Prof. Dr. Stefan Heiland stefan.heiland@tu-berlin.de www.landschaft.tu-berlin.de Consideration of urban green and ecosystem services in German urban & landscape planning The example of human health 19.06.2015 Urban Green and human health 2
Background Research project: Green Natural Healthy Potentials of multifunctional urban spaces Work undertaken by: Participating municipalities: Eckernförde Leipzig München Norderstedt 3 Human health: already a topic in planning? Legal basis Federal Building Code, 1: Land use plans have to consider general requirements of healthy living and working conditions EIA-Law, 2: Environmental assessments (EIA, SEA) include the assessment and description of impacts of projects, plans and programmes on inter alia human population, including human health, Federal Nature Conservation Act, 1 Nature and landscape are to be protected as the basis of human life and health; The recreational functions of nature and landscape have to be protected and maintained Different other Regulations on the protection from immissions of noise, air pollutants, etc. 4
Spatial Planning, Landscape Planning and Strategic Env. Assessment Spatial and Land Use Plans and Landscape Plans (in many federal states) are subject to an SEA 5 Human health: already a topic in planning? Practice Current planning practice (Spatial Planning, EIA, SEA) concentrates on the protection of human health against negative impacts (noise, air pollution) of plans and projects (power plants, railway lines, streets, ) Landscape plans often refer to human health indirectly by considering the recreational usability of landscapes and urban green spaces Only few or almost no considerations of health promotion: maintaining health, strengthening of health resources and establishing healthy environments 6
Human Health Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." (WHO 1946) Protection and promotion of health by 1. Behavioral Prevention Modification of individual behaviour 2. Environmentally oriented prevention Establishing a healthy urban environment, esp. by enhancing quantity and quality of urban green and facilitating access to green spaces 7 Health relevant potentials of urban green Ecological functions with direct relevance for health; i.e. cold air formation, pollutant filtration by soils, etc. Physical potentials (effects) Psychological potentials Social potentials Aesthetic and symbolic potentials Possibly harmful potentials (allergies, disease transmission ) 8
Scientific findings on health impacts of urban green - examples Green space located nearby positively influences health, mental well-being and quality of life in general (dependent on urbanity of location) (Maas et al. 2006, Stigsdotter et al. 2010, Van Dillen et al. 2011) Positive effects of public green spaces on people with low income are stronger (Mitchell & Popham 2007, 2008) Positive relation between green and health mainly explained by stress reduction and social cohesion physical activity plays a minor role (Groenewegen et al. 2012) Direction of causality between green and health often not clearly stated 9 Scientific findings on health impacts of urban green - examples Faster recovery from illness due to contemplation of and contact with green Spending time in a forest strengthens immune defence system People have an aesthetic preference for species diversity mental well-being Green spaces enable sense of belonging to a place Spending time in green spaces promotes social, cognitive and emotional development in children Spending time in green spaces promotes social interaction and communication 10
Assessing health relevant potentials of green spaces: Our intention Matrix of types (of urban green) and functions for human health Phy: Bewegungsförderung Phy: Nahrungsmittel Psy: Regeneration Psy: Erleben/Kreativität Soz: Interaktion Soz: Design für alle Äs: Schönheit Äs: Identifikation Öko: Biodiv Öko: Klima Öko: Lufthygiene Öko: Wasser- und Nährstoffkreislauf Öko: Hochwasser negative gesundheitl. Effekte Park, öffentlicher Garten Friedhof Stadtwald x x x x x naturnaher, offener Grünraum wasserbestimmter Freiraum Stadtbrache Landwirtschaftliche Fläche Grünzug/Grünverbindung Garten Freiraum in Wohngebieten Außenanlage Spielplatz Sportplatz Straßenraum 11 Assessing health relevant potentials of green spaces instead: criteria checklist (Aspects of) Health components Perception and Identification (aesthetic and symbolic component) Interaction and Integration (social component) Experience and Creativity (psychological component) Relaxation and Regeneration (psychological component) Exercise (physical component) Criteria Beauty Identification with a place Social interaction Design for all (culture, people, age bracket, ) Experiencing nature Creativity (expression, art and music) Retreat potential Supply of options for playing Usability of natural setting Diversity of sport offers 12
Assessing health relevant potentials of green spaces Criteria checklist in detail Example: Beauty Important elements / attributes (incomplete): Visual axes within / in the surroundings of the green space Plays of light and shadow, reflexions Water in different forms Ground modelling / variation in elevation Proportion of forest / shrubs, open (meadow) areas Different open space features, alteration of natural vegetation and intensively kempt plantation Vegetation (trees, shrubs, perennial herbs, spring flowers, etc.) with varied form, texture and structure (where applicable also non-native species), intensively flowering Plants frequented by birds or bees, species rich flowering meadows 13 User analysis Aim: Investigation of the needs of current/ potential users Usually requirements on urban green are very individual (even within a certain group) Difficulty make general statements User groups: Elderly persons, workers, parents, carers, children, allergy sufferers People with physical disabilities, low income, different cultural backgrounds, mental impediments Stressed people 14
Integration of human health issues into municipal landscape planning 15 Integration of human health issues into landscape planning Possibilities 1. Avoidance of negative health impacts 2. Explicit denotation of positive effects of the aims and measures of landscape planning on human health 3. Independent contribution of landscape planning to promote human health / health promotion as an extra topic 16
Integration of human health issues into Landscape Planning Example Ad 1 / 2 * 7.1.1 Protection of existing hedges and tree lines Superficial deposits and soil removal will be reduced due to existing vegetation, which can locally reduce the amount of particulate matter (fine sands, dust). Linear shrub structures liven up the landscape and increase recreational quality of natural spaces. Old hedgerow structures and their layout of paths belong to historical elements of the cultural landscape. They provide an identification with a certain sense of belonging to the people. Example: SEA landscape plan Liebenwerda * 1. Explicit denotation of positive effects of the aims and measures of landscape planning on human health * 2. Independent contribution of landscape planning to promote human health / health promotion as an extra topic 17 Integration of human health issues into Landscape Planning Example Ad 1 / 2 7.1.3 Maintenance or new creation of reed beds and wet meadows Impacts on the subjects of protection humans and health, landscape, culture and other assets Linear structures along water bodies, depending on their area and type of vegetation, can buffer nitrate immissions and can therefore contribute to minimising these immissions into the groundwater. Thus, they contribute positively towards human health. The potential richness of native plants, generates different flowering aspects depending on the vegetation period, and therefore enhances the aesthetical landscape value and increases the recreational quality for local people. Example: SEA landscape plan Liebenwerda 18
Ad 2/3: Regarding recreational values of urban green spaces Beispiel: Landschaftsplan Hohen Neuendorf (2011) 19 Ad 2/3*: Regarding recreational values of urban green spaces Aims and measures for open space related recreation Reducing impact of fragmentation (of pathway connections and recreational areas) Minimizing visual impairments of townscape and scenery Maintenance and development of green and recreational spaces in residential areas and their margins (health promotion, residential environment, after-work recreation) Maintenance and improvement of climatic conditions ideally based on a climate survey (ventilation / cold air corridors, etc.) * 2. Explicit denotation of positive effects of the aims and measures of landscape planning on human health * 3. Independent contribution of landscape planning to promote human health / health promotion as an extra topic 20
Ad 2/3*: Regarding recreational values of urban green spaces Greening of residential areas (reducing heat stress, air humidity) Promotion of non-motorized private transport (bicycle lanes and footpaths) Clean air plan (including restrictions for small combustion plants) Reduction of harmful radiation / electric smog Provision for health promotion aspects when planning residential areas (distance to noise sources, climatic aspects) The individual points demonstrate that there is a strong relation to protecting humans and human health. Example: Landscape plan Hohen Neuendorf (2011) 21 Approaches to an Open Space and Exercise Network 22