Research into health benefits of green spaces in cities receives funding

Source: https://grandchallenges.unsw.edu.au/article/research-health-benefits-green-spaces-cities-receives-funding Parent: https://grandchallenges.unsw.edu.au/themes/rapid-urbanisation

Scroll For More

Read

26.05.2020

Research into health benefits of green spaces in cities receives funding

While evidence shows that green spaces perceived to be high quality are more important for our health, little research has been done on which qualities matter and for whom.

Xaioqi Feng

A research project investigating how green spaces can reduce inequalities in mental health and cardiometabolic disease prevention has received $1.45 million in funding from the United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) and National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

Associate Professor Xiaoqi Feng from UNSW Medicine and Professor Richard Mitchell from the Glasgow University (Glas) will jointly lead the project.

The project ‘Better Parks, Healthier for All?’ will harness scientific, clinical and industry expertise in epidemiology, environmental data science, health policy and urban greening to provide evidence on health-promoting qualities of urban green space.

Results will be shared with planners and policymakers to maximise health gains from green spaces in cities across Australia and the United Kingdom.

Lead investigator A/Prof. Feng said she is excited to see the recognition and support for this new research.

“Health in cities is influenced by access to nature, but green spaces vary for a variety of reasons. While evidence shows that green spaces perceived to be high quality are more important for our health, little research has been done on which qualities matter and for whom,” A/Prof. Feng said.

“We will engage with a range of decision-makers and practitioners who are planning and implementing policies to improve the quality of green spaces in cities. Collaborating throughout this project will enable us to co-design and identify through epidemiological analysis which green space qualities improve health and narrow socioeconomic health inequities.”

A/Prof. Feng and her team are one of only five to receive funding in Australia from the UKRI-NHMRC grant, as part of the Built Environment Prevention Research Scheme.

“Given the trend of rapid urbanisation, it is vital to understand how we can (re)design these settings to promote better health for everyone,” A/Prof. Feng said.

The UKRI-NHMRC Built Environment and Prevention Research Scheme supports Australian participation in world-leading research to reduce non-communicable diseases (NCDs) associated with the built environment.

The project brings together senior and emerging researchers from UNSW, Glas, the University of Wollongong, CSIRO, the University of Queensland, and local health districts in Western Sydney and South Western Sydney.

You may be interested in:

[Watch

RUPH Research Network webinar: Ft Dr Caroline Butler-Brown, Executive Director at NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment and UNSW researchers

The webinar, featured Dr Caroline Butler-Bowdon, Executive Director at the Public Spaces in the Place, Design and Public Spaces team at NSW Department of Planning, Industry & Environment who explored walkability and access to quality public, green and open space for New South Wales.](https://youtu.be/ShJA2c9AFrM)

[Read

Underground climate change control: The key to sustainable urban underground development

In recent years, climate activists, academics and media have contributed to an increased awareness of the critical state of the changing climate and the future implications for an inhabitable Ea](/article/underground-climate-change-control-key-sustainable-urban-underground-development)

[Read

Grand Challenge to rethink our subterranean cities

The Grand Challenge on Rapid Urbanisation will establish Think Deep Australia, led by Dr Marilu Melo Zurita, to explore how we can use our urban underground spaces for community benefit.](/article/grand-challenge-rethink-our-subterranean-cities-0)