“A place where I have lost and made friends”: A photovoice study on adolescents’ perspectives on health in a new residential development area in Munich, Germany

Worldwide, the number and proportion of people living in cities continue to grow. Building new districts creates opportunities for designing urban environments that promote the health of their residents from the get-go. In this study, we used the photovoice methodology to explore the perspectives of adolescents on health and well-being in a new urban development area in Munich, Germany. Eleven adolescents aged 13-19 years were recruited in the new residential development area of Freiham on the Southwestern outskirts of Munich. Participants were given ten days to take photographs in the study area, focusing on objects or sceneries they considered to be important for their health. We then conducted qualitative interviews related to these photographs. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis. We identified eight recurring themes: emotional well-being, meeting peers, being physically active, growing as a person, safety, waste, development of the urban environment, aesthetics of the urban environment. Adolescents highlighted aspects of mental and social health when assessing the urban environment. Interacting with other young people was an important reason for our participants to visit public places. Public health professionals and urban planners should consider the specific needs of this age group when building new urban areas, and especially provide safe and clean public spaces that adolescents can use for recreation and social interactions.