  • Knifton, Lee
  • Irvine-Fitzpatrick, Linda
Resource Type
DOI
Date Created
  • 2025

Relations

Items

Thumbnail Title Date Uploaded Visibility Actions
file details PDF of thesis T17635 2026-02-26 Public Download