Developing a place-sensitive tool for park-safety management. Experiences from green-space managers and female park users in Oslo

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Green exercise as a workplace intervention to reduce job stress: results from a pilot study

Stress and mental fatigue are major health threats to employees in office-based occupations. Physical activity is widely used as a stress-management intervention for employees. Moreover, experiences in contact with nature have been shown to provide stress-reduction and restoration from mental fatigue. OBJECTIVES:In a pilot study designed as a randomized controlled trial we investigated the impact of a green-exercise intervention on psychological and physiological indicators of stress in municipality employees. METHODS:Fourteen employees (7 females and 7 males, 49±8 yrs) volunteered in an exercise-based intervention in workplace either outdoors in a green/nature area or in an indoor exercise-setting. The intervention consisted of an information meeting and two exercise sessions, each including a biking bout and a circuit-strength sequence using elastic rubber bands (45-minutes, at about 55% of HR reserve, overall). Main outcomes were perceived environmental potential for restoration, affective state, blood pressure (BP) and cortisol awakening response (CAR AUCG and CAR AUCI) and cortisol levels in serum. Measurements were taken at baseline and in concomitance with the exercise sessions. Furthermore, affective state and self-reported physical activity levels were measured over a 10-weeks follow-up period. RESULTS:Compared with the indoor group, the nature group reported higher environmental potential for restoration (p <  0.001) and Positive Affect (p <  0.01), along with improved CAR AUCI (p = 0.04) and, marginally, diastolic BP (p = 0.05). The nature group also reported higher ratings of Positive Affect at follow-up (p = 0.02). Differences at post-exercise were not found for any of the other components of affective state, systolic BP, CAR AUCG and cortisol levels measured in serum. CONCLUSIONS:Green-exercise at the workplace could be a profitable way to manage stress and induce restoration among employees. Further studies on larger samples are needed in order to improve the generalizability of the results

Green exercise as a workplace intervention to reduce job stress: results from a pilot study

Stress and mental fatigue are major health threats to employees in office-based occupations. Physical activity is widely used as a stress-management intervention for employees. Moreover, experiences in contact with nature have been shown to provide stress-reduction and restoration from mental fatigue. OBJECTIVES:In a pilot study designed as a randomized controlled trial we investigated the impact of a green-exercise intervention on psychological and physiological indicators of stress in municipality employees. METHODS:Fourteen employees (7 females and 7 males, 49±8 yrs) volunteered in an exercise-based intervention in workplace either outdoors in a green/nature area or in an indoor exercise-setting. The intervention consisted of an information meeting and two exercise sessions, each including a biking bout and a circuit-strength sequence using elastic rubber bands (45-minutes, at about 55% of HR reserve, overall). Main outcomes were perceived environmental potential for restoration, affective state, blood pressure (BP) and cortisol awakening response (CAR AUCG and CAR AUCI) and cortisol levels in serum. Measurements were taken at baseline and in concomitance with the exercise sessions. Furthermore, affective state and self-reported physical activity levels were measured over a 10-weeks follow-up period. RESULTS:Compared with the indoor group, the nature group reported higher environmental potential for restoration (p <  0.001) and Positive Affect (p <  0.01), along with improved CAR AUCI (p = 0.04) and, marginally, diastolic BP (p = 0.05). The nature group also reported higher ratings of Positive Affect at follow-up (p = 0.02). Differences at post-exercise were not found for any of the other components of affective state, systolic BP, CAR AUCG and cortisol levels measured in serum. CONCLUSIONS:Green-exercise at the workplace could be a profitable way to manage stress and induce restoration among employees. Further studies on larger samples are needed in order to improve the generalizability of the results

Everyday use of urban cemeteries: a Norwegian case study

The cemetery lay-out is set to meet the need for burying, but Scandinavian cemeteries are often wellmaintained green spaces that could be potentially attractive areas for recreation. Shortage of urban green space and changing views on death and funerals could also lead to alterations in use of public urban green spaces, such as cemeteries. The objective of this study is to explore and describe everyday use of two urban green cemeteries in Oslo and discuss issues concerning designing for multiple and everyday use of urban cemeteries. Systematic moment observations of users’ activities were made in the cemeteries. Eighteen types of activities were registered including visiting graves, crossing, biking, walking the dog, and exploration of cultural heritage. The study showed a varied use of both cemeteries and that everyday activities were common. Still, the cemeteries’ main function is to serve the grave-visitors with a place to commemorate. In the planning and management of urban cemeteries one will have to take the needs of all its user-groups into consideration in order to keep and develop the particular quality that the cemetery as an urban public green space offers to its visitors and the local community. This paper discusses different issues related to various design solutions.acceptedVersio

A peaceful place in the city—A qualitative study of restorative components of the cemetery

Cemeteries in Scandinavia are culturally and historically valuable places. In addition, they represent wellmaintained green spaces in the urban fabric. The combination of nature, culture, and history makes cemeteries interesting to explore as restorative environments. To our knowledge, no published studies have yet focused on users’ perception of the cemetery as a restorative environment. This study therefore set out to initiate research on the topic. A qualitative explorative approach was applied in which we interviewed 59 visitors to a cemetery in Oslo about their use and experiences of the cemetery. This explorative approach was used because we did not want to impose any thoughts about restoration on the users. It turned out that visitors’ experiences and descriptions of the cemetery corresponded well with the definition of a restorative environment. We therefore used the restorative components as described in the attention restoration theory: fascination, being away, extent, and compatibility as the basis for analyzing the interviews. The findings support the notion that the combination of nature, culture, and history, as well as respect for the deceased and others visiting graves, contributes to the description of the cemetery as a restorative environment, and makes the cemetery different from other green spaces in the city in that these qualities can foster relaxation, reflection, and contemplation. Being away, Compatibility, Extent, Fascination,GraveyardacceptedVersio

Soundscape and perceived suitability for recreation in an urban designated quiet zone

Green urban parks can offer city dwellers a place to withdraw from traffic noise. However, the significance of the sonic environment for suitability for recreational activities and how to measure this in an appropriate manner, has not been given much research attention. The aim of the study was to investigate the relation between calculated estimates of noise and the soundscape disclosing its suitability for recreation, and to compare three methods of measuring soundscape in an urban park designated as a quiet zone in Oslo. A soundwalk (N = 14) and an on-site survey (N = 99) were conducted in three different noise zones inside the park, and an off-site survey was conducted outside the park (N = 99). The study indicated that the soundwalk method was better at discriminating between the calculated high, medium and low noise zones in terms of the effect on perceived annoyance of traffic noise and suitability for recreational activities and potential for restoration. People outside the park expected the perceived annoyance of the traffic noise inside the park to be higher, and the potential for stress recovery to be lower than those asked in the lowest noise zone inside the park. The study points at the importance of protecting against road traffic noise in urban green areas to facilitate for recreational activities, and brings up pertinent methodological issues for the research on soundscape.acceptedVersio

Qualities and functions ascribed to urban cemeteries across the capital cities of Scandinavia

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Everyday use of urban cemeteries: a Norwegian case study

The cemetery lay-out is set to meet the need for burying, but Scandinavian cemeteries are often wellmaintained green spaces that could be potentially attractive areas for recreation. Shortage of urban green space and changing views on death and funerals could also lead to alterations in use of public urban green spaces, such as cemeteries. The objective of this study is to explore and describe everyday use of two urban green cemeteries in Oslo and discuss issues concerning designing for multiple and everyday use of urban cemeteries. Systematic moment observations of users’ activities were made in the cemeteries. Eighteen types of activities were registered including visiting graves, crossing, biking, walking the dog, and exploration of cultural heritage. The study showed a varied use of both cemeteries and that everyday activities were common. Still, the cemeteries’ main function is to serve the grave-visitors with a place to commemorate. In the planning and management of urban cemeteries one will have to take the needs of all its user-groups into consideration in order to keep and develop the particular quality that the cemetery as an urban public green space offers to its visitors and the local community. This paper discusses different issues related to various design solutions

Developing a place-sensitive tool for park-safety management. Experiences from green-space managers and female park users in Oslo

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