Testing the reliability and effectiveness of a new tool for assessing urban blue spaces:The BlueHealth environmental assessment tool (BEAT)

In order to understand how blue spaces may influence health-promoting behaviours, a reliable and effective assessment tool is needed. The Blue Health Environment Assessment Tool (BEAT) was developed to meet this need. A two-stage approach to testing the reliability of the tool is presented here. At Stage-1, one common and several different expert assessors rated 16 sites independently and their results compared. In Stage-2, two assessors rated 21 sites independently and their results were compared. The Inter-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated to assess inter-rater reliability to both stages. Stage-2 results showed greater reliability after enhanced training of the assessors. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the tool at revealing differences between sites and for identifying health promoting affordances we carried out intra and inter-site comparisons of a subset of six sites for the Stage-1 and 18 sites for Stage-2. The results showed that overall the tool performs consistently and compares well to the reliability shown by other similar tools. The tool is also highly effective in identifying site-specific differences across the test sample of blue spaces. The results demonstrate that the tool can be used reliably (with training and guidance) and that it provides meaningful data to help planners and designers assess different sites

Theory-based design for promoting positive behaviours in an urban blue space: Pre-and-post observations of a community co-created intervention in Plymouth, United Kingdom

Behaviour observation and mapping are useful planning tools to generate evidence to create people-friendly public spaces. Small-scale interventions are gaining popularity as cost-effective and quick solutions to regenerate degraded urban outdoor environments. Onsite behaviour observation mapping with GIS underpins evidence gathering, analysis, and planning and design decision-making. Using the BlueHealth Behaviour Assessment Tool (BBAT) developed within the EU-funded Horizon 2020 Project “Blue Health”, we carried out pre- and post- intervention observations of visits, activities and visitors' characteristics in a site at Teats Hill, Plymouth, United Kingdom. Pre-post comparison of visits and activities in three target areas the entire site before and the within-site intervention area (a small open-air theatre) and the rest of the site afterwards were examined to analyse the impact of the intervention on socialising and relaxing activities. Behaviour observation data was both spatially and statistically analysed. Key outcomes were sitting, standing, walking, activity with a dog, viewing, using a phone and socialising. Both a logistic regression model and spatial analysis using density maps and hot spot analysis confirmed an increased use of the open-air theatre and its positive impact on the use of the rest of the park (the non-intervention area). Our logit models showed that the intervention promoted positive behaviour for health (i.e. blue space activities, socialisation, and relaxing activities), greater inclusivity and diversity of visitors. We conclude that an evidence-based design approach can increase blue space accessibility, improve place affordances and promote positive behaviour and psychological well-being benefitting local communities

The development of a tool for assessing the environmental qualities of urban blue spaces

It is well established that outdoor natural environments - or green spaces - have the potential to serve as therapeutic landscapes and are a public health resource. Less is known about the extent to which “water-related environments (blue spaces) - may benefit health. As with green space, health benefits resulting from blue space use probably depend on place quality. However, the lack of comparable environmental quality data hampers planning and design of blue spaces and their inclusion in public health-related policies. This paper presents a novel tool - the BlueHealth Environmental Assessment Tool (BEAT) - which enables comparable assessment of environmental aspects and attributes that influence access to, use of and health-promoting activities in blue spaces. The tool is based on a review of published evidence and rigorous evaluation of 28 existing place assessment tools developed by and used in different disciplines including urban and transport planning, landscape architecture and management, urban design and public health. The environmental attributes identified were assessed using a place affordance-affect scale based on their relevance to the interaction between the environment and human behaviour. This provided a framework for extracting those environmental variables especially relevant to blue spaces and for health determinants. These were incorporated into the BEAT as a set of domains each comprising several physical, social, aesthetic and environmental aspects. The BEAT uses a questionnaire-based approach to examine each domain and aspect and to obtain both qualitative and quantitative measures using experience and judgment by either experts or stakeholders. The tool is freely available via an online interface featuring comprehensive guidance for assessors and a means of presenting results graphically. The tool can be used to compare sites before and after design interventions at a site. The BEAT enables rigorous and comparable assessment of the environment and strengthens the role of evidence-based planning in the development of urban blue spaces as a public health resource

Theory-based design for promoting positive behaviours in an urban blue space: Pre-and-post observations of a community co-created intervention in Plymouth, United Kingdom

Behaviour observation and mapping are useful planning tools to generate evidence to create people-friendly public spaces. Small-scale interventions are gaining popularity as cost-effective and quick solutions to regenerate degraded urban outdoor environments. Onsite behaviour observation mapping with GIS underpins evidence gathering, analysis, and planning and design decision-making. Using the BlueHealth Behaviour Assessment Tool (BBAT) developed within the EU-funded Horizon 2020 Project “Blue Health”, we carried out pre- and post- intervention observations of visits, activities and visitors' characteristics in a site at Teats Hill, Plymouth, United Kingdom. Pre-post comparison of visits and activities in three target areas the entire site before and the within-site intervention area (a small open-air theatre) and the rest of the site afterwards were examined to analyse the impact of the intervention on socialising and relaxing activities. Behaviour observation data was both spatially and statistically analysed. Key outcomes were sitting, standing, walking, activity with a dog, viewing, using a phone and socialising. Both a logistic regression model and spatial analysis using density maps and hot spot analysis confirmed an increased use of the open-air theatre and its positive impact on the use of the rest of the park (the non-intervention area). Our logit models showed that the intervention promoted positive behaviour for health (i.e. blue space activities, socialisation, and relaxing activities), greater inclusivity and diversity of visitors. We conclude that an evidence-based design approach can increase blue space accessibility, improve place affordances and promote positive behaviour and psychological well-being benefitting local communities

Urban blue acupuncture:A protocol for evaluating a complex landscape design intervention to improve health and wellbeing in a coastal Ccommunity

Within the BlueHealth project, funded under the Horizon 2020 European Union researchframework, a number of targeted experimental design interventions were used to test the effectand impact of planning and design on encouraging people to use various blue spaces. Complexinterventions were implemented and evaluations before and after each were made using a set oftools which triangulate with each other—a site assessment tool, a behaviour observation tool, aquestionnaire survey (including an economic evaluation) and qualitative interviews. The theoreticalbasis for the research is that of affordances, and the projects each involved modest changes to thelandscape using the approach of “urban acupuncture” where a small intervention can potentiallyhave an effect out of all proportion to the investment. This paper is a protocol paper and describesthe research strategy and methodology in detail for one of the intervention sites, located in Plymouthin the UK. The aim is to present the methodology as a whole so as to act as (a) a reference frameworkfor the results of all the projects which will be reported separately in a series of research articles onceall the results are in and analysed and (b) a useful reference for other researchers wishing to carry outsuch complex projects and where a comprehensive presentation of the strategy and methodology isunavailable. We offer this protocol for reference, for critique and for inspiration to those following us

Urban blue space renovation and local resident and visitor well-being:A case study from Plymouth, UK

Observational studies have suggested that people with better access to attractive, safe, and inclusive blue spaces enjoy higher psychological well-being, with particular benefits for those living in deprived urban areas. However, intervention studies are scarce. To help bridge this gap we conducted a repeat cross-sectional study exploring local resident and visitor well-being before and after a small-scale intervention aimed at improving the quality of an urban beach area in a deprived neighbourhood in Plymouth, United Kingdom. Physical alterations were co-created with local stakeholders and residents, and accompanied by a series of on-site community events. Key outcomes were self-reported psychological well-being, satisfaction with personal safety and community belonging, and perceptions of site quality. Adjusted linear models showed that positive well-being (B = 7.42; 95% CI = 4.18–10.67) and life satisfaction (B = 0.40; 95% CI = 0.11–0.70) were both higher after the intervention compared to before, with associations for life satisfaction stronger among those who visited the site in the last four weeks. Associations with positive well-being were partially mediated by greater satisfaction with community belonging; and associations with life satisfaction were partially and independently mediated by greater satisfaction with personal safety and community belonging. Although caution needs to be taken due to the repeat cross-sectional design and the sampling of site visitors as well as local residents, the findings support the idea that environmental improvements to urban blue spaces can foster better psychological well-being, and underline the importance of community involvement in the process

Eramajade aedade panuse hindamine ülelinnalise rohealade poolt pakutavate hüvede ja keskkonnateenuste kontekstis: Tartu linna juhtum

Master’s thesis Curriculum in Landscape architectureIt is well-known and accepted that urban green spaces provide many benefits to urban residents and to their health and wellbeing, most studies focus on public green spaces. The relative contribution of private residential green space is much less researched into. Whereas previous research has offered insights into the relationship between the environmental quality of residential neighbourhoods and its liveability condition, it is important to assess the environmental and aesthetic benefits of all green area types, especially in lower density areas with a lot of private space. A growing body of evidence suggests that the outdoor urban visual environment can also influence individuals’ psychological well‐being so that explicit attention should be given to planning and design which takes account of private spaces. The quantity and quality of urban green spaces and especially private green spaces are perceived and defined in the context of their socio-economic, cultural and built environment. Although private, residential green spaces (includes trees, garden, orchard, etc.) often provides significant benefits to the wider public, including ecosystem services and visual benefits as they are visually accessible even if not legally or physically accessible. Considering urban residents as the beneficiaries, the objective of this research was to assess the level of services and visual benefit derived from different neighbourhood conditions. Further, it assesses their relative contribution to city-wide green space in terms of ecosystem services and visual benefits. Three residential neighbourhoods in Tartu, Estonia were surveyed, the cases were chosen on the basis of their location, extent, historical importance, urban form and population density. Tree inventories, a visual survey of residential green spaces attributes, spatial analysis using orthophotos and map were conducted and correlated with residential parcel-level gardens attributes as predictors to determine the level of ecosystem services. For visual benefits, responses of visual quality experience from landscape architecture faculties and students were collected based on the perceived greenness aesthetic scale for residential parcels and were correlated with the plot level spatial attributes to explore the visual benefits these gardens offer. With an aim to evaluate the relative contribution of residential gardens to city-wide green space, this study interpreted residential garden extent, composition and characteristics both within the context of neighbourhood level and larger scale, city level. The result from the analysis at the city scale suggests that garden resources such as garden sizes and green land cover extent are strong predictors of these services and benefits. The results showed that private residential green spaces form a significant component of the wider urban green infrastructure – in several areas it forms the majority of the amount of green elements such as urban trees - that is often neglected and omitted from the planning process because it is not easily affected by planning decisions. The results suggest that private green space should be given a greater role and should feature much more in urban green policies and plans than it does at present.Uurimustest on teada, et linnades asuvad rohealad pakuvad linlastele mitmeid tervise ja heaoluga seotud hüvesid, enamus sellised uurimused keskenduvad avalikele roheladele. Linnades olevatel eramaadel asuva haljastuse poolt pakutavaid hüvesid on tunduvamalt vähm uuritud. Eelnevad uurimused on pakkunud ülevaadet keskkonnakavliteedi, elamupiirkondade ja nende elamisväärsuse seotuse kohta; oluline on hinnata kõikide erinevat tüüpi rohealade keskkondlikke ja esteetilisi omadusi, eriti on erinevat tüüpi rohelade hindamine oluline piirkondades, kus on rohkem eramaid. Aina suurem hulk teadustöid viitab sellele, et linnade välikeskkond mõjutab indiviidide psühholoogilist heaolu, seega peab tähelepanu suunama konkreetselt ka linnaruumis asuvate eramaade väliruumi planeerimisse ja kujundaamisesse. Linnas asuvate rohealade hulka ja kvaliteeti, eelkõige eramaadel asuvat rohemassi tajutakse spetsiifilises sotsiaalses, majanduslikus, kultuurilises ja ehituslikus kontekstis. Kuigi eraomandis olevad elamumaade haljastus (puud, aiamaad, istandused jm.) pakub tihtilugu märkimisväärseid hüvesid laiemale avalikusele, sealhulgas ökosüsteemiteenuseid ja visuaalseid hüvesid, sest haljastust on nähta avalikelt maadelt, ka juhul kui nad ei võimalda juriidiliselt ega füüsiliselt avalikku kasutust. Kui arvestada sellega, et linnaelanikud saavad eramaade haljastusest kasu, siis selle uurimuse eesmärgiks on hinnata erinevate elmu piirkondade poolt pakutavaid teenuseid ja visuaalseid hüvesid. Selle jaoks uuriti kolme Tartus asuvat elamupiirkonda, piirkonnad valiti nende asukoha, suuruse, ajalooliste erisuste, struktuuri ja asustustiheduse alusel. Ökosüsteemiteenuste määramiseks teostati puude inventuur, aia visuaalsete omaduste vaatlus ja ruumiline analüüs ning neist saadud andmeid korreleeriti elamukrundi aia omadustega, mille abil määrati aia poolt pakutavate ökosüsteemiteenuste maht. Visuaalsete hüvede hindamiseks viidi läbi maastikuarhitektuuri osakonna töötajate ja tudengite seas küsitlus, kus nad hindasid erinevate valimis olevate aedade tajutavat visuaalset meeldivust. Neid andmeid korrelleeriti krundi ruumiliste atribuutidega, et määrata kui suuri visuaalseid hüvesid antud aiad pakuvad. Eesmärgiga hinnata kui palju panustavad eraiaiad ülelinnalisse rohevõrgustikku, tõlgendati antud uurimuses aia haljastuse mõju ulatust, ülesehitust ja omadusi nii naabruskonna kui ka ülelinnalisel skaalal. Linnaskaalal saadud tulemused vihjavad sellele, et aia omadused nagu suurus ja haljastatud pinna hulk määravad tugevalt kui palju teenuseid ja hüvesid antud aiad pakuvad. Tulemused näitavad, et eraomandis olevad elamumaade haljastus on oluline osa ülelinnalisest rohevõrgustikust – mitmetes piirkondades moodustasid eraaedades olevad elemendid enamuse piirkonna rohemassist, elemendid nagu puud – millele omistatakse planeerimisprotsessis tihtilugu vähe tähelepanu, mistõttu on puudel väike mõju erinevate planeerimisotsuste juures. Tulemused viitavad sellele, et eramaade haljastusele peaks omistama suuremat tähtsust ning neid peaks rohekm kajastama linnahaljastuse ja rohetaristu plaanides ja eeskirjades

An exploration of how playground design affects the play behaviour of kindergarten children in Tartu, Estonia

This chapter discusses an important phase in the life of young children – when they are transitioning from learning through play to more formal education, in the pre-school time period when they might attend kindergarten. Focusing on Estonia, where kindergarten practice still has some hangovers from the Soviet era, four kindergartens were studied which had different types of outdoor spaces, in order to determine what affordances these environments offered young children for various types of play. The results help to form a basis for developing the design of outdoor spaces for play and pedagogy for this age group who are at a critical phase in their physical and mental development.Peer reviewe

A novel process for preparation of hydration resistant lime

Calcium oxide is an excellent refractory material and as per Ellingham diagram is the most stable of all the oxide materials used as refractory. Plenty of pure raw materials containing calcium oxide are available in nature abundantly. The material at present is not or rather cannot be used as a refractory material owing to its extreme hydration tendency in atmosphere. Once the hydration resistant calcium oxide is available, the same can be used for developing various refractory products for particular areas of applications in metallurgical industry. The process of making hydration resistant calcium oxide through sintering or fusion either takes a lot of time or is not techno-economically viable. Hydration resistant calcium oxide with low porosity can be developed in a moving bed plasma reactor in a span of 1-3 minutes. Proper control of particle size distribution, plasma parameters and suitable additives can achieve the same