Dr. Janet Loebach

Associate Researcher

Janet Loebach is an environmental design researcher and consultant based in Ontario, Canada, and the Principal Consultant for Thrive Design Consulting. Her research and practice focus on children’s perception and use of their everyday environments, and the socio-environmental factors which influence children’s behaviour and wellbeing. She currently holds a Community-Based Research Fellowship at the CAMH Institute for Mental Health Policy research, where she is investigating the impacts of neighbourhood type on children’s community play and mobility. Her areas of expertise include assessment and design of natural and built play and learning environments for children. She also has extensive experience with participatory, child-led and community-based planning processes. Dr. Loebach currently serves as Vice President of the International Play Association (Canada) and as co-chair of the Children & Youth Environments Network of the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA). She is also a member of both Outdoor Play Canada and the CSA Task Force preparing guidelines for the development of Naturalized Playspaces.

Contact Dr. Janet Loebach: janetloebach@gmail.com

Publications

See www.thrivedesignconsulting.ca for additional information on Dr. Loebach’s research and practice.