The Importance of Outdoor Spaces during the COVID-19 Lockdown in Aotearoa—New Zealand

Abstract

The novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and its extensive variants have caused drastic changes to people’s habits and routines in many countries worldwide, including Aotearoa—New Zealand. The levels of lockdown and/or movement limitations affected how people used outdoor spaces, often keeping them away from nature’s benefits. The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures adopted to control it provide an interesting experiment investigating the links between nature exposure, recreational use of outdoor spaces, and people’s health and wellbeing under extreme conditions. Using an online survey distributed during lockdown and based on 212 responses, this article explores the different typologies of the outdoor spaces that people had access to during lockdown and the associated physical activities practised. It investigates how outdoor space affects our emotional response and how such space and related activities can help us cope with confinement. The results of this study enable us to better understand those spatial elements and characteristics of outdoor spaces that are essential to people’s wellbeing, especially in unusual circumstances where access is restricted.

Contemporary issues in acute mental health facility design: insights from the Aotearoa-New Zealand experience

“…Design for the provision of therapeutic outdoor spaces and access to nature Increasingly, the importance of outdoor therapeutic environments is becoming evident (Ferrini 2003;Wilson 2003;Maluleke 2012;Paul 2017). Greater attention needs to be given to the unit external spaces, such as courtyards, in terms of dimension and design (Marques et al 2022b). As seen in the findings of this study, there is a pressing need for these outdoor spaces to be fit for purpose.…”

“…Contemporary trends for acute mental health facilities include a greater variety of spaces, inside and outside, to accommodate the complex range of service user presentations (Weich et al 2002;Galea et al 2005;Mair et al 2008). In particular, there is a need for greater access to therapeutic outdoor spaces that provide for social interaction and contemplation (Liddicoat et al 2020;Marques et al 2022b). New research into the interior architecture of acute mental health facilities has increased focus on the service user experience following recovery models of care.…”

The Role of Courtyards within Acute Mental Health Wards: Designing with Recovery in Mind

“…Exposure to nature is one key aspect of participation in outdoor activities that provides a range of health benefits, including the perception of barriers and relief from stress [ 3 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 ], improved physical health [ 62 , 63 ] and mental wellbeing [ 64 , 65 ]. Time outdoors and time in nature plays a critical role in bolstering resilience to stressors, underscoring the need to facilitate outdoor recreation opportunities, especially during times of crisis [ 66 ]. Whereas even simple exposure to outdoor green space has an effect on a service user’s psyche, for a courtyard to offer meaning and purpose, it must first be sufficiently large to offer a range of experiences.…”

Trends in the development of modern architecture and landscape-architectural environment of Rostov-on-Don and China, considering cultural traditions

“…A conclusion is about the positive impact of open landscape spaces after freedom restriction and the compensatory effect of this environment in restoring the mental and psychological state of people trapped in the conditions of the enclosed location of apartments for a long time. Concrete components and characteristics of the restorative environment, comfortable in its configuration, color scheme, interdependence with neighboring territories, the comfort of stay, access and many other elements that allow people to relax, are applicable and useful for residents of New Zealand and other countries of the world, were studied [7].…”