A Community-Up Approach to Improve Health and Wellbeing in a Dutch Neighbourhood. A Case Study

Introduction: This case study describes a novel community-up approach designed to gain insight into the needs and aspirations of both residents and professionals in a Dutch neighbourhood, aiming to enhance health and wellbeing. The Integrated People-Centred Health Care Services (IPCHS) framework served as the theoretical lens for evaluating the findings.

Method: A total of 150 residents and 50 professionals from sectors, including health care, social services, and municipal governance participated. Using participatory action research (PAR), researchers explored local needs and aspirations through a variety of methods, including participatory observations, (in-depth) interviews, transect walks, two world café meetings, and desk research.

Results: Needs, aspirations, and opportunities were synthesized into an Atlas of the Neighbourhood and a Treasure Map. Beyond these outcomes, several valuable unintended effects emerged, including stronger relationships, increased community engagement, and improvements aligned with the IPCHS framework.

Discussion: This study illustrates the potential of a novel community-up, PAR-based approach, integrating diverse, generative methods to foster meaningful connections among residents and professionals. It also underscores the added value of applied research, particularly the role of University of Applied Sciences researchers as critical allies in engaging residents, local professionals, and stakeholders such as directors and policymakers.