The Roles of an Urban Rooftop Garden for the Staff of a Memory Clinic - a Qualitative Post-Occupancy Evaluation

Nina Oher^*Anna BengtssonPatrik Grahn

• Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet - Campus Alnarp, Alnarp, Sweden

The global healthcare sector is facing a critical shortage of staff, with increasing challenges related to health, well-being, recruitment, and retention. As a result, strategies to improve staff health and satisfaction are gaining attention. One such strategy involves contact with nature in the workplace, which has been shown to support recovery, reduce stress, and increase job satisfaction. Additionally, rooftop gardens have become a trend due to the world's rising urbanization and densification of cities. This study explored the role of an urban rooftop garden for staff at a Memory Clinic, focusing on its physical and health-promoting aspects. A Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) was conducted over a full year, using qualitative methods and focus group interviews. Nine participants, divided into staff and management teams, took part in five interviews. Thematic analysis was applied to the transcribed data to understand how the garden was used and experienced across seasons. Three overarching themes and associated sub-themes were identified: (1) The rooftop garden as a place of Use, supporting both (a) Spontaneous Visits and (b) Organized Activities, (2) The rooftop garden as a place to Experience the World Outside, offering (a) Contact with Nature and Surrounding Life, and a sense of being (b) Beyond Hospital Walls, and (3) The rooftop garden as a place of Meaning for Well-Being and Work Life Sustainability, associated with (a) Positive and Rewarding, and (b) Temporary Wishes and Needs for Support. Each sub-theme related to specific environmental features and zones within the garden, offering insights with design relevance for future planning. Findings show that a rooftop garden can support both salutogenic (health-promoting) and pathogenic (illness-preventing) strategies, which provide conditions for optimal support and promotion of staff health and well-being. The study furthermore highlights the unique benefits of rooftop gardens in urban healthcare settings. The combination of open views, urban atmosphere, privacy, and enhanced seasonal and natural impressions provides qualities often difficult to replicate at ground level.