Abstract
Despite the recognised benefits to human health from green and blue spaces, socioeconomic inequalities in access to and use of such spaces have been observed. Using a multidisciplinary, multistakeholder systems approach and structural equation modelling, this paper examines the structural and behavioural dynamics of green and blue spaces, people and health and wellbeing outcomes. Systems thinking offers a deeper understanding of the dynamics of collective choices at all levels within the determinants and the circular causality of these processes. The resulting map shows that behavioural and structural dynamics of green and blue spaces reinforce social cohesion, mental and physical benefits and their circular causality. Acknowledging the importance of multiple uses of green and blue spaces, this paper concludes that delivering universal services at a scale and intensity proportionate to the degree of need is vital to ensure services and health and wellbeing benefits are available to all, not only the most advantaged.
Highlights
Health and wellbeing, of both individuals and communities, are dependent on a range of determinants including place, i.e., the physical environments in which they live [1,2].‘Healthy places’, those places which help promote, maintain and restore good health, are recognised as playing an important role, and there is a growing awareness of the importance of green and blue spaces for health and wellbeing
Taylor and Hochuli [71] that a researcher should construct a definition of green space for the context of their research that utilises both qualitative and quantitative aspects, and on the need to separate green and blue space, the need to include both urban and rural areas, and given the focus of the study on health and wellbeing, green space is used to refer to all terrestrial outdoor, natural or semi-natural surfaces or settings or features with potential for the promotion of human health and wellbeing
Blue space is often assumed under the umbrella concept of green space or green infrastructure where the assumption is that these spaces “improve environmental conditions and citizens’ health and quality of life” [72]
Summary
Of both individuals and communities, are dependent on a range of determinants including place, i.e., the physical environments in which they live [1,2].‘Healthy places’, those places which help promote, maintain and restore good health, are recognised as playing an important role, and there is a growing awareness of the importance of green and blue spaces for health and wellbeing. Development Goals (SDGs), recognising the links between green space and human health, explicitly set out to “provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities” by 2030. This is based on the acknowledgment of the provision of cultural ecosystem services by green spaces and that these promote human health and wellbeing and, as part of a wider environmental context, have the potential to prevent ‘upstream’. Positive associations have been demonstrated, for example, between residential green spaces and lower all-cause mortality and a reduction of the risk of cardiovascular
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