Topics applied into action

We wanted to understand the types of gardening for wildlife taking place in London’s private gardens and the influence of demographic factors on the likelihood to garden for wildlife. We sent out a digital questionnaire to ask Londoners about their gardening for wildlife practices and their age, gender, ethnicity, religious beliefs, occupation, household income, accommodation type, home ownership status, garden type, shared garden or not, dependents, and conservation-organisation membership status.

Green spaces bring several health benefits. However, adolescents' infrequent use of green spaces, especially in southern European cities like Porto, can be attributed to cultural and contextual factors, including limited green space, maintenance issues, and equipment scarcity. Thus, there has been a great push to enhance green space provision. However, achieving effective greening interventions requires understanding user perspectives, addressing barriers, and considering various age and socioeconomic groups to ensure universal access and youth-friendly spaces.

Residing in a neighbourhood with higher greenness within 400 metres was associated with higher residential greenspace visitations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Policies towards scaling up and optimising residential greenness may constitute important interventions for enhancing population-level resilience during public health emergencies.

Interventions on riverfronts require close consideration of contextual ecological and social aspects. We adopted a research-by-design process to discuss nature-inspired urban design strategies in an Irish context. • We conducted a desk study of academic literature and urban policies to establish the suitability of various methods for the site characteristics; • We performed site analyses (site observations, footfall counting, photographic documentation) for an in-depth understanding of the existing conditions. We developed urban design scenarios to envision potential approaches, on which public feedback was sought.

Increasing the availability of urban green spaces, even small pocket green spaces, should be considered a promising intervention for reducing depression among older individuals. Beyond 100m, urban green space protection diminishes. WHO recommends that the population have a green space within a 300m radius. However, for older people, this threshold may be too distant. However, not all green spaces confer mental health benefits; therefore, researchers and professionals should consider the differential effects of different categories of greenery.

Our study provides valuable insights by examining the obstacles and viewpoints regarding vertical greenery systems in Delhi. It highlights the technical challenges as significant adoption barriers among built environment professionals. Emphasizing the pivotal role of vertical greenery in climate change mitigation, this research advocates for further scholarly investigation and evidence-based policy formulation. This deepened understanding supports the seamless integration of vertical greenery systems into urban landscapes, fostering sustainability and resilience.

To create cities where both nature and humans thrive, the research outlines how city gardens are interconnected with the surrounding countryside and coast. A hands-on approach is needed to bring more nature into gardens through combining disciplines such as 1) environmental psychologists (unearthing different types of gardeners) 2) the horticultural industry (the know-how) and 3) the marketing/advertising industry (the storytellers). Aggregated actions of domestic gardeners could help policy-makers push for improved biodiversity restoration.

We reviewed the existing research on influencing rewilding behaviour by city residents in their gardens. We used a behaviour-change model to identify intervention and policy strategies that affect residents’ rewilding behaviour. We found that all intervention and policy categories were effective, requiring action across many organisations and areas to drive change.

Our findings highlight how different features including sounds of flowing water, open seating areas, far-reaching views, and a variety of planting (colour, height, texture, scents, attracting wildlife) within a garden influence emotional reactions and perceived restoration. These findings help build a wider picture of the lived experiences of garden users and how their wellbeing may be influenced by specific garden features. We intend our findings to support design guidelines of public greenspaces concerning human wellbeing.

For city planners and policymakers, increasing the tree canopy coverage stands out as the most promising green infrastructure planning/management strategies to contribute to health of campus communities/users. The tree canopy data are also more widely available than most other green infrastructure variables, making its use for the purpose of monitoring, intervention, and assessment feasible for various stakeholders.

As urbanisation continues globally, the interest in urban green space as a provider/supporter of mental well-being is still growing. The question has largely moved on from “Will a walk in the park help with mental well-being?” to “Will a walk in any park do?” Previous research suggested that urban green spaces with rich fauna and flora (i.e. rich biodiversity) improved mental well-being. However, the experimental evidence remains limited.

Our research studies how 16-25-year-old Londoners’ perceptions of parks management practices affect their use of these public spaces. Our aim was to address a knowledge deficit regarding the role of spending time in green space and young people’s mental wellbeing. For policymakers and practitioners aiming to manage parks as health infrastructure, this information is essential, given this cohort is at a critical developmental stage for building mental health resilience.