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Designing Urban Green Blue Infrastructure for Mental Health and Elderly Wellbeing

Author

Listed:
  • Maria Beatrice Andreucci

    (“Sapienza” University of Rome, Via Flaminia 72, 00196 Rome, Italy)

  • Alessio Russo

    (School of Arts, University of Gloucestershire, Francis Close Hall Campus, GL50 4AZ Cheltenham, UK)

  • Agnieszka Olszewska-Guizzo

    (NeuroLandscape Foundation, Suwalska 8/78, 03252 Warsaw, Poland
    Institute for Health Innovation & Technology (iHealthtech), National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore 117599, Singapore)

Abstract

The main objective of this essay is to illustrate the state-of-the-art on ‘mental health-sensitive’ open space design in the built environment. Urban Green Blue Infrastructure can contribute to urbanites’ mental health and wellbeing as well as healthy aging, while providing co-benefits balancing the negative impacts of climate change, through the provision of integrated ecosystem services. There are a number of ways that exposure to and affiliation with Nature have shown to support mental health, but we are still missing the necessary evidence of the actual benefits achieved, as well as the key performance indicators and metrics to monitor and adapt our open space to the growing urban challenges. After introducing the key concepts of degenerative mental disorders as they are growing in the urban environment, and the emerging green blue infrastructure design approach, the authors present international case studies describing how evidence-based design and Nature-based Solutions have been found to be beneficial, especially to those diagnosed with mental disorders. Subsequently, in a comparative critical analysis, the authors look closer at a number of design solutions capable, at different scales, to support healthy aging through exposure to, and affiliation with, biodiversity.

Suggested Citation

  • Maria Beatrice Andreucci & Alessio Russo & Agnieszka Olszewska-Guizzo, 2019. "Designing Urban Green Blue Infrastructure for Mental Health and Elderly Wellbeing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-14, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:22:p:6425-:d:287291
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    13. Juntti, Meri & Ozsezer-Kurnuc, Sevda, 2023. "Factors influencing the realisation of the social impact of urban nature in inner-city environments: A systematic review of complex evidence," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 211(C).
    14. Natalia Fumagalli & Elisabetta Fermani & Giulio Senes & Marco Boffi & Linda Pola & Paolo Inghilleri, 2020. "Sustainable Co-Design with Older People: The Case of a Public Restorative Garden in Milan (Italy)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-21, April.
    15. Marta Chàfer & Anna Laura Pisello & Cristina Piselli & Luisa F. Cabeza, 2020. "Greenery System for Cooling Down Outdoor Spaces: Results of an Experimental Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-12, July.
    16. Monica Bolognesi & Enrico Toffalini & Francesca Pazzaglia, 2023. "Perceived Psychological Restorativeness in Relation to Individual and Environmental Variables: A Study Conducted at Poetto Beach in Sardinia, Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-18, February.
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    18. Giuseppe T. Cirella & Alessio Russo, 2019. "Special Issue Sustainable Interdisciplinarity: Human–Nature Relations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-5, December.
    19. Hongjie Xie & Qiankun Wang & Xilin Zhou & Yiping Yang & Yuwei Mao & Xu Zhang, 2021. "Built Environment Factors Influencing Prevalence of Hypertension at Community Level in China: The Case of Wuhan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-18, May.

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