#31 Mental health - what does architecture have to do with it?
The underrated role of urban blue spaces in supporting health and wellbeing
Why the talk is inspiring?
While urban green spaces – gardens, parks, forests – have been extensively studied for their benefits on physical, psychological and social wellbeing, water bodies and their surroundings – blue spaces – have been neglected, despite their important role in most towns and cities and the historic associations of seasides and lakes as recreational, holiday and health-promoting locations. The EU Horizon2020 Project “BlueHealth” addressed that shortcoming and focused on the role of urban planning and design to promote and support health and wellbeing. A set of tools were developed to assist planners and designers in achieving “evidence-based design” for urban blue spaces.
19th November, 7 pm, at National Gallery of Art
2024
Speaker
Simon Bell
How the speaker is exceptional?
Dr. Simon Bell is a landscape architect, Professor of Landscape and Wellbeing at the University of Edinburgh and Chair Professor of Landscape Architecture at the Estonian University of Life Sciences. He has conducted research into a range of aspects related to the role of nature and outdoor spaces on human health and wellbeing, most recently that of water – blue spaces – as part of a Horizon2020 project “BlueHealth”. He has published widely, both books on various aspects of landscape architecture and scientific papers.
RECOMMENDS TO READ
Urban Blue Spaces: Planning and Design for Water, Health and Wellbeing
Simon Bell, Lora E. Fleming, James Grellier, Friedrich Kuhlmann, Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen, Mathew P. White
Why the book is worth reading?
Urban Blue Spaces: Planning and Design for Water, Health and Wellbeing is a major output from the BlueHealth project. It presents an overview of the history, theory and practice of the role of water in human health and wellbeing, followed by a range of tools for capturing the potential for planning and designing blue spaces. It includes a critical appraisal of a number of recent projects from around the world. The book is Open Access and anyone can download a pdf version.
