Place-making, settlement and well-being: The therapeutic landscapes of recently arrived youth with refugee backgrounds

This paper explores the relationship between place-making, well-being and settlement among recently arrived youth with refugee backgrounds in Melbourne, Australia. Drawing on qualitative data including photo-novellas and neighborhood drawings, we describe the ways youth negotiate connections to place in early resettlement. Within the context of broader research on health and place, we describe how recently arrived youth actively seek out places with qualities associated with restoration and recovery and through these engagements, work to create therapeutic landscapes on arrival. The findings have implications for understanding the contribution of place-making to well-being in the settlement process.