The degradation of the urban freshwater ecosystem has consequences to human population of cities. We proposed and tested an approach to identify and quantify the risk for the populations living near urban streams within the city, due to the degradation of ecosystems services.
There is limited evaluation of whether green space interventions lead to more people using these spaces. This is partly due to the difficulty of collecting data on visits to green spaces. Mobile phone data may offer one solution, but are rarely made available to researchers. As such, there is less examination of whether these data are valuable. We accessed small area anonymised mobile phone GPS data for Liverpool (2021-2022). Using a case study of wildflower planting, we identified green spaces where wildflowers were planted. A synthetic control was then constructed to identify similar green spaces where planting did not take place. We then compared the number of visits post-intervention between the intervention and control green sites. Our paper also gives an empirical and methodological evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of using mobile phone data, which can inform others on how to best use them.
What if urban health went beyond human wellness? Through our more-than-One Health conceptualization, we explored urban wild spaces as places where the health and flourishing of humans, animals, and ecosystems intertwine. This approach provides new insights into designing cities that are not just green, wild, but interconnected as restorative habitats for human and non-human health.
To create cities where both nature and humans thrive, the research outlines how city gardens are interconnected with the surrounding countryside and coast. A hands-on approach is needed to bring more nature into gardens through combining disciplines such as 1) environmental psychologists (unearthing different types of gardeners) 2) the horticultural industry (the know-how) and 3) the marketing/advertising industry (the storytellers). Aggregated actions of domestic gardeners could help policy-makers push for improved biodiversity restoration.
We reviewed the existing research on influencing rewilding behaviour by city residents in their gardens. We used a behaviour-change model to identify intervention and policy strategies that affect residents’ rewilding behaviour. We found that all intervention and policy categories were effective, requiring action across many organisations and areas to drive change.
For city planners and policymakers, increasing the tree canopy coverage stands out as the most promising green infrastructure planning/management strategies to contribute to health of campus communities/users. The tree canopy data are also more widely available than most other green infrastructure variables, making its use for the purpose of monitoring, intervention, and assessment feasible for various stakeholders.
Our research studies how 16-25-year-old Londoners’ perceptions of parks management practices affect their use of these public spaces. Our aim was to address a knowledge deficit regarding the role of spending time in green space and young people’s mental wellbeing. For policymakers and practitioners aiming to manage parks as health infrastructure, this information is essential, given this cohort is at a critical developmental stage for building mental health resilience.
Our study highlights the importance of green spaces in urban areas for enhancing the well-being of older adults. It reveals significant benefits of nature walks over urban street walks and underscores the need for gender-sensitive urban design.
• Green spaces improve mood and perceived restorativeness.
• Women benefit more from nature walks, especially in urban streets.
• People from different cultures may benefit from nearby nature slightly differently.
Our study found that community place-based initiatives involving the public and private sectors can provide public spaces, such as public parks and communal gardens, that are appropriate for reconnecting mental and urban health using the concept of co-benefit endorsed by the World Health Organization in 2011. We examined this concept in large projects in Seoul and Singapore to show the advantage of intersectoral collaboration for reconnecting mental and urban health initiatives by urban planning.
People living in informal settlements endure the disproportionate burden of health vulnerabilities due to poor living conditions, overcrowding and infrastructural neglect. I examine how social, economic, political and environmental forces converge to amplify health disparities in Harare’s informal settlements.