Knight, Sarah orcid.org/0000-0002-9977-8810, McClean, Colin John orcid.org/0000-0002-5457-4355 and White, Piran Crawfurd Limond orcid.org/0000-0002-7496-5775 (2022) The importance of ecological quality of public green and blue spaces for subjective well-being. Landscape and urban planning. 104510. ISSN 0169-2046
Abstract
There is now considerable evidence that the natural environment provides health and well-being benefits in urban environments. However, little is understood about the role of ecological quality in maximising well-being gains. We examine the relationship between the accessibility of public natural spaces of high ecological quality and two measures of subjective well-being for adults, using the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS), a large, longitudinal panel dataset. We then compare this relationship with that found with all Public Open Spaces, regardless of their ecological quality. We use the designation of Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) as an objective indication of high-quality green- or bluespace, and life satisfaction and mental distress as measures of well-being. We use the Areas of Deficiency dataset from Greenspace Information for Greater London CIC (GiGL) to identify residential areas with more than a 1 km walk from a SINC, based on actual walking routes from known access points. Postcode-level analysis using regression modelling reveals that living beyond a 1 km walk of a SINC decreases an individual’s life satisfaction by 0.117 points on a scale of 1 to 7. No relationship is found for mental distress. We also do not find any significant relationship between either well-being measure and all Public Open Spaces. These findings suggest that the ecological quality of publicly accessible open spaces is important for the well-being of residents in Greater London and highlights the need for improving the provision of high-quality green- and bluespaces in urban areas.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2022 The Author(s) |
Keywords: | Biodiversity,BHPS,GREENSPACE,Bluespace,Nature,Well-being |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Sciences (York) > Environment and Geography (York) The University of York > Faculty of Social Sciences (York) > Social Policy and Social Work (York) > York Environmental Sustainability Institute |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 01 Jul 2022 14:30 |
Last Modified: | 20 Feb 2025 00:10 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2022.104510 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2022.104510 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:188648 |
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Description: The importance of ecological quality of public green and blue spaces for subjective well-being
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