ECOTOPIA – An Interprofessional Research Project in Austria

Background At the University of Applied Sciences FH JOANNEUM in Austria the department “building, energy and society” has initiated an inter-professional scientific project called ÖKOTOPIA. The project aims at developing... [ view full abstract ]

Background
At the University of Applied Sciences FH JOANNEUM in Austria the department “building, energy and society” has initiated an inter-professional scientific project called ÖKOTOPIA. The project aims at developing sustainable urban districts prioritizing resource-efficient measures for the city of Graz. T Occupational Therapy has been invited to join the project in order to enrich the concept of sustainability by introducing occupation as an essential part of daily life and health. This is further emphasized by Wilcock (2006) who noticed that active people feel satisfied and healthy if they were an integral part of the natural world. This approach convinced the project team and it was decided to include “walking”.
Method
For this part of the project a literature research was done between June and December 2012 in different data bases and libraries.
Results
Indicators for walkability found in the literature are proximity, connectivity and functional indicators. Most of the indicators named were already specified by the other professions as well and data is available. The duty of OT was to link this indicators to the activity of walking and getting a measure how some specific districts of Graz provide easy walking opportunities.
Results
The results found reflect the necessity of an inviting environment for walking as well as the Health Promotion Action of the Ottawa Charta (WHO, 1986), by creating supportive environments and strengthen community actions.
Application to Practice
The author wants to encourage Occupational therapists to enrich projects with the knowledge of Occupational Science.