Impact of a riverside accessibility intervention on use, physical activity, and wellbeing: A mixed methods pre-post evaluation

A Transdisciplinary Approach to Recovering Natural and Cultural Landscape and Place Identification: A Case Study of Can Moritz Spring (Rubí, Spain)

“…In the present case study, framed in a less urbanized area and with a strong presence of natural environment, the location and identification of the least preferred landscapes signalled the community’s concerns, including signs of water pollution and algal blooms, which proved to be minor problems compared to the signs of a lack of stewardship and the presence of ongoing vandalism. The visual map helped to concentrate the project efforts on the least preferred areas and to obtain visible changes that would, at the same time, facilitate the accessibility of the green–blue area, which is a critical point according to the literature [ 17 , 21 , 50 ].…”

“…In a randomized crossover study including office workers, we also observed evidence of the positive effects for wellbeing and mood of walking for 20 min alongside a blue space, in this case, the beach [ 56 ]. In yet another recent study, we showed that facilitating access to a river and improving the area translated into an overall increase in the users of an urban riverside after renovation; that the proportion of females, adults, children and ethnic minority users increased; and that locals perceived the river to be beneficial for their health and wellbeing [ 17 ]. We even estimated the derived health benefits of improving the ecological quality of a river area and facilitating access to it, and the amount of money saved by the public health system owing to this intervention [ 21 ].…”

“…Bearing this in mind and considering that a recent study observed that there is an exponential relationship between the residential distance to green and blue spaces and visits to these sites [ 20 ], it is crucial to conduct interventions co-created with affected individuals and communities in order to ensure the availability of good-quality nearby green and blue spaces. Moreover, such interventions can reduce the inequality of access to such environments and, in turn, reduce health and environmental inequalities, as we have shown in recent intervention studies [ 17 , 21 ].…”

“…In this sense, the concept “therapeutic landscape” was coined in 1992 to explore why specific environments seem to contribute to a healing sense of place [ 14 , 15 ]. Besides, access to nature is an even more critical factor [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. Bearing this in mind and considering that a recent study observed that there is an exponential relationship between the residential distance to green and blue spaces and visits to these sites [ 20 ], it is crucial to conduct interventions co-created with affected individuals and communities in order to ensure the availability of good-quality nearby green and blue spaces.…”

Understanding the contexts and mechanisms of bluespace prescription programmes implemented in health and social care settings: a realist review

“…However, duration could be a modifying factor for nature engagement . Duration of BPPs should be matched with patients' gender (Alejandre and Lynch, 2020;Vert et al, 2019;Elliott et al, 2018), age (Alejandre and Lynch, 2020;Garrett et al, 2019;Helbich et al, 2019;Dempsey et al, 2018), ethnicity (Leeworthy, 2001;Wolch and Zhang, 2004), and health conditions (Wood et al, 2016;Amoly et al, 2014). Increasing choices for BSAs such as dragon boating (Britton et al, 2020), recreational SCUBA diving (Dimmock, 2009), open water swimming (van Tulleken et al, 2018;Huttunen et al, 2004), and cycling near blue spaces (Roberts et al, 2018;Mackay and Neill, 2010;Pretty et al, 2007) could promote inclusivity and attract enrolment and engagement of many individuals with different personal characteristics and health needs.…”