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Project title

Ecosystem Benefits of Greenspace for Health (ECO-Health)

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

Health Service Executive (HSE)

Lead Organisation

University College Dublin (UCD)

Lead Applicant

Mark Scott

Project Abstract

For many people in Ireland, the benefits of economic development have come with the cost of having physical activity and options to connect with nature designed out of daily life. This is compounded by a tradition of spatial planning that has prioritised a range of issues above greenspace access and the separation of health policy from policy interventions surrounding the natural and built environments. As a result, many people now live in �obesogenic environments� that hinder the integration of physical activity into daily routines and diminish the psychological well-being arising from contact with the natural world. However, recent years have witnessed an increasing recognition of the ecosystems services supplied by high quality greenspace in promoting health and well-being across all age and socio-economic cohorts. Consequently, this research has two key aims: (1) to develop a robust evidence-base concerning the roles played by access to greenspace in promoting health/well-being among all social cohorts, and (2) to mobilise this evidence-base into user-friendly policy, planning and design tools for developing and implementing greenspace policies. The proposed research advances the perspective that accessible greenspaces are core elements of green infrastructure provision as they are fundamental to the health and well-being of thriving communities. The research aims to deliver a series of user-friendly/policy-orientated and academic outputs to maximise research impact. Key research deliverables include: � State of knowledge Report: including review of international academic literature and best practice to provide an evidence base for action � Annotated bibliography: providing an additional resource for practitioners to access information on best practice, policy context, and conceptual approaches. � Baseline Report on National Practice: to provide a benchmark report and to identify deficits and future pathways towards health promoting environments. � Summary Report of Case Study Analysis: to provide novel empirical data � �How to� Guidance Document: to provide a concise, user-friendly document targeting decision-makers � Final Report, Synthesis report and Summary research findings During the project, a series of novel community �pop-up� events will be organised to directly communicate research findings and to provide participatory fora for examining greenspace potential. Post-project, the project team are proposing a series of Continuing Professional Development Workshops with key professional stakeholders involved with delivering greenspace, and the project team will maintain a website as a resource for practitioners and communities. In addition, the project will produce a minimum of five journal articles in leading international journals and 3 conference papers.

Grant Approved

�232,596.60

Research Hub

Healthy Environment

Research Theme

Health and well being

Start Date

01/02/2016

Initial Projected Completion Date

01/02/2018