Quality of urban green spaces influences residents’ use of these spaces, physical activity, and overweight/obesity

Knobel, Pablo; Maneja, Roser; Bartoll, Xavier; Alonso, Lucía; Bauwelinck, Mariska; Valentín, Antònia; Zijlema, Wilma L.; Borrell, Carme; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark; Dadvand, Payam

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2020.116393

Cited by 67 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 39 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Urban green spaces have different components that affect their quality and, consequently, the type of use, time spent, and level of interaction with a green space by different population sub-groups, which can affect the health mediators and outcomes associated with the exposure to a green space. 48,49 Moreover, visiting green space might be better associated with health than proximity to green space or surrounding greenness. 50 However, we did not have good data on quality, visits, and exposure-response functions to conduct such analyses.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Green space and mortality in European cities: a health impact assessment study

Barboza

Cirach

Khomenko

et al. 2021

The Lancet Planetary Health

Self Cite

188

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Natural outdoor environments including green spaces play an important role in preserving population health and wellbeing in cities, but the number of deaths that could be prevented by increasing green space in European cities is not known. We aimed to estimate the number of natural-cause deaths among adult residents that could be prevented in cities in 31 European countries, if the WHO recommendation for universal access to green space was achieved. MethodsIn this health impact assessment study we focused on adult residents (aged ≥20 years; n=169 134 322) in 978 cities and 49 greater cities, in 31 European countries. We used two green space proxies: normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), and percentage of green area (%GA). The exposure was estimated at a fine grid-cell level (250 m × 250 m) and the preventable mortality burden for 2015 was estimated at the local city-level.Findings For 2015 we found that meeting the WHO recommendation of access to green space could prevent 42 968 (95% CI 32 296-64 177) deaths annually using the NDVI proxy (ie, 20% [95% CI 15-30] of deaths per 100 000 inhabitants-year), which represents 2•3% (95% CI 1•7-3•4) of the total natural-cause mortality and 245 (95% CI 184-366) years of life lost per 100 000 inhabitants-year. For the %GA proxy 17 947 (95%CI 0-35 747) deaths could be prevented annually. For %GA the number of attributable deaths were half of that of the NDVI and results were non-significant due to the exposure response function considered. The distribution of NDVI and %GA varied between cities and was not equally distributed within cities. Among European capitals, Athens, Brussels, Budapest, Copenhagen, and Riga showed some of the highest mortality burdens due to the lack of green space. The main source of uncertainty for our results was the choice of the agestructures of the population for the NDVI analysis, and exposure-response function for the %GA analysis.Interpretation A large number of premature deaths in European cities could be prevented by increasing exposure to green space, while contributing to sustainable, liveable and healthy cities.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Green space and mortality in European cities: a health impact assessment study

Barboza

Cirach

Khomenko

et al. 2021

The Lancet Planetary Health

Self Cite

188

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Previous research has also shown that green spaces enable positive social interactions that enhance community cohesiveness and improve health and well-being [60][61][62][63].…”

Section: Contribution To the Field And Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Has the Pandemic Altered Public Perception of How Local Green Spaces Affect Quality of Life in the United Kingdom?

Crossley

Russo

2022

Sustainability

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Green spaces unquestionably improve both physical and mental health, but there is little information on how they affect quality of life. This study investigates whether the public perception of how local green spaces and their impact on quality of life have altered as a result of restrictions imposed by the U.K.’s SARS-CoV-2 pandemic containment strategy. Qualitative data were collected using an online questionnaire distributed via social media platforms and postal flyers. The results clearly demonstrate that 90% of participants believe that green spaces improved their quality of life during the pandemic, with over 85% thinking that green spaces will continue to have a positive impact on their quality of life once the pandemic is over. Whether this is a permanent change in public thinking or a short-term adaptation to the stresses of the pandemic can be assessed in future research studies. More detailed research is required to understand more clearly the aspects and types of green spaces that are the most valuable for improving quality of life so that future ones can be designed to provide maximum benefits.

show abstract

“…Increased urbanization has led to a rising number of people living in urban areas, and a subsequent decrease in contact between humans and the natural environment [1]. Urban parks have many benefits for the mental and physical well-being of urban residents [2] such as promoting physical exercise and reducing the risk of obesity [3] and cardiovascular disease [4], while also improving the ecology of an area [5]. Despite these benefits, many parks are underutilized [6,7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Influencing the Visitation and Revisitation of Urban Parks: A Case Study from Hangzhou, China

Zhan

Han

et al. 2021

Sustainability

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Visitors’ satisfaction and willingness to revisit urban parks are closely linked to park longevity. However, few details of this relationship have been studied. We explored the factors influencing urban park use and factors motivating revisitation in six urban parks in Hangzhou, China. Data from 600 park visitors were collected over three months using a face-to-face questionnaire. These included socio-demographic data, residential data, personal characteristics, park satisfaction, motivations for visit, and other information. A hierarchical regression model was applied to analyze the contribution of each variable to visitation by park users. Physical and mental benefits and previous positive experiences were the main factors motivating park visitation. Age and distance to the nearest park were the main factors driving park revisitation, and they were positively and negatively correlated with visitation frequency, respectively. Long-term and short-term residents, who commute by cycling or walking, made up the majority of park visitors. Interestingly, park features had no significant impact on revisitation. Weather and time limitations were major factors limiting visitation to parks, and traffic and inadequate park facilities limited revisitation. Our results could be useful for urban planners as they develop guidelines to improve visitor satisfaction and promote the longevity of urban parks.

show abstract

Quality of urban green spaces influences residents’ use of these spaces, physical activity, and overweight/obesity

Cited by 67 publications

References 39 publications

Green space and mortality in European cities: a health impact assessment study

Green space and mortality in European cities: a health impact assessment study

Has the Pandemic Altered Public Perception of How Local Green Spaces Affect Quality of Life in the United Kingdom?

Factors Influencing the Visitation and Revisitation of Urban Parks: A Case Study from Hangzhou, China

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About