Residential Green Space Research Articles

Residential exposure to air pollution and access to neighborhood greenspace in relation to hair cortisol concentrations during the second and third trimester of pregnancy

BackgroundExposure to air pollution during pregnancy has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in studies worldwide, other studies have described beneficial effects of residential greenspace on pregnancy outcomes. The biological mechanisms that underlie these associations are incompletely understood. A biological stress response, which implies release of cortisol, may underlie associations of air pollution exposure and access to neighborhood greenspaces with health.MethodsWe explored residential exposure to air pollution and residential access to neighborhood greenspaces in relation to hair cortisol concentrations of participants in a prospective pregnancy cohort study in Flanders, Belgium. Hair samples were collected at the end of the second pregnancy trimester (n = 133) and shortly after delivery (n = 81). Cortisol concentrations were measured in 3-cm scalp-near hair sections, to reflect second and third pregnancy trimester cortisol secretion. We estimated long-term (3 months before sampling) residential exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and black carbon (BC), assessed residential distance to major roads and residential access to neighborhood greenspaces (NHGS). Associations between residential exposures and hair cortisol concentrations were studied using linear regression models while adjusting for season of sampling.ResultsThree-month mean residential NO2 and BC concentrations were positively associated with third pregnancy trimester hair cortisol concentrations (p = 0.008 and p = 0.017). Access to a large NHGS (10 ha or more within 800 m from residence) was negatively associated with third trimester hair cortisol concentrations (p = 0.019). Access to a large NHGS significantly moderated the association between residential proximity to major roads and second trimester hair cortisol concentrations (p = 0.021). Residential distance to major roads was negatively associated with second trimester hair cortisol concentrations of participants without access to a large NHGS (p = 0.003). The association was not significant for participants with access to a large NHGS. The moderation tended towards significance in the third pregnancy trimester (p < 0.10).ConclusionsOur findings suggest a positive association between long-term residential exposure to air pollution and biological stress during pregnancy, residential access to neighborhood greenspaces may moderate the association. Further research is needed to confirm our results.Trial registrationThe IPANEMA study is registered under number NCT02592005 at clinicaltrials.gov.

Neighbourhood and path-based greenspace in three European countries: associations with objective physical activity

BackgroundGreenspace has been associated with health benefits in many contexts. An important pathway may be through outdoor physical activity. We use a novel approach to examine the link between greenspace microenvironments and outdoor physical activity levels in the HEALS study conducted in Edinburgh (UK), the Netherlands, and Athens and Thessaloniki (Greece).MethodsUsing physical activity tracker recordings, 118 HEALS participants with young children were classified with regard to daily minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA); 60 were classified with regard to the metabolic equivalent task (MET)-minutes for each of the 1014 active trips they made. Greenspace indicators were generated for Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), tree cover density (TCD), and green land use (GLU). We employed linear mixed-effects models to analyse (1) daily MVPA in relation to greenspace within 300 m and 1000 m of residential addresses and (2) trip MET-minutes in relation to average greenspace within a 50 m buffer of walking/cycling routes. Models were adjusted for activity, walkability, bluespace, age, sex, car ownership, dog ownership, season, weekday/weekend day, and local meteorology.ResultsThere was no clear association between MVPA-minutes and any residential greenspace measure. For example, in fully adjusted models, a 10 percentage point increase in NDVI within 300 m of home was associated with a daily increase of 1.14 (95% CI − 0.41 to 2.70) minutes of MVPA. However, we did find evidence to indicate greenspace markers were positively linked to intensity and duration of activity: in fully adjusted models, 10 percentage point increases in trip NDVI, TCD, and GLU were associated with increases of 10.4 (95% CI: 4.43 to 16.4), 10.6 (95% CI: 4.96 to 16.3), and 3.36 (95% CI: 0.00 to 6.72) MET-minutes, respectively. The magnitude of associations with greenspace tended to be greater for cycling.ConclusionsMore strenuous or longer walking and cycling trips occurred in environments with more greenspace, but levels of residential greenspace did not have a clear link with outdoor MVPA. To build on our research, we suggest future work examine larger, more diverse populations and investigate the influence of greenspace for trip purpose and route preference.

Residential Greenspace and Urban Adolescent Substance Use: Exploring Interactive Effects with Peer Network Health, Sex, and Executive Function.

While urban greenspace is increasingly recognized as important to mental health, its role in substance use is understudied. This exploratory study investigates the interaction of greenspace with peer network health, sex, and executive function (EF) in models of substance use among a sample of disadvantaged, urban youth. Adolescents and their parents were recruited from a hospital in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. Residential greenspace at the streetscape level was derived from analysis of Google Street View imagery. Logistic regression models were used to test the moderating effect of greenspace on the association between peer network health and substance use, as well as additional moderating effects of sex and EF. The significant negative association of peer network health with substance use occurred only among youth residing in high greenspace environments, a moderating effect which was stronger among youth with high EF deficit. The moderating effect of greenspace did not differ between girls and boys. Greenspace may play an important role in moderating peer influences on substance use among disadvantaged, urban adolescents, and such moderation may differ according to an individual’s level of EF. This research provides evidence of differences in environmental susceptibility regarding contextual mechanisms of substance use among youth, and it informs the development of targeted substance use interventions that leverage social and environmental influences on adolescent substance use.

Self-Determined Motivation Mediates the Association between Self-Reported Availability of Green Spaces for Exercising and Physical Activity: An Explorative Study

The aim of the study was to test the associations between the self-reported access to exercise in green spaces (GS) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) testing the mediating role of the motivation. Based on self-determination theory (SDT), we expected that self-determined motivation will mediate the associations between the self-reported availability of GS for exercising (GSE) and MVPA with the most self-determined exercise regulation forms (identified and intrinsic motivation) demonstrating the strongest positive associations between the variables. Method: The sample consisted of 2154 participants (74.7% women). The ages ranged from 18 to 79 years, with a mean age of 32.6 (SD = 12.2) years. Participants completed the Behavior Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2, the measures of self-reported distance to residential GS (RGS), availability of the GS for exercising (GSE), and physical activity (PA). Logistic regression and path analysis were used to test the associations between study variables. Results: Higher reported distance to RGS was associated with lower reported availability of GSE, but not PA. Availability of GSE was directly associated with more frequent MVPA. More autonomous forms of exercise behavior regulation (intrinsic and identified regulations) mediated the associations between self-reported availability of GSE and MVPA. Internal and identified exercise regulations were directly associated with more frequent MVPA. Conclusions: The results of the present study support the main tenets of SDT suggesting that self-determined behavioral exercise regulation is an important mediator between the self-reported availability of GSE and general MVPA. Practical implications of these findings are discussed herein.

Residential Green and Blue Spaces and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Population-Based Health Study in China.

Evidence on the health benefits of green space in residential environments is still limited, and few studies have investigated the potential association between blue space and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) prevalence. This study included 39,019 participants who had completed the baseline survey from the Henan Rural Cohort Study, 2015–2017. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) were employed to characterize the residential green space, and the distance from the participant’s residential address to the nearest water body was considered to represent the residential blue space. Mixed effect models were applied to evaluate the associations of the residential environment with T2DM and fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels. An interquartile range (IQR) increase in NDVI and EVI was significantly associated with a 13.4% (odds ratio (OR): 0.866, 95% Confidence interval (CI): 0.830,0.903) and 14.2% (OR: 0.858, 95% CI: 0.817,0.901) decreased risk of T2DM, respectively. The residential green space was associated with lower fasting blood glucose levels in men (%change, −2.060 in men vs. −0.972 in women) and the elderly (%change, −1.696 in elderly vs. −1.268 in young people). Additionally, people who lived more than 5 km from the water body had a 15.7% lower risk of T2DM (OR: 0.843, 95% CI: 0.770,0.923) and 1.829% lower fasting blood glucose levels (95% CI: −2.335%,−1.320%) than those who lived closer to the blue space. Our findings suggest that residential green space was beneficially associated with T2DM and fasting blood glucose levels. However, further research is needed to explore more comprehensively the relationship between residential blue space and public health.

Residing in urban areas with higher green space is associated with lower mortality risk: A census-based cohort study with ten years of follow-up

BackgroundEpidemiological studies suggest that residing close to green space reduce mortality rates. We investigated the relationship between long-term exposure to residential green space and non-accidental and cardio-respiratory mortality. MethodsWe linked the Belgian 2001 census to population and mortality register follow-up data (2001–2011) among adults aged 30 years and older residing in the five largest urban areas in Belgium (n = 2,185,170 and mean follow-up time 9.4 years). Residential addresses were available at baseline. Exposure to green space was defined as 1) surrounding greenness (2006) [normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and modified soil-adjusted vegetation index (MSAVI2)] within buffers of 300 m, 500 m, and 1000 m; 2) surrounding green space (2006) [Urban Atlas (UA) and CORINE Land Cover (CLC)] within buffers of 300 m, 500 m, and 1000 m; and 3) perceived neighborhood green space (2001). Cox proportional hazards models with age as the underlying time scale were used to probe into cause-specific mortality (non-accidental, respiratory, COPD, cardiovascular, ischemic heart disease (IHD), and cerebrovascular). Models were adjusted for several sociodemographic variables (age, sex, marital status, country of birth, education level, employment status, and area mean income). We further adjusted our main models for annual mean (2010) values of ambient air pollution (PM2.5, PM10, NO2 and BC, one at a time), and we additionally explored potential mediation with the aforementioned pollutants. ResultsHigher degrees of residential green space were associated with lower rates of non-accidental and respiratory mortality. In fully adjusted models, hazard ratios (HR) per interquartile range (IQR) increase in NDVI 500 m buffer (IQR: 0.24) and UA 500 m buffer (IQR: 0.31) were 0.97 (95%CI 0.96–0.98) and 0.99 (95%CI 0.98–0.99) for non-accidental mortality, and 0.95 (95%CI 0.93–0.98) and 0.97 (95%CI 0.96–0.99) for respiratory mortality. For perceived neighborhood green space, HRs were 0.93 (95%CI 0.92–0.94) and 0.94 (95%CI 0.91–0.98) for non-accidental and respiratory mortality, respectively. The observed lower mortality risks associated with residential exposure to green space were largely independent from exposure to ambient air pollutants. ConclusionWe observed evidence for lower mortality risk in associations with long-term residential exposure to green space in most but not all studied causes of death in a large representative cohort for the five largest urban areas in Belgium. These findings support the importance of the availability of residential green space in urban areas.

AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF GREEN SPACES IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF RESIDENTS UNDER COVID-19

As one of the frequently used green spaces of urban residents, residential green spaces have a positive effect on people’s mental health status. In order to understand the impact of residential green spaces on citizens’ mental health during the COVID-19 epidemic, this study collected the sociodemographic data of 556 residents from 15 residential communities in Hefei New Municipal and Culture District, Anhui Province, China in March, 2020 through online questionnaires, then adopted the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10 Scale) to evaluate the residents’ mental health status, and used GIMP Grid to quantify the green view index of residential green spaces outside the windows. Besides, a multiple linear regression model was used to explore the correlations between residential green spaces and residents’ mental health status. The findings show that green coverage ratio, satisfaction of the landscapes of green space, green view index outside the window, and green viewing duration of the residential green spaces have positive effects on residents’ mental health status. The study verifies the benefits of residential green spaces to promoting resident’s mental health status under COVID-19, providing a scientific guidance for the future practice of urban construction.

Research on the Greening Rate and Spatial Differences of Urban Residential Neighborhoods in Shenzhen

Residential green spaces are one of the most frequently used urban green space types. Aiming at filling a gap in the existing greening indicators with considerations on the spatial differences of residential green spaces, as well as to inform the improvement of urban green space service, three greening indicators, i.e. residential unit’s green coverage rate, green view index, and park ratio within a 500 m service radius, are proposed in this paper. This study selects 14,196 residential units in built area of Shenzhen City in 2017 to measure the greening rate and the geographic spatial factors of the units upon multi-sourced geographic databases such as land cover maps and street view images. The research reveals that: 1) the three indicators can all independently measure the greening rate within or around residential units; 2) the studied residential units are low in residential unit’s green coverage rate and park ratio within a 500 m service radius, but high in green view index; 3) there are significant disparities of the greening rate and the surrounding parks in 500 m service radius among the studied units, and among different housing property rights, showing a disequilibrium in green space service; and 4) the greening rate of residential units is mainly impacted by factors such as development intensity, types of housing property right, altitude, and location. In conclusion, it is suggested that urban green space layout should prioritize improving the spatial distribution and layout of residential green spaces, especially for the socially vulnerable population. Finally, the study points out that the park ratio within a 500 m service radius can be adopted as a supplement to existing greening indicators for residential areas.

植被群落特征对城市生态系统服务的影响研究进展

生态空间（林地、灌木、草地、水体）所产生的生态系统服务极大的改善了人类的生存环境，在城市绿地破碎化日益严重、绿地质量逐渐降低、乡土植物逐渐减少、入侵风险逐渐加剧等生态背景下，如何维持稳定而持续增长的城市生态系统服务供给，一直困扰着当下从事城市生态学领域研究的学者和城市管理者。植被群落作为城市绿地系统的基本组成单元，在绿地破碎化趋势下，可作为研究内容来探讨城市生态系统服务维持或提升策略；植被群落泛指城市中常见的、具有明显边界的、按照一定分布规则的植物群落单元，既包括道路绿地、居住区绿地、公园绿地等，也包括城市郊野自然林地。但对植被群落生态功能的研究也多停留在对某一生态问题的简单相关性研究，缺乏系统性和整体性。从微观层面的植被群落角度，整合相关文献研究，介绍了受植被群落特征影响的6种典型城市生态系统服务，综述了植被群落特征对这6种城市生态系统服务的影响机理，对植被群落特征因子进行总结、归类，从树种特性、垂直结构、水平结构、其他4个角度构建了"植被群落特征因子对城市生态系统服务影响关系表"。最后面向典型生态系统服务提升提出了城市低质量植被群落地区的营建和更新原则，以期为今后城市园林部门、规划部门制定城市绿地系统规划提供基础性技术支撑。;The ecosystem services generated by ecological spaces (woodlands, shrubs, grasslands, and water bodies) have greatly improved the human living environment. In the context of increasing fragmentation of urban green spaces, decreasing quality of green spaces, diminishing native plants and increasing risk of invasion, how to maintain a stable and sustainable increase in the supply of urban ecosystem services has been troubling scholars and urban managers. As a basic component of urban green space systems, vegetation communities can be used as a research component to explore strategies for maintaining or enhancing urban ecosystem services in the context of green space fragmentation; vegetation communities refer to common urban plant community units with distinct boundaries and according to certain distribution rules, including both road green space, residential green space and park green space, as well as natural woodland in the urban countryside. while studies on the ecological functions of vegetation communities were mostly confined to simple correlation studies of a certain ecological problem, lacking in a systematic and holistic approach. This paper introduces six typical urban ecosystem services that are influenced by vegetation community characteristics from the perspective of urban vegetation communities at the micro level, integrating relevant literature studies. This is followed by an overview of the mechanisms by which vegetation community characteristics affect these six urban ecosystem services, and a summary and categorisation of vegetation community characteristics factors. A table of relationships between vegetation community characteristics and urban ecosystem services was then constructed from four perspectives:tree species characteristics, vertical structure, horizontal structure and others. Finally, the principles for the establishment and renewal of urban low-quality vegetation communities are proposed for the enhancement of typical ecosystem services, with the aim of providing basic technical support for urban landscape departments and planning departments in their future planning of urban green space systems.

城市居住区多功能绿地景观的景感生态学效应

作为居住区绿地景观重要的组成要素，公共活动空间是居民最为频繁使用的空间，对提高绿地生态系统文化服务，改善人居环境与提高居民健康具有重要意义。基于居民休闲娱乐文化感知，探讨居住区绿地公共活动空间的景感生态学效应，揭示多功能绿地景观对生态系统文化服务和景感营造的影响，可为居住区绿地的景观规划与设计提供重要的参考依据。以郑州市26个居住小区80个公共活动空间为研究对象，结合景感生态学理念，基于小区绿地公共活动空间的景感特征（植被覆盖、基础设施、遮荫率、管理水平、公共活动空间面积与类型）以及内部居民休闲娱乐文化活动特征的调查分析，探讨了城市居住区绿地公共活动空间的景感效应对绿地生态系统文化服务的影响。结果表明：（1）小区绿地不同类型公共活动空间提供的景感效应存在显著差异，水体的自然属性使其景感效应更丰富，文化服务价值最高。（2）小区绿地公共活动空间面积越大，居民的心理感知越强，景感体验越丰富，文化服务价值越高，增加公共活动空间面积是构建多功能绿地景观的直接通道。（3）公共活动空间的植被覆盖营造的视感与遮荫率营造的风感生态学效应较为显著，而基础设施的触感与清洁度的视感并未存在显著影响。（4）结合小区社会经济数据的多元回归分析结果表明，由公共活动空间面积营造的多样化景感对居民活动量的贡献最大，其次为公共活动空间的类型与小区户数。运用景感生态学理论和景感营造原则，在有限的空间内通过景观设计实现了景感载体化，改善和增加了绿地生态系统服务，能够缓解城市绿地的不公平性。未来城市居住区特别是高密度居住区应尽可能设置大面积的具有多功能特征的公共活动空间，而低密度居住区在绿地面积充足的前提下，可设置大面积自然水体和增设多类型的公共活动空间，以提高景感效应。;Public activity space within the urban residential green space is the most frequently used space for residents' leisure and entertainment activities, which are substantial in the improvement of the cultural ecosystem services of green spaces and the amelioration of the neighborhood environment and the residents' physical and mental health. Focused on the residents' perception of leisure culture, our study explored the effects of the landsenses ecology on the public space of residential areas. We also revealed the effect of multifunctional green space landscapes on ecosystem cultural services and landsenses creation to provide important directions for the planning and the design of green space in residential areas. This paper selected 80 public activity spaces in 26 residential communities in Zhengzhou as research objects. The following results were obtained. (1) The significant differences were observed in the sense of landscape effect provided by different types of public activity spaces in residential green spaces. The natural attributes of water bodies enriched the sense of landscape effects and had the highest cultural ecosystem service value. (2) A large public green space in the residential area resulted in strong psychological perception of the residents, rich sense of scenery experience, and high value of cultural ecosystem services. Increasing the area of the public activity space was a direct channel to build a multifunctional green space landscape. (3) The ecological effects of the visual sense created by the vegetation coverage and shade rate created by the public event space were significant, but the tactile sense of the infrastructure and the visual sense of cleanliness did not exist. (4) Combining with the social and the economic data of the community, the results of multiple regression analysis showed that the diverse sense of landscape created by the public activity space had the largest contribution to the amount of residents' activities followed by the type of public activity space and the number of households in the community. The theory of landscape ecology and the principles of sense of landscape creation were applied, and the landsenses carrier was achieved through the landscape design in a limited space, thereby improving the green space ecosystem services and alleviating the unfairness of the urban green space. Finally, high-density urban residential areas were suggested to be provided with large public activity spaces with multifunctional characteristics as much as possible, and low-density residential areas were suggested to be provided with large-scale natural water bodies and additional multiple types of public activity paces to enhance the effect of scenery.

Цифровые технологии как базисный элемент формирования инновационной модели городского развития

It is known that every urban agglomeration has a multidimensional character, it means, it has a territory, economy, ecology and a general urban planning component, including residential public buildings, transport, green spaces and other infrastructure formations, investment, municipal, social and other ser-vices are provided here. Therefore, effective socio-economic development of the urban area in modern con-ditions requires the development of complex programs and modules, and the introduction of digital tech-nologies in these processes should create favorable conditions for ensuring a high level of development of the city.

Optimization of residential green space for environmental sustainability and property appreciation in metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona

Cities in arid and semi-arid regions have been exploring urban sustainability policies, such as lowering the vegetation coverage to reduce residential outdoor water use. Meanwhile, urban residents express concerns that such policies could potentially impact home prices regardless of the reduced water costs because studies have shown that there is a positive correlation between vegetation coverage and home values. On the other hand, lower vegetation coverage in arid and semi-arid desert regions could increase surface temperatures, and consequently increases energy costs. The question is therefore where the point in which residential outdoor water use can be minimized without overly increasing surface temperatures and negatively impacting home values. This study examines the impacts of spatial composition of different vegetation types on land surface temperature (LST), outdoor water use (OWU), and property sales value (PSV) in 302 local residential communities in the Phoenix metropolitan area, Arizona using remotely sensed data and regression analysis. In addition, the spatial composition of vegetation cover was optimized to achieve a relatively lower LST and OWU and maintain a relatively higher PSV at the same time. We found that drought-tolerant landscaping that is composed of mostly shrubs and trees adapted to the desert environment is the most water efficient way to reduce LST, but grass contributes to a higher PSV. Research findings suggest that different residential landscaping strategies may be better suited for different neighborhoods and goal sets can be used by urban planners and city managers to better design urban residential landscaping for more efficient water conservation and urban heat mitigation for desert cities.

Subjective Proximity to Green Spaces and Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents: The CASPIAN-V Study.

Evidence favoring a beneficial association between greenness and blood pressure (BP) in adults is accumulating. However, children and adolescents have been understudied accordingly. Methodologically, the data on “exposure” to residential green spaces are commonly satellite-derived, including rare existing studies on the relationship between proximity to green spaces and BP in children. Despite perfectly obliterating subjective biases, remote sensing methods of greenness data collection fail to address pragmatic interaction with such settings. This study aimed to assess the relationship between subjective proximity to green spaces and average/elevated BP in children. Through our study, systolic and diastolic BPs of 12,340 schoolchildren living in CASPIAN-V study areas were examined and recorded. We performed surveys to obtain the data on their proximity to green spaces, defined as having access to such spaces within a 15-minute walk from their homes. Linear mixed-effects models with BP as the outcome variable and the measure of exposure to green spaces as fixed-effect predictor were applied. The analysis was adjusted for several covariates. We found that perceived residential proximity to green spaces was associated with −0.08 mmHg (95% confidence intervals (CIs): −0.58, 0.41; p value = 0.72) reduction in systolic BP and −0.09 (95% CIs: −0.49, 0.31; p value = 0.66) reduction in diastolic BP. We also observed statistically nonsignificant odds ratio of 1.03 (95% CIs: 0.76, 1.39), 0.96 (95% CIs: 0.80, 1.16), and 0.98 (95% CIs: 0.82, 1.16) for isolated systolic/diastolic hypertension and hypertension, respectively. Our observations remained consistent after adjustment for height, parental employment, low birth weight, parental obesity, single parent, and breastfeeding. In conclusion, subjective proximity to green spaces might not be associated with a lower mean BP in children. Well-designed studies applying both subjective and objective data should be performed to elaborate on the relationship further.

The Association between Residential Green Space in Childhood and Development of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Background:Access to green space has been hypothesized to have a beneficial impact on children’s mental well-being and cognitive development. The underlying mechanisms of the mental health benefits of green space are not fully understood, but different pathways have been suggested, such as the psychologically restoring capacities of green space, the ability to facilitate physical activity and social cohesion, and the mitigation of exposure to air pollution.Objectives:In this nationwide cohort study, we investigated associations between residential green space in early childhood and a clinical diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).Methods:The cohort included individuals, who were born in Denmark between 1992 and 2007 () and followed for a diagnosis of ADHD from age 5, during the period 1997–2016. We used the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) as a measure of vegetation greenness surrounding each residential address in a quadratic area of in which the residence was located in the center of the quadrate. Individual exposure to green space was calculated as the average of NDVI surrounding each individual’s residential address (or addresses if more than one) between birth and the fifth birthday. Multilevel modeling was used to estimate the incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for ADHD, according to exposure level and adjusted for calendar time, age, sex, parental socioeconomic status, neighborhood level socioeconomic status, and urbanicity.Results:Individuals living in areas defined by sparse green vegetation (lowest decile of NDVI) had an increased risk of developing ADHD, compared with individuals living in areas within the highest decile of NDVI (; 95% CI: 1.46, 1.65). Adjusting for the known confounders attenuated the result, but the association remained (; 95% CI: 1.13, 1.28).Conclusion:Our findings suggest that lower levels of green space in residential surroundings, during early childhood, may be associated with a higher risk of developing ADHD. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP6729

Environmental aspects of densification of residential development in urbanized territories (Case study: Kazan City)

The article discusses the features of the impact of compaction of residential development on the most important environmental component of the urbanized system – landscaping of house territories. Using the example of the city of Kazan, the study considered the environmental consequences of compaction and compared two types of development, that is, complex and point-based, implemented in different historical periods: 1959-1979 and 2000-2019. Digital models of courtyards and land plots containing residential objects and green spaces created by the authors allowed us to make calculations and further comparisons of specific indicators that characterize the main features of the point and complex buildings. Within the limits of residential development formed in the period 2000-2019, the specific indicators of local greening do not correspond to the approved urban planning normative values. This fact leads to negative consequences, which include the destruction and suppression of existing landscaping, reducing the area of green zones, increasing the anthropogenic load on the territory, etc. These processes affect the quality of the urban environment for both residents of new buildings and residents of the compacted area. The world experience of urban development shows that compact building is a means of solving many problems that arise in a dynamically developing urbanized territory. However, Russian practice shows that spot or compaction construction, as one of the means of implementing compactness, usually leads to a deterioration in the quality of the urban environment.

Socio-Demographic Factors Influencing the Extent of Residential Green Spaces in Galle City, Sri Lanka

Due to increasing urbanization, the distribution of human settlements is changing and this has led to the rapid decline of vegetation cover in cities and townships. Urbanization tends to decrease the proportion of land that is dedicated to public green spaces. Therefore, residential gardens (private gardens) will need to play a major role in contributing to urban green space in future though presently little attention is given to their relative value and importance. Several factors influence the function of residential gardens in an urban area. The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the socio demographic factors that influence the size and presence of residential green spaces in an urban residential zone. As a case study, this research selected a primary residential zone in Galle City, Sri Lanka. Every housing unit (n=280) in a residential zone was surveyed to collect the data for multiple regression analysis. The analysis showed that factors such as land extent (LE), nature orientation (NO), perceptions about advantages of growing residential greenery (PA), perception about disadvantages resulting from residential garden (PDA), occupational status (husband and wife are not occupied) (D1), and their educational level (higher than degree) (D2) significantly affect to the extent of green area maintained by an urban residence. The relationship between extent of residential green space (EGA) and socio demographic factors can be explained by this model: EGA = 0.091 + 0.003LE + 0.060NO + 0.030PA – 0.040PDA + 0.198D1 + 0.240D2.

Measures of Spatial and Demographic Disparities in Access to Urban Green Space in Harbin, China

Access to urban green space (UGS) is associated with the enhancement of health and disparities in access generate issues of spatial equity and socioenvironmental justice. The aim of this study is to measure spatial accessibility and investigate access disparities to UGSs in urban areas of Harbin, China. A Gaussian-based two-step floating catchment area method and spatial autocorrelation analysis were used to measure the accessibility and evaluate its distribution patterns in residential tracts. Bivariate correlation was employed to examine the statistical relations between demographic characteristics of residential tracts and green space access. The results show that most residential tracts have minimal green space access within walking distance, while a few have limited access within cycling distance. Additionally, spatial disparities were found with low-accessibility tracts clustering in the center of the city, while high-accessibility tracts were located in northern and southern suburbs. Demographic disparities were also identified in the study: females have less access to UGS than males, areas with a high birth rate generally have more access, and population density is negatively associated with UGS access. The findings not only indicate that Harbin has an uneven distribution and disproportionate provision of UGS for urban residents but also identify which areas and population groups within the city are disadvantaged in access to UGS and thus provide suggestions for future construction and provision of UGS.

Neighbourhood and trip-based greenspace in four European areas: Associations with physical activity

Background/Aim: Residential greenspace has been associated with beneficial health in many contexts. An important pathway to health may be opportunities for outdoor physical activity (PA). We used data from the HEALS study, which was conducted in four European areas (Edinburgh, UK; Netherlands; Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece), to examine pathways between greenspace and outdoor PA.Methods: We included three greenspace indicators (Normalised Difference Vegetation Index [NDVI], tree cover density [TCD], and green land use [GLU]) and used personal PA data collected from the Fitbit flex and the ‘Moves’ mobile phone app to assign daily minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and metabolic equivalent task (MET)-minutes of individual trips, respectively. We employed mixed-effects models to assess 1) residential greenspace at buffers of 300 m and 1,000 m with daily MVPA-minutes and 2) average trip-based greenspace with MET-minutes. Models included data from individuals with at least four valid days of data and were adjusted for bluespace, age, sex, car ownership, dog ownership, season, weekday/weekend day, and local meteorology; we assessed effect modification by activity (i.e., walking or cycling).Results: The analysis of residential greenspace and MVPA-minutes (n=118 subjects) did not produce any consistent associations at either the 300 m or 1,000m buffer. Greenspace coefficients based on individual trip averages were positive and statistically significant in fully adjusted models (n=60 subjects; n= 1,014 trips): NDVI=7.34 MET-minutes (95% CI = 2.25 to 12.44) per 0.1-unit increase; TCD=9.16 MET-minutes (95% CI = 2.63 to 15.69) per 10 percentage point increase; GLU=3.15 MET-minutes (95% CI = 0.12 to 6.17) per 0.1 unit increase. Associations appeared to be greater with cycling compared to walking.Conclusions: Our interpretation is that more strenuous or longer walking and cycling trips occurred in environments with more greenspace, but residential greenspace did not have a clear link with physical activity.

Association between residential green space during childhood and adult earnings: A longitudinal study of environmental determinants of the American Dream across ten United States cities

Background: Growing up in poverty is associated with poor health, and the American Dream of upward mobility is becoming an illusion for many low-income children. But nearby green space can support academic achievement, creativity, and emotional regulation, and these traits might help children rise out of poverty.Objectives: To examine the relationship between recent incomes of children born into poverty in the ten largest U.S. cities and densities of residential green space during childhood.Methods: We calculate park proximity, park acreage, new park development, and NDVI greenness for 1980-1990 from Landsat and Trust for Public Land data. We obtain the 2014 income for children born between 1978 and 1982 into families in poverty from The Opportunity Atlas cohort, aggregated at the tract level (n = 5849).Results: Conditional autoregressive (CAR) models of tracts show statistically significant associations between income rank and above-average levels of greenness but not between income rank and park measures, adjusting for individual and neighborhood confounders and spatial autocorrelation. We estimate that, over a 30-year career, children growing up in tracts with the most vegetative cover will earn cumulatively $28,000 more than children growing up in tracts with the least cover, on average. Tracts with lower than average levels of precipitation, higher disadvantage, higher population density, or higher annual temperatures do not show beneficial effects of green space.Conclusions: Greenness may be weakly associated with children rising out of poverty in wetter, cooler, less-dense, more advantaged census tracts.

Residential greenness and cardiovascular disease incidence, readmission, and mortality

Background: Living in greener areas of cities was linked to increased physical activity levels, improved mental wellbeing, and lowered harmful environmental exposures, all of which may influence health. However, whether living near urban green spaces may modify the risks of cardiovascular disease incidence, progression, and premature mortality is unclear. We aimed to examine the associations between residential green spaces and the incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and heart failure (HF), post-AMI and HF hospital readmissions, and mortality. Methods: We simultaneously followed four large population-based cohorts in Ontario, Canada, including the entire adult population, adults free of AMI and HF, and survivors of AMI or HF from 2000 to 2014. We estimated residential exposure to green spaces using the satellite-derived observations and ascertained health outcomes using validated disease registries. We estimated the associations using spatial random-effects Cox proportional hazards models. We conducted various sensitivity analyses including further adjusting for property values and performing exploratory mediation analysis. Results: Each interquartile range increase in residential greenness was associated with a 7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4%-9%) decrease in incident AMI and a 6% (95% CI: 4%-7%) decrease in incident HF. Residential greenness was linked to a ~10% decrease in cardiovascular mortality in both adults free of AMI and HF and the entire adult population. These associations remained consistent in sensitivity analyses and were accentuated among younger adults. Additionally, ~53% of the protective association between greenness and cardiovascular mortality was found to be mediated through its effect on AMI and HF. Conversely, living near green spaces was not associated with any delay in readmission or mortality among AMI and HF patients. Conclusions: Living in urban areas with more green spaces was associated with improved cardiovascular health in people free of AMI and HF, but not among individuals already developed these conditions.