The development of a tool for assessing the environmental qualities of urban blue spaces

Mishra, Himansu S.; Bell, Simon; Vassiljev, Peeter; Kuhlmann, F.; Niin, Gloria; Grellier, James

doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2019.126575

Cited by 47 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Whilst some indicators of coastal and beach quality may be transferable to certain freshwater environments, such as large lakes with beaches and shorelines, many are specific to marine settings and are, therefore, inadequate for assessing freshwater blue space quality. Currently, the BlueHealth Environmental Assessment Tool (BEAT) is the only dedicated tool for assessing the quality of coastal and freshwater blue space (Mishra et al, 2020). BEAT uses a questionnaire-based approach to examine physical, social, aesthetic and environmental aspects of blue space, which relate to opportunities for improved health and well-being.…”

Section: Freshwater Blue Space Qualitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Freshwater blue space and population health: An emerging research agenda

McDougall

Quilliam

Hanley

et al. 2020

Science of The Total Environment

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Growing evidence suggests that access and exposure to water bodies or blue spaces can provide a variety of health and well-being benefits. Attempts to quantify these "blue-health" benefits have largely focused on coastal environments, with freshwater blue spaces receiving far less attention despite over 50 % of the global population living within three km of a body of freshwater and populations living in landlocked areas having limited coastal access. This critical review identifies opportunities to improve our understanding of the relationship between freshwater blue space and health and well-being, and outlines key recommendations to broaden the portfolio of emerging research needs associated with the field of blue-health. Recognising fundamental distinctions in relationships between health outcomes and access and exposure to freshwater versus coastal blue space is critical. Furthermore, research to determine the mechanisms that link exposure to freshwater blue space with tangible health outcomes is needed, and in particular an understanding of how such mechanisms vary across the wide spectrum of freshwater environments present in landscapes. Current methods for quantifying access and exposure to freshwater blue space often fail to account for the unique spatial properties of freshwater and come with a variety of limitations. Based on the findings of this review, a suite of research needs are proposed, which can be categorised into three broad themes: (i) establishing a freshwater blue-health methodological framework; (ii) advancing the empirical freshwater blue-health evidence base; and (iii) promoting freshwater blue-health opportunities. When taken together, these research themes offer opportunities to advance current understanding and better integrate freshwater blue space into the wider nature-health research agenda.

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Section: Freshwater Blue Space Qualitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Freshwater blue space and population health: An emerging research agenda

McDougall

Quilliam

Hanley

et al. 2020

Science of The Total Environment

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“…When considering social aspects of surfing in terms of health benefits, there is literature concerning the therapeutic benefits of blue space [ 69 , 70 ]; yet surfing studies are relatively novel [ 71 , 72 ]. These results support how surfing might challenge complexities around personal identity and social/cultural norms and in particular, hydrophilic place-based “belonging” narratives [ 73 , 74 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ocean Literacy and Surfing: Understanding How Interactions in Coastal Ecosystems Inform Blue Space User’s Awareness of the Ocean

Fox

Marshall

Dankel

2021

IJERPH

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Intergovernmental policy is targeting public ocean literacy to help achieve the societal changes needed to reach a sustainable ocean agenda within a 10-year timeframe. To create a culture of care for the ocean, which is under threat from Anthropocentric pressures, informed ocean citizens are central to upholding meaningful actions and best practices. This research focuses on recreational ocean users, specifically surfers and how their blue space activities may inform understanding of ocean processes and human-ocean interconnections. The Ocean Literacy Principles were used to assess ocean awareness through surfing interactions. An online survey questionnaire was completed by 249 participants and reduced to a smaller sample focus group. Qualitative and quantitative data were triangulated to develop further understanding of surfer experiences, using the social-ecological systems framework to model surfing outcomes. The results found that surfers indeed receive ocean literacy benefits, specifically three out of the seven Ocean Literacy Principles and that ocean literacy is a direct benefit many surfers in the sample group receive. By identifying synergies between the Ocean Literacy Principles, variables within coastal ecosystems and user (surfer) interactions, this research offers novel insight into opportunities for integrating ocean sustainability strategies through blue space activity mechanisms and coastal community engagement.

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“…Beyond the VPM, a second survey would have been useful to complete the impact evaluation cycle. However, due to limited resources, we could not conduct an observational survey to evaluate the actual use of the studied site (e.g., using the SOPARC tool [ 65 ] or others designed by the BlueHealth project [ 66 , 67 ]); this information would also have been valuable for estimating the levels of physical activity and understanding the new activities and social interactions occurring in the Can Moritz spring area. The postintervention survey took place a few weeks before the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020; this limited the number of people who could participate in the survey, as most did not reply before the lockdown and, therefore, their visits to the site would have been biased.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Cervera

Bell

Muñoz

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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The perception of the quality of green and blue spaces can be key in the relationship between a community and its local landscape (i.e., place identification). The lack of transdisciplinary training and social-specific education of landscape architects regarding the complexity of landscape as a participative cultural artefact limits reaching the general population. Bridging this gap of landscape and place identification and evaluation by a local community was the main objective of the present case study conducted at an abandoned spring and seasonal stream area in Rubí (Spain). The “Steinitz method” of landscape evaluation was used as a participatory method to activate community members to learn about and express their visual preferences regarding this neglected landscape. Bottom-up interventions applying an “urban acupuncture” approach in the area identified as the least attractive by the residents were co-designed and combined with a top-down restoration of a nearby, existing but derelict and hidden, spring. In addition, before and after planning and implementing the intervention, we conducted surveys about the community perception, sense of belonging and use of the space. We observed that the lack of awareness of the inhabitants about this spring was an obstacle preventing the community from embracing the potential for health and wellbeing presented by the spring and adjacent landscape. Following the work, the landscape saw increasing use, and the historic spring was brought back to life as a resource to help people to improve their health and wellbeing.

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The development of a tool for assessing the environmental qualities of urban blue spaces

Cited by 47 publications

References 46 publications

Freshwater blue space and population health: An emerging research agenda

Freshwater blue space and population health: An emerging research agenda

Ocean Literacy and Surfing: Understanding How Interactions in Coastal Ecosystems Inform Blue Space User’s Awareness of the Ocean

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

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