Designing Technology for Social Wellbeing in Built Environments: A Conceptual Framework

Abstract: Digital technologies are deployed in urban built environments with the aim of supporting social dimensions. However, the research offers no unified guidance for such digital technology design. Additionally, evidence shows that week social wellbeing contributes to mental and physical health outcomes which suggests that the technology designed to strengthen social wellbeing could also function as a form of health promoting and preventive intervention. This chapter addresses this research gap by developing a conceptual framework that supports the design of digital technologies for social wellbeing in built environments. We propose a conceptual framework composed of three core components which are drawn on the synthesis of selected empirical studies on technologies embedded in built environments for social wellbeing. First, a social wellbeing dimensions model that identifies what digital technology could address. Second, a digital technology contribution matrix that distinguishes the types of contributions a digital technology could make. Third, levels that maps the scope at which technology could support social wellbeing. This conceptual framework could help researchers, practitioners and policymakers to design and guide digital technology interventions that target social wellbeing in the built environment.