Liette Vasseur was among the authors of Evergreen’s recently released 2018 Mid-Sized Cities Research Series, which highlights important conversations and trends underway in Canadian cities. Those include the fact that our urban population is growing, leadership is changing, municipalities need to be smart and open, and inclusion is a must.

Ten discussion pieces were prepared by researchers from across Ontario to demonstrate these perspectives through the lens of Canada’s mid-sized cities, with the goal of supporting Ontario’s city-builders in creating inclusive, innovative, and regenerative cities of the future.

Vasseur was a contributor to this compendium with a paper entitled “Connecting memories with nature: opportunities for residents of long-term care facilities in mid-sized cities.”

She co-authored the paper with Christopher Fullerton, Marcie Jacklin and Kerrie Pickering, all of the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre at Brock University.

In the paper, the authors discuss the advantages and opportunities for mid-size-cities to develop a positive and attractive system of long-term care (LTC) facilities that can enhance quality of life for residents by having the capacity to be located close to a natural environment. They elicit the longer-term benefits that such planning can bring to these cities. Mid-size cities are uniquely positioned as locations for long-term care facilities, the authors note, because of the array of health services nearby, being in close proximity to large centres with specialized services, and having a large pool of elderly residents requiring LTC facilities.

Mid-size cities often have more flexibility in their urban planning as they do not have the same development pressures as large cities, allowing for the development of LTC facilities that are more nature-friendly and attractive.  To speak further to this, the authors also included a case study on the Woodlands of Sunset Long-Term Care Facility in Welland in the paper to showcase how having a connection with nature can help boost the morale of LTC residents. Christopher Fullerton, as part of the core group of the UNSCO Chair, also presented on behalf of the authors at the Mid-Sized Cities Researcher + Practitioner Roundtable in London, ON, on May 16.