Greater perceived access to green spaces near homes: Safer and more satisfied residents

Safe and green living environments are highly appreciated by people and, as stated by the United Nations, are a key priority for sustainable urban development. The current study explores whether perceived and objective indicators of access to green spaces in the living environment, as well as individual socio-demographic characteristics, affects perceived safety as well as municipal satisfaction. It also examined whether perceived safety moderates the relationship between perceived access to green spaces and municipal satisfaction. Five indicators of access to green spaces were used: Four were objectively derived using Geographical Information Systems (GIS), while one indicator was based on survey data on inhabitants' perceived access to green spaces. The same survey also revealed the variables of perceived safety and municipal satisfaction. Correlation, regression, and moderation analyses were applied. The results showed that objective and perceived indicators did not correlate. Furthermore, strong and positive associations were revealed between perceived access to green spaces and municipal satisfaction B=0.45 (95% CI = 0.41, 0.50) and perceived safety (B = 0.39; 95% CI = 0.32, 0.46). The more satisfied people were with their access to green spaces and safety outdoors in the evenings and nights, the more satisfied they were with their living environments. These associations were evident even after controlling for socio-demographic variables. These results provide evidence of the importance of green spaces and support planners' arguments for preserving current or developing new green spaces. The study also shows the importance of not only relying on objective indicators of access to green spaces and encourages planners and researchers to explore perceived indicators

“Philosophical Park”: Cemeteries in the Scandinavian Urban Context

Cemeteries in densifying cities are undergoing a shift into spaces used both for the dead and by the living; this in turn calls for a more nuanced approach to planning. Using Oslo and Copenhagen as cases, this paper explores why both cities recently developed strategies for cemetery planning and management. In analyses of the written policy strategies and interviews with ten experts working with the cemeteries, we observe that both municipalities share many reasons, including a growing demand for green urban spaces, cemeteries’ recreational potential and increasing diversity of burial practices and memorial forms. The policymakers and practitioners in both cities recognise the spiritual or “philosophical” aspects of the cemeteries, which distinguish them from other green spaces and direct attention to a need for a specific management strategy. Our findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of cemeteries as a special type of green space and can hopefully inspire practitioners in other densifying cities

Parkkaraktärer : ett verktyg för planering och gestaltning av grönområden

An increasing number of peole are resisting the attraction of living around nature and opting instead to spend their lives in cities. Parks and green areas play an important part in our well-being and we become fascinated with the diversity of nature, in which we find a peacefulness that is unique. Amongst other things, being surrounded by nature can reduce high blood presure, lower the production of stress hormones and stimulate the mind and our ability to concentrate. It is therefore vitally important to entice city residents to parks and green areas to improve their physical and mental well-being. Previous research has shown that humans are seeking for certain characteristics in the parks and green areas which they are visiting. Gunnar Sorte together with Patrik Grahn,and later Ann-Margreth Berggren-Bärring togehter with Patrik Grahn, have conducted studies about these characteristics. Their studies included 1460 persons and were based on questionnaires, interviews and diary notes. The main aim of this thesis is to further develop these park characteristics by analysing the parks that according to Berggren-Bärring and Grahn are rich in certain characteristics. Through this analysis and consideration of the relevant literature I have been able to identify and define the experience of each charateteristic. Initially, eight characteristics were defined, but according to my study there are only seven: 1. Rich in species 2. The common 3. Festive ornamental character 4. Space 5. The pleasure garden 6. Social history 7. Wild As a result of this study, an interactive tool designed for use by landscape architects and physical planners was developed. The tool operated by the user answering different statements that will ultimately lead to the right park characteristic.Allt fl er väljer ett liv i stadsmiljö där informationsströmmar ständigt pockar på vår uppmärksamhet och bidrar till stressrelaterade sjukdomar. Parker och grönområden har därmed fått en betydande roll för folkhälsan. I naturen kan vi fi nna ett lugn som är unikt. Där fascineras vi över naturens komplexitet vilket bl a leder till sänkt blodtryck, ökad koncentrationsförmåga och minskad stresshormonproduktion. För att människor över huvud taget ska besöka parker och grönområden krävs det en lättillgänglighet och att det fi nns kvaliteter som lockar. Forskning har nämligen visat att vi människor söker efter olika kvaliteter/karaktärer i de parker och grönområden vi besöker. Gunnar Sorte tillsammans med Patrik Grahn och senare Ann- Margreth Berggren-Bärring tillsammans med Patrik Grahn har forskat kring dessa karaktärer. Studien som omfattade ca 1460 personer baserades på enkätstudier, djupintervjuer och dagboksanteckningar. Min uppgift i detta examensarbete har varit ett led i utvecklingen av parkkaraktärerna. Jag har besökt de parker som enligt Berggren-Bärring och Grahn besitter en hög grad av någon av karaktärerna, studerat litteratur som relaterar till karaktärerna, granskat, analyserat och slutligen defi nierat och identifi erat upplevelsen av respektive karaktär. Karaktärerna var från början åtta stycken men jag har genom denna studie kommit fram till sju stycken. 1. Artrik 2. Allmänningen 3. Festlig prydnadskaraktär 4. Rymd 5. Lustgården 6. Kulturhistoria 7. Vild Studien har även fört fram till ett verktyg som går ut på att ”nyckla” sig fram till rätt karaktär. Verktyget är tänkt att kunna användas av yrkesverksamma landskapsarkitekter och planerare

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

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Testing the Effect of Hedge Height on Perceived Safety-A Landscape Design Intervention

Access to safe, green urban environments is important for quality of life in cities. The objective of this study is to explore the impact of a safety-enhancing landscape design measure on visitors' experiences in an urban park. Additionally, this paper combines the use of field and virtual reality (VR) experiments, contributing methodological insights into how to evaluate safety measures in green space management and research on perceived safety. In a field experiment (n = 266), we explored whether the height of a hedge along a pathway influenced perceived safety among users. The field study showed that cutting down the hedge improved the perceived prospect of the immediate surrounding areas for female users, which again made them feel safer in the park. We developed a VR experiment for an evening scenario in the same environment (n = 19) to supplement the field study and test the effect of the intervention further. The VR experiment also found a gender effect on perceived safety, with females reporting lower perceived safety, but no effect was shown for the height of the hedge. The results in this study show that environmental attributes such as perceived prospect and concealment should be considered in the design and management of urban green spaces. Additionally, this research demonstrates an approach to conducting field experiments to test the effects of actual design interventions and then further developing these experiments using VR technology. Further research on perceived safety in outdoor spaces is needed to make use of this combined method's potential

Disrespectful or socially acceptable?-A nordic case study of cemeteries as recreational landscapes

Across Scandinavia, we witness an increased interest in making provisions for urban cemeteries to evolve as recreational landscapes. However, this development comes with its own set of challenges when uniting its pri-mary function as a place for disposal of human remains with active and passive urban recreation. In this paper, we explore varying perspectives on recreational use of cemeteries to give a nuanced picture of the possibilities and limitations for recreation at cemeteries in a multicultural society, most often positioned within a context of densifying urban areas. The empirical data consists of interviews with cemetery users (N = 24) from various faiths and belief systems in three towns in Norway and Sweden. Findings reveal that passive recreational ac-tivities like strolling, having a cup of coffee on a bench in the cemetery etc. are in general perceived as acceptable behaviour. However, opinions differ on 'active' undertakings like running, biking and walking a dog. How people perceive or use cemeteries is partly dependent on beliefs and cultural traditions, but other factors such as the purpose of using the cemetery for recreation and the type or character of the cemetery also impact the extent to which activities are perceived as appropriate or not. Respect and intensity are two key aspects that emerged in our analysis. The study concludes that the existing peaceful atmosphere at cemeteries should be preserved and nurtured. With correct design and zoning, some recreational activities can be integrated at cemeteries, benefiting both mourners and recreational visitors

Methods, models, and guidelines for practitioners to deliver health-promoting green space

This chapter summarises the main methods, models, and guidelines— hereafter named as NORD tools—included in each component of the NORD framework (NUMBERING, OBSERVING, REGULATING, DESIGNING). The chapter provides further details on how to use these tools as well as how practitioners can combine them to deliver health-promoting green spaces

Similar spaces, different usage : A comparative study on how residents in the capitals of Finland and Denmark use cemeteries as recreational landscapes

Several studies from the Nordic countries show that cemeteries not only fulfil an important societal function as places for the disposal of bodily remains; they are also recreational landscapes that people visit to reflect, experience nature or perhaps go for a walk with the dog. In this comparative study, based on PPGIS data collected between 2018 and 2020 from residents in Copenhagen (Denmark) and Helsinki (Finland), we explored the extent to which residents use urban cemeteries as everyday recreational landscapes. We also assessed users' characteristics and the values they attached to the cemeteries. The results show that several of Copenhagen's cemeteries were actively used for recreation, while those in Helsinki were used much less frequently for this purpose. Of the total 7276 mapped visiting points in Copenhagen, 16.5% were located within cemeteries, compared with 1.9% of the 4298 mapped visiting points in Helsinki, hence conclusions from Helsinki should be drawn with caution. Physical activity and experiencing nature were the most common values attached to cemeteries in Copenhagen, whereas social interaction, spirituality and tranquillity were most common for Helsinki cemeteries. The results also revealed that younger Danes were particularly inclined to use cemeteries for social interactions, physical activity and spirituality and tranquillity. In the discussion, we elaborate on spatial differences between the cases, such as the availability of other green spaces, the size of cemeteries or people living in proximity to a cemetery, as well as on differences in policies and practices, including how Copenhagen stands out in actively promoting municipal cemeteries as recreational landscapes

Similar spaces, different usage : A comparative study on how residents in the capitals of Finland and Denmark use cemeteries as recreational landscapes

Several studies from the Nordic countries show that cemeteries not only fulfil an important societal function as places for the disposal of bodily remains; they are also recreational landscapes that people visit to reflect, experience nature or perhaps go for a walk with the dog. In this comparative study, based on PPGIS data collected between 2018 and 2020 from residents in Copenhagen (Denmark) and Helsinki (Finland), we explored the extent to which residents use urban cemeteries as everyday recreational landscapes. We also assessed users' characteristics and the values they attached to the cemeteries. The results show that several of Copenhagen's cemeteries were actively used for recreation, while those in Helsinki were used much less frequently for this purpose. Of the total 7276 mapped visiting points in Copenhagen, 16.5% were located within cemeteries, compared with 1.9% of the 4298 mapped visiting points in Helsinki, hence conclusions from Helsinki should be drawn with caution. Physical activity and experiencing nature were the most common values attached to cemeteries in Copenhagen, whereas social interaction, spirituality and tranquillity were most common for Helsinki cemeteries. The results also revealed that younger Danes were particularly inclined to use cemeteries for social interactions, physical activity and spirituality and tranquillity. In the discussion, we elaborate on spatial differences between the cases, such as the availability of other green spaces, the size of cemeteries or people living in proximity to a cemetery, as well as on differences in policies and practices, including how Copenhagen stands out in actively promoting municipal cemeteries as recreational landscapes