Restorative built indoor environments : Cafés as informal learning spaces in Malmö, Sweden

Abstract: Cities worldwide need to become healthier, both physically and mentally. While Sweden ranks highly on a global scale of sustainable urban development, the country is facing issues with the declining mental health of its citizens, notably affecting the younger population. To sustainably develop our cities, possible negative impacts on the people must be recognised and avoided. Situated in the interdisciplinary field of Urban Studies, this research combines environmental psychology, architecture, and urban planning, while also considering the political aspects of city development. This thesis aims to study the concept of restorative environments, spaces which positively influence well-being and restore mental fatigue caused by external and internal stressors. Previous studies on restorativeness have focused on outdoor natural environments, considered to encompass the highest levels of restorative qualities. However, to develop mentally healthy cities, the restorativeness of built environments must be considered, which is especially important as we spend most of our lives indoors. This thesis analyses cafés used as informal learning spaces by university students in Malmö through the main research question: ‘What restorative qualities exist in the indoor built environment of cafés utilised as informal learning spaces (ILS) by students in Malmö, Sweden?’. Collected data through document analysis, quantitative survey and qualitative follow-up sessions are analysed through the theories of Attention Restoration Theory and concepts of third place and thirdspace. Whereas previously published research suggests that built environments lack restorative qualities, findings in this research provide not only the identification of such qualities but a preference for them. Both concepts of third places and thirdspaces are especially relevant for students at Malmö University, in which the city becomes the campus. However, there is a disconnect between the policy-making level and the students where current urban development laws fail to recognise restorative qualities. Subsequently, this research will provide results to a gap in existing research and hopefully encourage future studies on similar topics.