Back to nature: Norwegians sustain increased recreational use of urban green space months after the COVID-19 outbreak

Venter, Zander S.; Barton, David N.; Gundersen, Vegard; Figari, Helene; Nowell, Megan

doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2021.104175

Cited by 197 publications

(145 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…This includes all open spaces that are covered by vegetation, bare ground, or water (water body surface area further than 500 m off the shoreline was excluded). Cropland was included in our definition of blue-green space, due to the importance of agricultural landscapes for recreational activities [ 5 ]. Nevertheless, we performed a separate analysis with cropland, defined at 10 m resolution by the ESA WorldCover dataset [ 25 ], excluded from blue-green spaces, and found no change in the significance of blue-green mobility as a predictor of COVID-19 growth rates ( Figure S2 ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In some countries (e.g., Italy), stringent interventions such as stay-at-home or shelter-in-place policies restricted human mobility to indoor residential environments, and resulted in significant reductions in visitation to blue-green spaces (non-built-up areas, such as parks, watercourses, and natural areas, often used for recreation) [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]. In other countries (e.g., Norway), less severe mobility restrictions allowed citizens to be mobile outdoors while maintaining physical distance and taking personal precautions, including wearing masks and washing hands [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]. Given the negative consequences that social distancing and home confinement can have on mental and physical health outcomes [ 8 , 9 , 10 ], and the positive influence of time spent in outdoor recreational areas and parks [ 11 , 12 ], it is important to ensure that the benefits of reduced public transmission due to indoor confinement policies outweigh the negative health impacts of reduced outdoor physical exercise and mental recreation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mobility in Blue-Green Spaces Does Not Predict COVID-19 Transmission: A Global Analysis

Venter

Sadilek

Stanton

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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Mobility restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic ostensibly prevented the public from transmitting the disease in public places, but they also hampered outdoor recreation, despite the importance of blue-green spaces (e.g., parks and natural areas) for physical and mental health. We assess whether restrictions on human movement, particularly in blue-green spaces, affected the transmission of COVID-19. Our assessment uses a spatially resolved dataset of COVID-19 case numbers for 848 administrative units across 153 countries during the first year of the pandemic (February 2020 to February 2021). We measure mobility in blue-green spaces with planetary-scale aggregate and anonymized mobility flows derived from mobile phone tracking data. We then use machine learning forecast models and linear mixed-effects models to explore predictors of COVID-19 growth rates. After controlling for a number of environmental factors, we find no evidence that increased visits to blue-green space increase COVID-19 transmission. By contrast, increases in the total mobility and relaxation of other non-pharmaceutical interventions such as containment and closure policies predict greater transmission. Ultraviolet radiation stands out as the strongest environmental mitigant of COVID-19 spread, while temperature, humidity, wind speed, and ambient air pollution have little to no effect. Taken together, our analyses produce little evidence to support public health policies that restrict citizens from outdoor mobility in blue-green spaces, which corroborates experimental studies showing low risk of outdoor COVID-19 transmission. However, we acknowledge and discuss some of the challenges of big data approaches to ecological regression analyses such as this, and outline promising directions and opportunities for future research.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mobility in Blue-Green Spaces Does Not Predict COVID-19 Transmission: A Global Analysis

Venter

Sadilek

Stanton

et al. 2021

IJERPH

Self Cite

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“…Depending on people's intrinsic motivation, visits to a place reflect the relationships between them and the site. For instance, two studies verified that place attachment supports people's use behaviors of small nearby parks by providing positive feelings (60) and health benefits (44). In developing a sense of place identity, place dependence, and place attachment, relationships between people and places become more extensive (61).…”

Section: Place Attachmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, more physical activity has taken place in small nearby urban green spaces rather than in larger but further spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic, and visiting green spaces has changed from unnecessary for residents in the non-pandemic period to essential during the pandemic (19). Venter et al found that increases in recreational activity were sustained for 6 months mainly in protected and cultural landscape areas in Oslo, Norway (44). However, two recent studies showed that UGS usage decreased in some European and North American cities (45), while it increased in some Asian cities (20).…”

Section: Use Behaviors and Green Spacesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Affecting Perceived Health Benefits and Use Behaviors in Urban Green Spaces During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Southern China Megacities

Luo

Hou

et al. 2021

Front. Public Health

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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has alienated people from urban green spaces (UGSs) that have various health outcomes for humans. However, little is known about the influential factors of perceived health benefits and use behaviors in UGSs during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to explore the key factors that influence perceived health benefits and use behaviors in UGSs and to assess the mediating role of place attachment in relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chinese megacities.Methods: We conducted an online questionnaire survey from December 2020 to March 2021 in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, China. Six multiple regression models were constructed to investigate the main factors by which UGSs influence citizens' perceived health benefits and use behaviors. Four mediation models were established using the structural equation modeling (SEM) method to explore the mediating effect of place attachment.Results: A total of 628 questionnaires were included in the analysis. The results revealed that some UGS components (green space access, maintenance, and soundscape) significantly affected perceived health benefits for citizens (physical, mental, and social health) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conversely, use behaviors (frequency of visits, duration of visits, and activity intensity) were mainly affected by the sociodemographic context but less affected by UGS components. In addition, UGS components were found to significantly predict place attachment, which in turn influenced the perceived health benefits, frequency, and duration of visits.Conclusions: This study distinguished the key factors that affect perceived health benefits and use behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic: green space access, maintenance, soundscape, and sociodemographic characteristics. Place attachment still needs to be considered when discussing how to encourage citizens to visit UGSs during the pandemic. These findings provide implications for policymakers and landscape planners regarding design and management measures for UGSs that are conducive to coping with pandemics.

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“…Protected areas (PAs) are spatially defined, recognized (either nationally or, for example, in the World Database on Protected Areas), and effectively managed sites, dedicated to the long-term conservation of biodiversity and natural values with associated ecosystem services and cultural values [1]. Protected areas are generally recognized as an essential measure for the conservation of species and biodiversity [2][3][4], but their importance is also increasingly emphasized in combating climate change [5][6][7][8], contributing to balanced and sustainable socio-economic development [9][10][11][12], preserving traditional and cultural values and landscapes [13][14][15], and as an important element in maintaining people's mental and physical health [16][17][18]. Although conservation areas have been created for thousands of years in various forms and purposes (e.g., conservation of sacred places, game grounds, preservation of mast trees) [19], modern nature conservation and protected areas are considered to be based on ideas and national parks established in the second half of the 19th century in the United States, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand [20,21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Socio-Economic Effects of National Park Governance and Management: Lessons from Post-Socialist Era Estonia

Järv

Ward

Raet

et al. 2021

Land

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Despite the significant increase in protected territory globally, there is a common understanding that the designation of protected areas alone does not guarantee their effectiveness nor halt the loss of biodiversity. In addition to biodiversity conservation, protected areas are expected to perform a number of other functions, such as provide ecosystem services and improve local socio-economic conditions. Therefore, the need to strive towards mixed, decentralized conservation management and stakeholder involvement is increasingly emphasized. Although there is limited research, it has been noted that protected areas have not served wider objectives effectively enough. The current study provides insight concerning socio-economic effects of different governance and management practices of protected areas based on perceptions of residents and stakeholders of five national parks of Estonia. It was found that conservation status has an important impact on local socio-economic conditions largely depending on governance and management practices, resulting in both, positive and negative effects. It was concluded that the centralization of nature conservation and the abolition of protected area administrations have led to a gradual distancing of nature conservation from local conditions and the population, causing concern about the preservation of the living environment.

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Back to nature: Norwegians sustain increased recreational use of urban green space months after the COVID-19 outbreak

Cited by 197 publications

References 46 publications

Mobility in Blue-Green Spaces Does Not Predict COVID-19 Transmission: A Global Analysis

Mobility in Blue-Green Spaces Does Not Predict COVID-19 Transmission: A Global Analysis

Factors Affecting Perceived Health Benefits and Use Behaviors in Urban Green Spaces During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Southern China Megacities

Socio-Economic Effects of National Park Governance and Management: Lessons from Post-Socialist Era Estonia

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