Urban Green Space: Creating a Triple Win for Environmental Sustainability, Health, and Health Equity through Behavior Change

Hanneke Kruize, Nina van der Vliet, Brigit Staatsen, Ruth Bell, Aline Chiabai, Gabriel Muiños, Sahran Higgins, Sonia Quiroga, Pablo Martinez-Juarez, Monica Aberg Yngwe, Fotis Tsichlas, Pania Karnaki, Maria Luísa Lima, Silvestre García de Jalón, Matluba Khan, George Morris and Ingrid Stegeman
Additional contact information
Hanneke Kruize: Centre for Sustainability, Environment and Health, RIVM, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Nina van der Vliet: Centre for Sustainability, Environment and Health, RIVM, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Brigit Staatsen: Centre for Sustainability, Environment and Health, RIVM, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Ruth Bell: Institute of Health Equity, UCL, London WC1E 7HB, UK
Aline Chiabai: Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3), 48940 Leioa, Spain
Gabriel Muiños: Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), CIS-IUL, 1649-026 Lisboa, Portugal
Sahran Higgins: European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Truro TR1 3HD, UK
Pablo Martinez-Juarez: Department of Economics, Universidad de Alcalá, Plaza de la Victoria, 2, E-28802 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
Monica Aberg Yngwe: Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University, Institutionen för folkhälsovetenskap, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
Fotis Tsichlas: Institute of Preventive Medicine Environmental & Occupational Health, Prolepsis, 7, Fragoklisias street, 151 25 Marousi, Greece
Pania Karnaki: Institute of Preventive Medicine Environmental & Occupational Health, Prolepsis, 7, Fragoklisias street, 151 25 Marousi, Greece
Maria Luísa Lima: Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), CIS-IUL, 1649-026 Lisboa, Portugal
Silvestre García de Jalón: Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3), 48940 Leioa, Spain
Matluba Khan: Institute of Health Equity, UCL, London WC1E 7HB, UK
George Morris: European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Truro TR1 3HD, UK
Ingrid Stegeman: EuroHealthNet, 1000 Brussels, Belgium

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 22, 1-22

Abstract: Urbanization, costs of green space maintenance, and diminishing connection between people and nature all exert pressures on urban green space. This is regrettable as green space has the potential to create wins for environmental sustainability, health, and health equity. This paper explores this potential triple win and investigates how to increase the use of urban green space through behavior change. A narrative literature review was conducted and was supplemented with literature suggested by experts. Results show that creating well-designed green spaces and stimulating people to use them can indeed deliver this triple win. Providing accessible, attractive, well-maintained green space with room for socialization, and where people feel safe, may increase the opportunity and motivation of people to use it more often. Informing and educating people and organizing activities may increase capability (and motivation) to use green space. Since the use of green space depends on life stage, lifestyle factors and individual values, it is important to involve potential users in its design. We recommend a specific focus on those groups who may benefit most from the use of green space. More evaluation is needed to inform effective green space interventions and to assess related economic, social, and environmental benefits.

Keywords: green space; health; environmental sustainability; health equity; behavior change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (16)

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