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Banwell N, Michel S, Senn N. Greenspaces and Health: Scoping Review of studies in Europe. Public Health Rev 2024; 45:1606863. [PMID: 38831866 PMCID: PMC11144923 DOI: 10.3389/phrs.2024.1606863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Objectives Access to greenspaces and contact with nature can promote physical activity and have positive effects on physical and mental health. This scoping literature review aims to examine current evidence linking greenspaces and (a) behaviour change, (b) health outcomes and (c) co-benefits. Methods This review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA scoping review guidelines. Searches were conducted through PubMed and EMBASE databases for studies published between 2000 and March 2023 with a focus on Europe. Results 122 scientific articles and grey literature reports were identified. Access to greenspaces is positively associated with physical and mental health, and reduced risk of all-cause mortality and some non-communicable diseases. Greenspace quality is associated with increased physical activity and reduced risk of obesity. Nature-based therapies or green prescription are effective in improving mental health outcomes and overall health. Importantly, numerous co-benefits of greenspaces are identified. Conclusion Increasing access to greenspaces for populations with particular attention to greenspace quality is important for co-benefits. Responsible governance and use of greenspaces are crucial to minimize public health risks and human disturbance of nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Banwell
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Research in Ethics (CIRE), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sarah Michel
- Department of Family Medicine, Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Senn
- Department of Family Medicine, Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Grace MJ, Dickie J, Bartie PJ, Brown C, Oliver DM. How do weather conditions and environmental characteristics influence aesthetic preferences of freshwater environments? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 903:166283. [PMID: 37586536 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Freshwater (inland) blue space environments provide a range of public health benefits to visitors. However, health related exposure outcomes are dynamic and can vary depending on several factors, including the environmental characteristics of freshwater environments and their surroundings. Developing and managing inland blue spaces to promote health and wellbeing therefore requires an understanding of whether specific freshwater attributes, and prevailing weather conditions, enhance or devalue landscape aesthetics. The aim of this study was to utilise a mixed-methods research approach to investigate aesthetic preferences of inland blue spaces. A three-phase data collection method was adopted involving (i) analysis of a national-scale landscape image dataset; in combination with (ii) a national-scale online survey; and (iii) a series of in-person focus groups. We found environmental characteristics associated with the waterbody itself, as well as the characteristics of the nearby green space, to have a significant impact on the overall aesthetic appeal of inland blue spaces. Strong preference was demonstrated for inland blue spaces perceived to be of a high environmental quality and which have a natural, rather than human-modified, appearance. The findings highlight the need to conserve the quality of both the waterbody and waterside environment to encourage frequent recreational use and maintain the beneficial public health outcomes associated with inland blue spaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan J Grace
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK.
| | - Jen Dickie
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Phil J Bartie
- Mathematical and Computer Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Caroline Brown
- The Urban Institute, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - David M Oliver
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
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Kistemann T, Zerbe S, Säumel I, Fehr R. [Urban green and blue spaces in times of climate change]. DAS GESUNDHEITSWESEN 2023; 85:S296-S303. [PMID: 37972601 DOI: 10.1055/a-2144-5404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Both climate mitigation and adaptation are urgently needed as complementary strategies for sustainably reducing and managing urban health risks posed by climate change. The positive effects of urban green and blue spaces on physical and mental health are well-known since decades. However, there is intensive competition around the use of the urban space. Reflecting the European Aalborg Charta (1994), German building laws require development plans to be sustainable in this demanding context with human health being a concern of central importance. Reality, however, remains challenging. Although there are numerous best practice examples, research on the impact of urban green and blue spaces on human health and well-being is still required. Furthermore, all relevant policy fields need to develop awareness of the importance of green and blue spaces for quality of life and health, so that the issue of health is taken into consideration adequately as well as in a socially sensitive manner in urban decision processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Kistemann
- Institut für Hygiene und Public Health, Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Geographisches Institut, Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Stefan Zerbe
- Fakultät für Naturwissenschaften und Technik, Freie Universität Bozen, Bozen, Italy
| | - Ina Säumel
- Integrative Research Institute on Transformations of Human-Environment Systems (IRI THESys), Humboldt Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rainer Fehr
- Sustainable Environmental Halth Sciences, Medizinische Fakultät OWL, Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
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Hunter RF, Nieuwenhuijsen M, Fabian C, Murphy N, O'Hara K, Rappe E, Sallis JF, Lambert EV, Duenas OLS, Sugiyama T, Kahlmeier S. Advancing urban green and blue space contributions to public health. Lancet Public Health 2023; 8:e735-e742. [PMID: 37633681 DOI: 10.1016/s2468-2667(23)00156-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Urban green and blue spaces (UGBS) have the potential to improve public health and wellbeing, address health inequities, and provide co-benefits for the environment, economy, and society. To achieve these ambitions, researchers should engage with communities, practitioners, and policy makers in a virtuous circle of research, policy, implementation, and active citizenship using the principles of co-design, co-implementation, co-evaluation, and co-translation. This Viewpoint provides an integrated perspective on the challenges that hinder the delivery of health-enhancing UGBS and recommendations to address them. Our recommendations include: strengthening the evidence beyond cross-sectional research designs, strengthening the evidence base on UGBS intervention approaches, evaluating the effects on diverse population groups and communities, addressing inequities in the distribution and quality of UGBS, accelerating research on blue space, providing evidence for environmental effects, incorporating co-design approaches, developing innovative modelling methods, fostering whole-system evidence, harnessing political drivers, creating collaborations for sustainable UGBS action, and advancing evidence in low-income and middle-income countries. The full potential of UGBS as public health, social, economic, and environmental assets is yet to be realised. Acting on the research and translation recommendations will aid in addressing these challenges in collaboration with research, policy, practice, and communities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Carlo Fabian
- Institute for Social Work and Health, University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Northwestern Switzerland FHNW, Otten, Switzerland
| | - Niamh Murphy
- School of Health Sciences, South East Technological University, Waterford, Ireland
| | - Kelly O'Hara
- Department of Sports Science, University Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal
| | - Erja Rappe
- The Age Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - James Fleming Sallis
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, California, CA, USA; Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Estelle Victoria Lambert
- Research Centre for Health through Physical Activity, Lifestyle and Sport (HPALS), Division of Physiological Sciences, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Takemi Sugiyama
- Centre for Urban Transitions, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sonja Kahlmeier
- Department of Health, Swiss Distance University of Applied Science (FFHS), Zurich, Switzerland
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Mohr-Stockinger S, Sanft SJ, Büttner F, Butenschön S, Rennert R, Säumel I. Awakening the sleeping giant of urban green in times of crisis-coverage, co-creation and practical guidelines for optimizing biodiversity-friendly and health-promoting residential greenery. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1175605. [PMID: 37457276 PMCID: PMC10345840 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1175605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
As multiple crises deepen existing inequalities in urban societies within and between neighborhoods, strategically integrating nature-based solutions into the living environment can help reduce negative impacts and improve public health, social cohesion, and well-being. Compared to public green such as parks, semi-public residential greenery is rarely studied, is regularly overlooked by planners, and often receives step-motherly treatment from architects and housing companies. We approximated the area of residential greenery of modernist multi-story apartment complexes in Berlin, Germany. We surveyed residents' suggestions for improving their living environments in vulnerable neighborhoods, report on co-creation experiences, and provide a practical guideline for optimizing health-promoting residential green spaces. The semi-public open space on the doorstep of two-thirds of Berlin's population is highly fragmented and, in total, has a similar area as the public green spaces and a great potential for qualitative development. Just as the suitability of different nature-based solutions to be integrated into the residential greenery depends on building types, resident demands differ between neighborhoods. Residents called for more involvement in design, implementation, and maintenance, frequently proposing that biodiversity-friendly measures be included. As there is no universal solution even for neighborhoods sharing similar structural and socioeconomic parameters, we propose, and have tested, an optimization loop for health-promoting residential greening that involves exploring residents' needs and co-creating local solutions for urban regeneration processes that can be initiated by different actors using bottom-up and/or top-down approaches in order to unlock this potential for healthy, livable and biodiversity friendly cities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Simone J. Sanft
- Institut für Geographische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Frederike Büttner
- Büro für Bürger:innenbeteiligung des Bezirksamts Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sylvia Butenschön
- Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Chair of Urban Conservation and Urban Cultural Heritage, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rhea Rennert
- The Integrative Research Institute on Transformation of Human-Environment Systems (IRI THESys), Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ina Säumel
- The Integrative Research Institute on Transformation of Human-Environment Systems (IRI THESys), Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Urban Waterfront Development, through the Lens of the Kyrenia Waterfront Case Study. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14159469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
This study’s primary objective is to investigate the fundamentals of urban waterfront development. Consequently, the study created and validated two assessment scales (questionnaires). Using SPSS and AMOS, descriptive statistics assessed data gathered via questionnaires. Current approaches to urban development are starting to bring to the fore the rich historical and cultural heritage of Cyprus. Over the past few decades, Cyprus has encountered many political, sociocultural, economic, and technological challenges. These factors consequently influence urban design and produce distinct characteristics and tendencies. The waterfront of Kyrenia is a district that notably exemplifies progressive urban design. Specifically, this article aims to assess various urban aspects of Kyrenia’s waterfront. An ancient harbor in Kyrenia and its surroundings have served as the focus of the investigation to examine the evolution of general urban features across time. Participants included members of the creative class, employees and employer groups, students, and tourists. Physical, functional, social, economic, cultural, and political considerations underlie urban waterfronts. An evaluation of the Kyrenia waterfront revealed, based on the results of many statistical investigations, that the variables reflect varying degrees of user participation. According to the study findings, most people living in the community view the selected area favorably since it offers distinctive urban features and social opportunities. However, locals think that the region will need new technologies and ideas in the future to help the creative class be more productive by generating a creative economy.
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Relationships between Recreation and Pollution When Striving for Wellbeing in Blue Spaces. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19074170. [PMID: 35409855 PMCID: PMC8998665 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19074170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Our aim for this research was to identify and examine how recreation enthusiasts cope with and mitigate the violence of pollution as they strive for wellbeing in polluted “blue spaces” (e.g., seas, oceans). Our methodology to undertake the research was ethnography (online and offline), including autoethnography and informal interviews (40). The study proceeded from a constructivist epistemology which emphasizes that knowledge is situated and perspectival. The study site was a post-industrial area of northeast England where a long-standing but also rapidly growing surfing culture has to live with pollution (legacy and ongoing). We found evidence of what have become quotidian tactics that attach to themes of familiarity, embodiment, resignation, denial, and affect/emotion used by enthusiasts to cope with and mitigate the violence of pollution. We argue that by necessity some surfers are persisting in striving for wellbeing not simply in spite of pollution but rather with pollution. We assert surfers enact a “resigned activism” that influences their persistence. We extend critical scholarship concerning relationships between recreation, blue spaces, and wellbeing by moving beyond a restrictive binary of focusing on either threats and risks or opportunities and benefits of blue space to health and wellbeing, instead showing how striving for wellbeing through recreation in the presence of pollution provides evidence of how such efforts are more negotiated, fluid, situated, uncertain, dissonant, and even political than any such binary structure allows for.
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