Search

Supplementary materials for the article "Well-being in the Time of Corona: Associations of nearby greenery with mental well-being during COVID-19 in the Netherlands", authored by Ralitsa Shentova, Sjerp de Vries, and Jana Verboom.&nbsp

Nature underpins human well-being in critical ways, especially in health. Nature provides pollination of nutritious crops, purification of drinking water, protection from floods, and climate security, among other well-studied health benefits. A crucial, yet challenging, research frontier is clarifying how nature promotes physical activity for its many mental and physical health benefits, particularly in densely populated cities with scarce and dwindling access to nature. Here we frame this frontier by conceptually developing a spatial decision-support tool that shows where, how, and for whom urban nature promotes physical activity, to inform urban greening efforts and broader health assessments. We synthesize what is known, present a model framework, and detail the model steps and data needs that can yield generalizable spatial models and an effective tool for assessing the urban nature–physical activity relationship. Current knowledge supports an initial model that can distinguish broad trends and enrich urban planning, spatial policy, and public health decisions. New, iterative research and application will reveal the importance of different types of urban nature, the different subpopulations who will benefit from it, and nature’s potential contribution to creating more equitable, green, livable cities with active inhabitants.

Nature’s mental health benefits are well-established in the literature, but there is little research on which types and characteristics of urban greenery are most relevant for mental well-being in general, and during the COVID-19 pandemic in particular. This study examined the link between having a (green) garden or a green view from the main window of the home, as well as the perceived quantity and quality of neighbourhood green areas and streetscape greenery, and the self-reported change in mental well-being since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Adults residing in the Netherlands (N = 521, 67% female) completed an online survey in December 2020 and January 2021. It included items on the frequency of contact with the aforementioned outdoor spaces, as well as their quantity, natural features, and quality. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the quantity of the greenery mattered, but the quality was more strongly associated with well-being. In particular, well-maintained, attractive, and varied streetscape greenery was just as relevant as a garden with diverse plants. This beneficial association between streetscape greenery and mental well-being was stronger for female participants. Understanding the benefits of the different types and characteristics of urban greenery, and who they are most relevant for, can assist policymakers and planners in designing cities that promote health and resilience.

Biodiversity is a cornerstone of human health and well-being. However, while evidence of the contributions of nature to human health is rapidly building, research into how biodiversity relates to human health remains limited in important respects. In particular, a better mechanistic understanding of the range of pathways through which biodiversity can influence human health is needed. These pathways relate to both psychological and social processes as well as biophysical processes. Building on evidence from across the natural, social and health sciences, we present a conceptual framework organizing the pathways linking biodiversity to human health. Four domains of pathways - both beneficial as well as harmful - link biodiversity with human health: (i) reducing harm (e.g. provision of medicines, decreasing exposure to air and noise pollution); (ii) restoring capacities (e.g. attention restoration, stress reduction); (iii) building capacities (e.g. promoting physical activity, transcendent experiences); and (iv) causing harm (e.g. dangerous wildlife, zoonotic diseases, allergens). We discuss how to test components of the biodiversity-health framework with available analytical approaches and existing datasets. In a world with accelerating declines in biodiversity, profound land-use change, and an increase in non-communicable and zoonotic diseases globally, greater understanding of these pathways can reinforce biodiversity conservation as a strategy for the promotion of health for both people and nature. We conclude by identifying research avenues and recommendations for policy and practice to foster biodiversity-focused public health actions.

International audience; There is growing evidence of the interrelationships between ecosystems and public health. This creates opportunities for the development of cross-sectoral policies and interventions that provide dual benefits to public health and to the natural environment. These benefits are increasingly articulated in strategy documents at national and regional level, yet implementation of integrative policies on the ground remains limited and fragmented. Here, we use a workshop approach to identify some features of this evidence-implementation gap based on policy and practice within a number of western European countries. The driving forces behind some recent moves towards more integrative policy development and implementation show important differences between countries, reflecting the non-linear and complex nature of the policy-making process. We use these case studies to illustrate some of the key barriers to greater inte-grative policy development identified in the policy analysis literature. Specific barriers we identify include: institutional barriers; differing time perspectives in public health and ecosystem management; contrasting historical development of public health and natural environment disciplinary policy agendas; an incomplete evidence base relating investment in the natural environment to benefits for public health; a lack of appropriate outcome measures including benefit-cost trade-offs; and finally a lack of integra-tive policy frameworks across the health and natural environment sectors. We also identify opportunities for greater policy integration and examples of good practice from different countries. However, we note there is no single mechanism that will deliver integrative policy for healthier people and ecosystems in all countries and situations. National governments, national public agencies, local governments, research institutions, and professional bodies all share a responsibility to identify and seize opportunities for influencing policy change, whether incremental or abrupt, to ensure that ecosystems and the health of society are managed so that the interests of future generations, as well as present generations, can be protected.

Making our cities more sustainable includes the need to make the transition a just one. This paper focuses on distributive justice with regard to greenspace in cities. Urbanisation and densification will likely result in less greenspace in urban residential areas, especially in deprived neighbourhoods. This is a threat to the aim of healthy and liveable cities, as greenspace has positive effects on human health and well-being. In this study, we show that in The Netherlands, neighbourhoods with a low socioeconomic status already tend to have a lower presence and quality of greenspace than those with a high socioeconomic status. This outcome is independent of the greenness metric that was used. However, depending on the precise greenness metric, socioeconomic differences in greenness between neighbourhoods are smaller in highly urban municipalities than in less urban municipalities, rather than larger. The paper discusses the implications of these outcomes for policy and planning regarding urban greenspace.

The transition to sustainable energy is in full swing. There is a great challenge to meet our energy requirements with sustainable energy sources. Solar power and the construction of solar parks are currently experiencing strong growth. In 2018 the solar power installed has increased by 46%. The area of solar parks on the ground is growing faster than the surface solar panels on roofs. In the Netherlands there is discussion about the use of scarce space for installing solar panels. The use of roofs on new and existing buildings is an efficient use of space, but the outdoor area offers developers of solar parks many advantages, such as scale. Little research has been done into the effects of solar parks on nature, agriculture and landscape. Ground-based solar parks have effects on the soil, agriculture, the biodiversity and services that the landscape provides. Whether these effects are positive or negative depends on the initial situation at the location in question and on the design and management of the solar park. This study provides an overview of the literature on solar parks in relation to soil, agriculture, biodiversity and experience. De transitie naar duurzame energie is in volle gang. Er ligt een grote opgave om met duurzame energiebronnen aan onze energiebehoefte te voldoen. Zonnestroom en de aanleg van zonneparken maken momenteel een sterke groei door. In 2018 is het geïnstalleerde zonnevermogen met 46% toegenomen. Het areaal zonneparken op de grond groeit snel maar niet sneller dan de oppervlakte zonnepanelen op daken. In Nederland is er discussie over het inzetten van de schaarse ruimte voor het plaatsen van zonnepanelen. Het benutten van daken op nieuwe en bestaande gebouwen is een efficiënt gebruik van de ruimte, maar het buitengebied biedt ontwikkelaars van zonneparken veel voordelen, zoals schaalgrootte. Er is nog maar weinig onderzoek gedaan naar de effecten van zonneparken op natuur, landbouw en landschap. Grondgebonden zonneparken hebben effecten op de bodem, landbouw, de aanwezige biodiversiteit en diensten die het landschap levert. Of die effecten positief of negatief zijn, hangt af van de uitgangssituatie op de betreffende locatie en van de inrichting en het beheer van het zonnepark. Deze studie geeft een overzicht van de literatuur over zonneparken in relatie tot bodem, landbouw, biodiversiteit en beleving.

In this chapter the concept of biodiversity and its measurement and use in ‘biodiversity – mental health’ research is discussed, as well as access to and contact with biodiverse nature. It is pointed out that biodiversity is an ecological concept that originated in the context of nature conservation. It has evolved without consideration of its potential role in mental health promotion. In studying the latter, the concept of biodiversity is frequently adapted. Such adaptations are likely to occur at the expense of its relevance for nature conservation. Using the concept of biodiversity as originally intended may be fruitful for a different type of research question, focusing more on multi-functionality issues: can the same nature constitute a healthy, biodiverse ecosystem and enhance mental health simultaneously? By pointing out this and related issues, this chapter aims to support researchers and students in future research, and help both scientists and policy-makers to position and assess studies in this field.

In their study, Astell-Burt and Feng1 address 2 important limitations of much of the research on contact with nearby nature and human health and well-being.2 The first one is its cross-sectional design, preventing the ability to draw firm conclusions regarding the causality of observed associations. The second one is that most studies do not distinguish between different types of green and/or blue space and consequently tell us little about which type of nature is most beneficial. In their study, they begin to address this gap by making efficient use of longitudinal health data already collected for other purposes and enriching these data with land-use data on the availability of green and blue space in the residential environment. Consequently, in addition to prevalence data, incidence data were available on high risk of psychological distress, physician-diagnosed anxiety and/or depression, and less than good self-rated health. Furthermore, they distinguished 3 types of vegetation: tree canopy, grass, and low-lying vegetation. They concluded that tree canopy may be more beneficial than the other 2 types.

A conceptual model was developed, describing the short-term, medium and long-term effects of plants on the indoor climate and the health and well-being of people. The model was tested by means of intervention research at three companies and eight homes for the elderly. The effect of plants on the physical indoor climate was measured with sensors, the effect on the health and well-being of employees with questionnaires. In principle, a ‘Before After Control Impact’ approach was used at the locations. A control room and an intervention room were selected for each location. After a pre-measurement, plants were placed in the intervention room and up to three post-measurements were conducted. At the companies, significant effects were found on relative humidity (up), attractiveness of the workplace (more attractive), state of mind (more positive), satisfaction with own functioning (higher) and sickness absence reporting (less). The need for recovery after a working day showed a reversed effect (rising). No significant effects were found for the other variables in the model. Similar effects were not observed in the homes for the elderly. Possible reasons for the latter are: the small number of employees working in the same room (i.e., living room for clients), a low willingness amongst these employees to participate in the study (high work pressure), a high mobility amongst employees and working in both the intervention and the control room. Een conceptueel model is uitgewerkt dat het korte-termijn-, middellange en langetermijneffect van planten op het binnenklimaat en gezondheid en welzijn van mensen beschrijft. Bij drie bedrijven en acht zorginstellingen is het model via interventieonderzoek getoetst. Het effect van planten op het fysieke binnenklimaat is gemeten met sensoren, het effect op gezondheid en welzijn van de medewerkers met vragenlijsten. Op de locaties is in principe voor een ‘Before After Control Impact’-aanpak gekozen. Per locatie zijn een controle- en een interventieruimte geselecteerd. In beide heeft een voormeting plaatsgevonden. Na het plaatsen van planten hebben maximaal drie nametingen plaatsgevonden. Bij de bedrijven zijn significante effecten gevonden op de relatieve luchtvochtigheid (hoger), aantrekkelijkheid van de werkplek (aantrekkelijker), gemoedstoestand (positiever), tevredenheid over eigen functioneren (hoger) en ziekteverzuimmeldingen (minder). Een van de variabelen had een significant omgekeerd effect: herstelbehoefte (stijgt). Voor de overige variabelen is geen significant effect gevonden. In de zorginstellingen zijn geen soortgelijke effecten gevonden. Onderzoekstechnische problemen bij zorginstellingen waren het geringe aantal medewerkers per huiskamer, een geringe bereidheid onder die medewerkers om aan het onderzoek deel te nemen (hoge werkdruk), een groot verloop onder de medewerkers en het zowel op de beplante als op de controlehuiskamer werkzaam zijn.

We provide consensus on the benefits of nature experience for mental health, and a model for integrating them into urban design., A growing body of empirical evidence is revealing the value of nature experience for mental health. With rapid urbanization and declines in human contact with nature globally, crucial decisions must be made about how to preserve and enhance opportunities for nature experience. Here, we first provide points of consensus across the natural, social, and health sciences on the impacts of nature experience on cognitive functioning, emotional well-being, and other dimensions of mental health. We then show how ecosystem service assessments can be expanded to include mental health, and provide a heuristic, conceptual model for doing so.

Previous studies have shown that people feel happier in more natural environments than in predominantly built-up environments; however, it is less clear whether the type of natural environment matters. In a large-scale experience sampling study in the Netherlands, we explored whether happiness differs by the type of natural environment experienced. We also investigated to what extent scenic beauty, peacefulness or fascinatingness are associated with momentary happiness. Smartphone apps were developed for both iOS and Android smartphones, and made freely available in both app stores. The app, named HappyHier, sent requests to fill in a short questionnaire, starting with how happy the participant feels. The requests were programmed to oversample experiences in natural environments. Location data were provided by the GPS of the smartphone, and the type of environment was determined based on a land-use map incorporated in the app. HappyHier was launched with a media campaign starting on 1st May 2016. In the following few months, over 4000 people participated, generating over 100,000 experience samples. Multi-level analyses were conducted, controlling for, among other things, being inside or outside, type of activity, type of company and weather conditions. The participants generally felt happier in natural environments, especially at the coast and in areas with low-lying natural vegetation, such as heathlands. Whether the environment is thought to be peaceful and fascinating appears to be more important for happiness than its scenic beauty. The representativeness of the data gathered by this relatively new method was explored from several angles: people, time and location.

Background Evidence is emerging that more green space in the living environment is associated with better health, partly via the pathway of physical activity. Objectives We explored the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between green space and physical activity and several health indicators in the Doetinchem Cohort Study. Methods A random sample of men and women aged 20–59 years at baseline was measured max 5 times with 5 year-intervals in the period 1987–2012. Data of round 3–5 were used. Measurements were based on examinations (height, weight, blood pressure) or questionnaires (physical activity, perceived health, depressive symptoms, chronic conditions). The percentage of green space (mainly urban and agricultural green) around the home address (125 m and 1 km) was calculated using satellite data. Results More agricultural green was associated with less time spent on bicycling (β1 km = − 0.15, 95%CL − 0.13; − 0.04) and sports (β1 km = − 0.04, 95%CL − 0.07; − 0.01) and more time spent on gardening (β1 km = 0.16, 95%CL 0.12; 0.19) and odd jobs (β1 km = 0.10, 95%CL 0.05; 0.15), and this was in the other direction for urban green. For only a few of the many health indicators a positive association with green was found, and mainly for total green within 1 km radius. Longstanding green or a transition to more green did not show more pronounced associations with health. Conclusions For the green space range of the Doetinchem area the findings do not strongly support the hypothesis that the percentage of green in the living environment affects health positively. The distinction by type of green may, however, be relevant for physical activity.

Item does not contain fulltext The aim of the study is to assess the impact of perceived and objective changes in greenery on physical activity and mental health of adolescents and adults living in severely deprived neighborhoods in the Netherlands. Longitudinal data regarding changes in greenery, walking, cycling, and depressive symptoms (CES-D), were gathered for 401 adolescents and 454 adults, using questionnaires and interviews with local district managers. Multivariate linear regression models examined the association between greenery and outcome variables, correcting for demographic and socioeconomic covariates and season. Overall, the results showed small and non-significant associations, with two exceptions. Objective improvements in greenery were associated with smaller decline in adolescents' leisure time cycling, and improvements in perceived greenery were related to a decrease in adults' depressive symptoms. In addition, there were several subgroup effects. In conclusion, changes in greenery did not yield consistent positive results among residents of severely deprived neighborhoods. However, there are some indications regarding positive effects of greenery in certain subgroups. 8 p.

This paper aims at extending earlier models of outdoor thermal perception by fusing new knowledge from recent literature and deriving perspectives for future research and methods from the new model. Previous models focused on physical and physiological aspects. Only recently, the psychological aspects of thermal perception received more attention, such as spatial perception. Furthermore, in recent literature on thermal perception, two time scales have been described: the short-term and the long-term thermal perception. Based on this new literature, we develop a conceptual, more comprehensive model that takes these factors into account as well. It hypothesizes how thermal sensation and psychological processes interact on the two time scales. However, to be able to describe relationships between psychological aspects of thermal perception more precisely, more research is required on the following issues: (1) influence of momentary personal references and preferences (e.g., mood), (2) influence of long-term personal references and preferences (e.g., cultural aspects, habituation), and (3) influence of the perception of the spatial environment on thermal perception. Moreover, the relation between momentary and long-term thermal perception has not been studied yet. We conclude this paper with an outlook on possible methods to study these factors.

Urbanization is a global trend, and consequently the quality of urban environments is increasingly important for human health and wellbeing. Urban life-style is typically associated with low physical activity and sometimes with high mental stress, both contributing to an increasing burden of diseases. Nature-based solutions that make effective use of ecosystem services, particularly of cultural ecosystem services (CES), can provide vital building blocks to address these challenges. This paper argues that, the salutogenic, i.e. health-promoting effects of CES have so far not been adequately recognised and deserve more explicit attention in order to enhance decision making around health and wellbeing in urban areas. However, a number of research challenges will need to be addressed to reveal the mechanisms, which underpin delivery of urban CES. These include: causal chains of supply and demand, equity, and equality of public health benefits promoted. Methodological challenges in quantifying these are discussed. The paper is highly relevant for policy makers within and beyond Europe, and also serves as a review for current researchers and as a roadmap to future short- and long-term research opportunities. Highlights • Concerns positive public health impacts of urban nature's cultural ecosystem services (CES). • Discusses global development trends' implications for the provision and demand of CES. • Discusses current research and key research questions for a new research agenda.

Background In a rapidly urbanizing world, many people have little contact with natural environments, which may affect health and well-being. Existing reviews generally conclude that residential greenspace is beneficial to health. However, the processes generating these benefits and how they can be best promoted remain unclear. Objectives During an Expert Workshop held in September 2016, the evidence linking greenspace and health was reviewed from a transdisciplinary standpoint, with a particular focus on potential underlying biopsychosocial pathways and how these can be explored and organized to support policy-relevant population health research. Discussions Potential pathways linking greenspace to health are here presented in three domains, which emphasize three general functions of greenspace: reducing harm (e.g. reducing exposure to air pollution, noise and heat), restoring capacities (e.g. attention restoration and physiological stress recovery) and building capacities (e.g. encouraging physical activity and facilitating social cohesion). Interrelations between among the three domains are also noted. Among several recommendations, future studies should: use greenspace and behavioural measures that are relevant to hypothesized pathways; include assessment of presence, access and use of greenspace; use longitudinal, interventional and (quasi)experimental study designs to assess causation; and include low and middle income countries given their absence in the existing literature. Cultural, climatic, geographic and other contextual factors also need further consideration. Conclusions While the existing evidence affirms beneficial impacts of greenspace on health, much remains to be learned about the specific pathways and functional form of such relationships, and how these may vary by context, population groups and health outcomes. This Report provides guidance for further epidemiological research with the goal of creating new evidence upon which to develop policy recommendations.

Elaborating from the European One Health/Ecohealth (OH/EH) workshop that took place in fall 2016 and aimed to bring together different communities and explore collaborative potential, the creation of European networks focusing on the development of important OH/EH perspectives was a direct output from discussions at the end of some sessions, in particular: - A network on transdisciplinary One Health education. - A network integrating inputs from social sciences in One Health/EcoHealth actions and networks. - A network aiming at translating research findings on the Environment-Microbiome-Health axis into policy making, with a view to make healthy ecosystems a cost-effective disease prevention healthcare strategy. It was also suggested that a European Community of Practice could be initiated in order to support these several concrete networking initiatives, and to help to promote the building of other emerging initiatives. ispartof: Archives of Public Health vol:75 issue:1 ispartof: location:England status: published

There is growing scientific recognition that contact with nature in general, and contact with urban green more specific, have the potential to positively contribute to human health. For the purpose of developing healthy urban neighbourhoods, this raises the question how to take scientific evidence about these health benefits into account. Accessibility metrics that are well substantiated by empirical evidence are needed. This paper reviews the quantitative and qualitative aspects relevant for accessibility metrics and empirical studies addressing these aspects in relation to health. Studies comparing different types of green space indicators suggest that cumulative opportunities indicators are more consistently positively related to health than residential proximity ones. In contrast to residential proximity indicators, cumulative opportunities indicators take all the green space within a certain distance into account. Comparing results across studies proved to be hard. Green space accessibility was measured in a variety of ways and the green space indicator that was chosen was often not problematized. We feel that it is time for a more function-oriented approach. How precisely does contact with nature impact health and what type and qualities are relevant in this regard? We think this will lead to a new generation of more evidence-based accessibility metrics that will help to advance the field.

Urban green infrastructure provides a number of cultural ecosystem services that are greatly appreciated by the public. In order to benefit from these services, actual contact with the respective ecosystem is often required. Furthermore, the type of services offered depend on the physical characteristics of the ecosystem. We conducted a review of publications dealing with demand or social factors such as user needs, preferences and values as well as spatially explicit supply or physical factors such as amount of green space, (bio)diversity, recreational infrastructure, etc. and linking demand and supply factors together. The aim was to provide an overview of this highly interdisciplinary research, to describe how these linkages are being made and to identify which factors significantly influence dependent variables such as levels of use, activities or health and well-being benefits. Commonly used methods were the combination of questionnaires with either on-site visual recording of elements or GIS data. Links between social and physical data were usually established either by using statistical tools or by overlaying different thematic maps. Compared to the large number of variables assessed in most studies, the significant effects in the end were relatively few, not consistent across the studies and largely dependent on the context they were seen in. Studies focused on aesthetic and recreational services, while spiritual, educational and inspirational services were not considered when creating links to spatially explicit ecological structures. We conclude that an improvement and harmonization of methodologies, cross-country studies and an expansion of this line of research to a wider range of services and more user groups could help clarify relationships and thereby increase applicability for urban management and planning. Urban green infrastructure provides a number of cultural ecosystem services that are greatly appreciated by the public. In order to benefit from these services, actual contact with the respective ecosystem is often required. Furthermore, the type of services offered depend on the physical characteristics of the ecosystem. We conducted a review of publications dealing with demand or social factors such as user needs, preferences and values as well as spatially explicit supply or physical factors such as amount of green space, (bio)diversity, recreational infrastructure, etc. and linking demand and supply factors together. The aim was to provide an overview of this highly interdisciplinary research, to describe how these linkages are being made and to identify which factors significantly influence dependent variables such as levels of use, activities or health and well-being benefits. Commonly used methods were the combination of questionnaires with either on-site visual recording of elements or GIS data. Links between social and physical data were usually established either by using statistical tools or by overlaying different thematic maps. Compared to the large number of variables assessed in most studies, the significant effects in the end were relatively few, not consistent across the studies and largely dependent on the context they were seen in. Studies focused on aesthetic and recreational services, while spiritual, educational and inspirational services were not considered when creating links to spatially explicit ecological structures. We conclude that an improvement and harmonization of methodologies, cross-country studies and an expansion of this line of research to a wider range of services and more user groups could help clarify relationships and thereby increase applicability for urban management and planning

Background Many problems concentrate in deprived neighbourhoods, among which is poor health. One possible way to address these health problems is to invest in the green space in deprived neighbourhoods. The number of evaluations of the public health impact of actual changes in neighbourhood green space is still limited. This study investigated the impact of real-life changes in the quality or quantity of green space in severely deprived neighbourhoods on physical activity and perceived general health.Methods Repeated cross-sectional surveys from 2004 till 2011 yielded self-reported information on leisure time walking, cycling and sports, and perceived general health of 48 132 adult residents. We fitted generalised mixed models to assess the rate of change per half year, estimate the linear trend, and the change in trends before and after the start of the urban regeneration mid-2008. Using a quasi-experimental design, we compared the trends in the intervention neighbourhoods with different selections of control areas.ResultsThe deprived neighbourhoods that intervened in green space did not show more favourable changes in the trend of physical activity and good general health compared to all the different groups of control areas.Conclusions We did not observe short-term positive effects on physical activity and general health among adults from improvements in green space in deprived neighbourhoods. This suggests that greening interventions that have been carried out in the context of the Dutch District Approach did not achieve short-term health gains among adults.

The numerous man-made elements being introduced into the countryside raises the question of how negative impacts on scenic beauty can be minimized. This study investigates the visual impact of wind turbines, business parks and agricultural buildings (barns) on scenic beauty, taking into account their context, design, distance from the observer and mitigating measures. Participants (N = 2008) were members of a commercial research agency panel. In a web-based survey, they were shown 36 photographs of undisturbed landscapes interspersed with realistic photomontages of landscapes with one of the three elements. Participants rated the scenic beauty of the landscapes in random order. Wind turbines had a clear negative impact in all cases, with design factors and mitigating measures making little or no difference. The impact of turbines decreased somewhat with distance and was greater in landscapes that were evaluated as more beautiful in their original (undisturbed) state. The impact of business parks and barns was somewhat dependent on (some) design factors and mitigating vegetation, which occasionally resulted in no significant impact at all. Distance also clearly affected impact. Systematic individual differences were observed only for wind turbines: impact increased with age. Main conclusions are that for wind turbines location policy would seem most effective for minimizing impact, whereas for business parks and barns a lot can be achieved by design and especially mitigation. The impact of wind turbines might diminish over time anyway, due to increased familiarity. Finally, the relationship between impact on scenic beauty and social acceptance of man-made elements is briefly discussed.

Urbanisation is seen as essential to wealth creation and increased productivity, but the process has costs as well as benefits. In the present paper we conduct an empirical analysis for the highly urbanised Netherlands on the relation between the greyness of the living environment and the compensating behaviour of more holiday nights spent away from home. We perform a secondary analysis of a survey on holiday behaviour enriched with the outcomes of a GIS model on recreational shortages. We find that the higher the greyness of the living environment - i.e. the higher the shortage of locally available green space for recreational walking - the more people spend nights away from home. Approximately 6% of all Dutch holiday nights may be related to a shortage of green space for recreational walking in the urban living environment. For people living in the most grey urban areas, 20% of their holiday nights appear to be related to a shortage of green space; for people in the least grey areas 10% relates to a shortage of green space. We think that this empirical relation is an important contribution to an assessment of the consequences of agglomeration that goes beyond labour productivity and moves towards well-being. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The authors investigate whether the percentage of green space in people’s living environment affects their feelings of social safety positively or negatively. More specifically they investigate the extent to which this relationship varies between urban and rural areas, between groups in the community that can be identified as more or less vulnerable, and the extent to which different types of green space exert different influences. The study includes 83 736 Dutch citizens who were interviewed about their feelings of social safety. The percentage of green space in the living environment of each respondent was calculated, and data analysed by use of a three-level latent variable model, controlled for individual and environmental background characteristics. The analyses suggest that more green space in people’s living environment is associated with enhanced feelings of social safety—except in very strongly urban areas, where enclosed green spaces are associated with reduced feelings of social safety. Contrary to the common image of green space as a dangerous hiding place for criminal activity which causes feelings of insecurity, the results suggest that green space generally enhances feelings of social safety. The results also suggest, however, that green space in the most urban areas is a matter of concern with respect to social safety.

Evidence is emerging that more green space in the living environment is associated with better health, partly via the pathway of physical activity.We explored the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between green space and physical activity and several health indicators in the Doetinchem Cohort Study.A random sample of men and women aged 20-59years at baseline was measured max 5 times with 5year-intervals in the period 1987-2012. Data of round 3-5 were used. Measurements were based on examinations (height, weight, blood pressure) or questionnaires (physical activity, perceived health, depressive symptoms, chronic conditions). The percentage of green space (mainly urban and agricultural green) around the home address (125m and 1km) was calculated using satellite data.More agricultural green was associated with less time spent on bicycling (β1km=-0.15, 95%CL -0.13; -0.04) and sports (β1km=-0.04, 95%CL -0.07; -0.01) and more time spent on gardening (β1km=0.16, 95%CL 0.12; 0.19) and odd jobs (β1km=0.10, 95%CL 0.05; 0.15), and this was in the other direction for urban green. For only a few of the many health indicators a positive association with green was found, and mainly for total green within 1km radius. Longstanding green or a transition to more green did not show more pronounced associations with health.For the green space range of the Doetinchem area the findings do not strongly support the hypothesis that the percentage of green in the living environment affects health positively. The distinction by type of green may, however, be relevant for physical activity.

Urbanization, resource exploitation, and lifestyle changes have diminished possibilities for human contact with nature in many societies. Concern about the loss has helped motivate research on the health benefits of contact with nature. Reviewing that research here, we focus on nature as represented by aspects of the physical environment relevant to planning, design, and policy measures that serve broad segments of urbanized societies. We discuss difficulties in defining “nature” and reasons for the current expansion of the research field, and we assess available reviews. We then consider research on pathways between nature and health involving air quality, physical activity, social cohesion, and stress reduction. Finally, we discuss methodological issues and priorities for future research. The extant research does describe an array of benefits of contact with nature, and evidence regarding some benefits is strong; however, some findings indicate caution is needed in applying beliefs about those benefits, and substantial gaps in knowledge remain. [ Erratum ]

In a Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) or an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), determining the value that the general public attaches to a landscape is often problematic. To aid the inclusion of this social value in such analyses, a Google Maps-based tool, called the HotSpotMonitor (HSM), was developed. The HSM determines which natural places are highly attractive by having people mark such places on a map. The definition of attractiveness remains open to avoid having marker placement being influenced by preconceived thoughts. The number of markers an area receives is considered to indicate its social value. Six regions were selected, and from these, stratified samples were drawn (total n = 3293). Participants placed markers at three spatial levels: local, regional and national. This paper focuses on the markers at the national level. The first research question is whether the HSM can produce an accurate map of highly attractive places at a national level. The results indicated that while in principle HSM can produce such a map, the spatial representativeness of the sample is important. The region of origin of the participants influenced where they placed their markers, an effect previously termed spatial discounting. The second research question considers which qualities the participants associate with the marked places. These qualities were very similar at all three spatial levels: green, natural, presence of water and quiet were often selected out of the fourteen suggested qualities. The third, and more exploratory, research question concerns which characteristics of an area predict its attractiveness. Natural and forest areas had higher marker densities than water surfaces or all other types of land use combined. The discussion evaluates the potential of the HSM to generate input on social landscape values for CBAs and EIAs.

This paper investigates the nature of the relationship between the greenness of the local environment and the health and well-being of its inhabitants by looking at a number of possible mediators within the same study: physical activity, perceived stress, ability to concentrate, social cohesion and neighbourhood satisfaction. Data were collected through a survey of residents in two neighbourhoods that differ objectively in green space provision, but which are largely similar in demographics, socio-economic factors, housing conditions and other environmental characteristics, apart from green space. Of the three dependent variables of interest: self-reported general health, bodily functioning and general well-being (happiness), it was self-reported happiness that differed significantly between the two neighbourhoods, with greater happiness in the greener neighbourhood. Amongst the possible mediators, people's satisfaction with their neighbourhood differed significantly: those living in the greener neighbourhoodwere more satisfied. Mediation analysis indicated that neighbourhood satisfaction fully mediates the relationship between neighbourhood greenness and happiness. Among the specific (environmental and social) neighbourhood qualities asked about, perception of neighbourhood greenness was found to be the most important predictor of neighbourhood satisfaction. Additional analysis showed that the view from the living room--green or not green--fully mediates the relationship between neighbourhood greenness and neighbourhood satisfaction. This study underscores the importance of nearby green space for people's overall well-being and suggests the need for green space to be evaluated in terms of visual proximity, that is, whether and how it is experienced from the street and the home.

The major aim of the present study is to investigate how an adviser's recommendations affect the behavior of actors in resource management situations. Some real-life examples of resource management situations are: fishing the seas and water consumption in a period of draught. In previous research (see Messick and Brewer, 1983) it was found that, when the situation had a social dilemma character, subjects deviated from the optimal collective harvest in a greedy or self-advantageous way. However, it was not always clear what was the optimal amount to harvest as a collective. Therefore, the biases may have been due to self-advantageously biased estimates of this optimum, rather than to a total disregard of the collective interest. In that case, an adviser might be able to reduce these biases. However, based on a study by Birnbaum and Stegner (1979), we predicted that compliance with recommendations would be biased in the same direction as intended behavior before advice was given. In two studies, employing resource management settings, we found support for this prediction.

Background Previous research shows a positive link between the amount of green area in one9s residential neighbourhood and self-reported health. However, little research has been done on the quality of the green area, as well as on quantity and quality of smaller natural elements in the streetscape. This study investigates the link between the objectively assessed quantity and quality of (1) green areas and (2) streetscape greenery on the one hand and three self-reported health indicators on the other. Methods 80 Dutch urban neighbourhoods were selected, varying in the amount of nearby green area per dwelling, as determined by Geographic Information System analysis. The quality of green areas, as well as the quantity and quality of streetscape greenery, was assessed by observers using an audit tool. Residents of each neighbourhood were asked to complete a questionnaire on their own health (N=1641). In multilevel regression analyses, we examined the relationship between greenspace indicators and three health indicators, controlling for socio-demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Results Both indicators for the quantity of greenspace were positively related to all three health indicators. Quantity and quality indicators were substantially correlated in the case of streetscape greenery. Nevertheless, the quality indicators tended to have added predictive value for the health indicators, given that the quantity information was already included in the model. Conclusions The quantity and also the quality of greenspace in one9s neighbourhood seem relevant with regard to health. Furthermore, streetscape greenery is at least as strongly related to self-reported health as green areas.

Background: Cities are expanding and accommodating an increasing proportion of the world's population. It is important to identify features of urban form that promote the health of city dwellers. Access to green space has been associated with health benefits at both individual and neighbourhood level. We investigated whether a relationship between green space coverage and selected mortality rates exists at the city level in the USA.\ud \ud Methods: An ecological cross-sectional study. A detailed land use data set was used to quantify green space for the largest US cities (n=49, combined population of 43 million). Linear regression models were used to examine the association between city-level ‘greenness’ and city-level standardised rates of mortality from heart disease, diabetes, lung cancer, motor vehicle fatalities and all causes, after adjustment for confounders.\ud \ud Results: There was no association between greenness and mortality from heart disease, diabetes, lung cancer or automobile accidents. Mortality from all causes was significantly higher in greener cities.\ud \ud Conclusions: While considerable evidence suggests that access to green space yields health benefits, we found no such evidence at the scale of the American city. In the USA, greener cities tend also to be more sprawling and have higher levels of car dependency. Any benefits that the green space might offer seem easily eclipsed by these other conditions and the lifestyles that accompany them. The result merits further investigation as it has important implications for how we increase green space access in our cities.

Research in Urbanism Series | RiUS [ISSN 1875-0192 | E-ISSN 1879-8217]

The link between modern lifestyles and increasing levels of chronic heart disease, obesity, stress and poor mental health is a concern across the world. The cost of dealing with these conditions places a large burden on national public health budgets so that policymakers are increasingly looking at prevention as a cost-effective alternative to medical treatment. Attention is turning towards interactions between the environment and lifestyles. Exploring the relationships between health, natural environments in general, and forests in particular, this groundbreaking book is the outcome of the European Union’s COST Action E39 ‘Forests, Trees and Human Health and Wellbeing’, and draws together work carried out over four years by scientists from 25 countries working in the fields of forestry, health, environment and social sciences. While the focus is primarily on health priorities defined within Europe, this volume explicitly draws also on research from North America and elsewhere and will have relevance worldwide. A state-of-the-art analysis of the global research on the topic of forests and human health, a key contribution of the book is its synthesis of material across both disciplines and nations, providing a vital reference for researchers in forestry, health, natural resource management and environmental policy. Currently the only unified body of work on this topic, the book will also be an important tool for those working in both health and environment policy and practice.