Use of the Natural Outdoor Environment in Different Populations in Europe in Relation to Access: Implications for Policy

Daniel Masterson, Margarita Triguero-Mas, Sandra Marquez, Wilma Zijlema, David Martinez, Christopher Gidlow, Graham Smith, Gemma Hurst, Marta Cirach, Regina Grazuleviciene, Magdalena Van den Berg, Hanneke Kruize, Jolanda Maas and Mark Nieuwenhuijsen
Additional contact information
Daniel Masterson: Centre for Health and Development, Staffordshire University, Leek Road, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2DF, UK
Margarita Triguero-Mas: Mariana Arcaya’s Research Lab, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Sandra Marquez: Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), ISGlobal, Carrer del Dr. Aiguader, 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Wilma Zijlema: Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), ISGlobal, Carrer del Dr. Aiguader, 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
David Martinez: Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), ISGlobal, Carrer del Dr. Aiguader, 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Christopher Gidlow: Centre for Health and Development, Staffordshire University, Leek Road, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2DF, UK
Graham Smith: Centre for Health and Development, Staffordshire University, Leek Road, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2DF, UK
Gemma Hurst: Centre for Health and Development, Staffordshire University, Leek Road, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2DF, UK
Marta Cirach: Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), ISGlobal, Carrer del Dr. Aiguader, 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Regina Grazuleviciene: Department of Environmental Science, Vytauto Didžiojo Universitetas, 44248 Kaunas, Lithuania
Magdalena Van den Berg: Department of Public and Occupational Health, Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Centre (VUMC), 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Hanneke Kruize: National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Jolanda Maas: Department of Public and Occupational Health, Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Centre (VUMC), 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Mark Nieuwenhuijsen: Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), ISGlobal, Carrer del Dr. Aiguader, 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 4, 1-13

Abstract: This cross-cultural study explores the relationship of natural outdoor environment (NOE) use with NOE access. Most urban planning recommendations suggest optimal accessibility to be 300 m–500 m straight distance to spaces with vegetation of at least 1 hectare. Exploring this recommendation, we used data ( n = 3947) from four European cities collected in the framework of the PHENOTYPE study: Barcelona (Spain), Doetinchem (The Netherlands), Kaunas (Lithuania) and Stoke-on-Trent (United Kingdom) to obtain residential access to NOE (straight or network distances, using 300 m and 150 m buffers, to NOE larger than 1 hectare or 0.5 hectare) and use of NOE (i.e., self-reported time spent in NOE). Poisson regression models were used to examine the associations between residential access and use of NOE. The models with the strongest association with time spent in NOE in the combined sample were for those living within 300 m straight line distance to either 0.5 ha or 1 ha NOE. Noting that the only indicator that was consistent across all individual cities was living with 150 m network buffer of NOE (of at least 1 ha), this warrants further exploration in reducing recommendations of 300 m straight-line distance to 150 m network distance to 1 ha of NOE for a general indicator for cities within Europe.

Keywords: natural outdoor environments; green space; access; use; distance; time spent (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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