FEELING depressed? Then get down to your local market. And you’ll be gaining the chance to interact with different ethnic groups to boot.
A study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation says government policy needs to recognise that some public spaces provide “valuable opportunities” for social contact between different groups. And we’re not talking fancy places either — Richard Hebditch, the policy co-ordinator for Living Streets, an environmental charity, tells Regeneration & Renewal (Sept 8) that this means everyday spaces. The study cites Queen’s Market in East London. As well as providing cheap food and interaction between ethnic groups, residents say that visits “lift their spirits”.