SANITY AND URBANITY BLOG
If you are an academic, urban designer, planner, health professional or citymaker, and would like to submit a blog, please see submission guidelines.
By Edward Kermode, Architectural Assistant at Grimshaw Architects and UD/MH Associate reflects on blue and green space in Fremantle, a suburb of Perth, where he is currently conducting a UD/MH city case study. The correlation between exposure to nature and mental health benefits is arguably one of the more well-supported topics in literature that discuss links between health and the environment. Close proximity to greenery has been demonstrated to lower levels of stress and have positive impact towards users’ wellbeing, with studies have also suggesting that people living near green urban areas can help encourage more physical activity, thereby exerting a positive impact for people suffering with anxiety and depression (Cohen-Cline et. al, 2015). As I pursue my case study of Perth’s urban design in relation to mental health, this post hopes to serve as a snapshot and explore different ways green space is being implemented in one of Perth’s phoenix suburbs, otherwise known as Fremantle. BOTTOM-UP GREEN SOLUTIONS AND PARTICIPATION Fremantle’s newest pocket green-space, developed and built by the local community with council staff The place close to my heart is the City of Fremantle, 22kms south of the Perth CBD in Western Australia. Situated as a port city at the intersection of the Swan River and the Indian Ocean, Fremantle was officially recognised as a leader in sustainability in 2015 when it became the world’s second city to achieve international One Planet Certification, which is an initiative offering a framework to drive sustainable living and green, circular economies. Fremantle’s Strategy 2020 recognises the benefits that green urban environments have towards community cohesion and wellbeing. With an objective to aim that “every resident and worker to have access to public open space within a 400mm walkable catchment”, the Fremantle council have adopted a number of methods and urban design tools to improve better mental health, such as:
Not only are these bottom-up methods developing quick, efficient green solutions in the city, but they are also helping foster social connectivity and cohesion within Fremantle’s urban community – an incredibly important factor in benefitting individual mental health. Encouraging volunteering/community participation offers a sense of wholeness and purpose within their home and thus can offer positive well-being effects. The mere act of getting community members out and about in the sun can benefit mental wellbeing through boosting vitamin D supply, regulating the circadian rhythm and improve quality of sleep. By promoting community engagement as a tool to improve and encourage access to green space, Fremantle’s greening strategies have proven to be successful and continue to improve the opportunities that urban design can bring towards mental health in the area. BARRIERS TO GREEN SPACES IN THESE CITIES However, urban design plays a significant role in the level of access urban communities have to green space; factors such as time, money, distance, and transport accessibility can serve as barriers for green space access. Throughout the urban sprawl of major Australian cities, studies have shown socially-disadvantaged areas had a lesser access to green space, and thereby had less opportunities for the mental health benefits that green space provides. Australia. To combat this spatial inequality, cities such as Perth urgently need to implement improved access towards transit-oriented development and encourage more positive attitudes towards higher-density development. Fremantle has a long way to go in integrating affordable and good-quality higher-density developments with the abundance of green space it offers. BLUE HEALTH = MENTAL HEALTH Quasi-public space along Fremantle’s boardwalks, offering areas of social interaction with views over the water. As a port city, Fremantle is fortunate enough to be situated by both the ocean and river. Along the harbour there are restaurants, cafes, breweries and galleries that offer views over the water. This weekend I found myself having a coffee by the beach, sitting on an innovative piece of urban design that had reused Fremantle’s historic train lines. The water’s edge had attracted everyone from all sorts of age groups; kids dashing around in the sand, students along the benches in the sun, or the elderly peacefully strolling along the boardwalk. Intrigued by the success of Fremantle’s public activity as a low-density suburb, I had to further research into how the use of water in urban design can benefit one’s mental health or wellbeing. Dr. Timothy Beatley, professor at University of Virginia and author of “Handbook of Biophilic City Planning and Design”, has discussed a lot about links between the sea, the city and mental health – terming the idea “Blue Urbanism”. It is no surprise that Fremantle, as a major port town, benefits from its adjacency to the Indian Ocean. One of our UD/MH fellows, Jenny Roe, recently wrote for the Biophilic Cities Journal exploring this idea of blue health within the built environment (Roe 2018). Below I am going to briefly reiterate some of the literature Roe has discussed. Studies have found that people living near coastal environments have lower Body Mass Index compared to people living inland (Wood et al. 2016; Witten et al. 2008). This evidence suggests that increasing users’ accessibility to water can improve one's chances of being physically active, which can have a range of benefits including reducing risk of obesity, diabetes, anxiety and depression. Living in marine or coastal areas has further shown people to report greater levels of happiness (MacKerron and Mourato, 2013); improved life satisfaction (Brereton et al. 2008); and better mental wellbeing (Alcock et al. 2015). Access to blue space has also demonstrated its ability to reduce stress and benefit levels of wellbeing. This is supported from research done by Happy City, Street Plans, Space Syntax, and University of Virginia, which measured heart rate variability and self-reports from subjects who took a walk along a downtown waterfront in West Palm Beach (2015). The study found further positive impacts for water accessibility towards social well-being indicators (social trust and sense of belonging). The mixture of people evident during my brief time down by the Fremantle foreshore most certainly supported these results. If you’d like to learn more about how green space accessibility and mental health go hand in hand, there’s a great literature review called Quality Green Space Supporting Health, Wellbeing and Biodiversity: A Literature Review. Written by Davern et al. (2017), the report offers a succinct summary of the factors involved in the design and delivery of green spaces that promote the health and wellbeing for people, with particular reference towards Australia cities. Another helpful report is Cities, Green Space and Mental Wellbeing by Jenny Roe. In terms of a specific focus on blue space, Beatley’s “Blue Urbanism” book and Roe’s feature article in the BCJ report on evidence-based studies that demonstrate how access to water within urban design can create positive mental health benefits. REFERENCES Astell-Burt, T, Feng, X, Mavoa, S, Badland, HM, & Giles-Corti, B 2014, 'Do low-income neighbourhoods have the least green space? A cross-sectional study of Australia's most populous cities', BMC Public Health, vol. 14, p. 292. Available from: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-292. [20 May 2018]. Badland, H, Whitzman, C, Lowe, M, Davern, M, Aye, L, Butterworth, I, Hes, D, & Giles-Corti, B 2014, 'Review: Urban liveability: Emerging lessons from Australia for exploring the potential for indicators to measure the social determinants of health', Social Science & Medicine, vol. 111, pp. 64-73. Available from: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.04.003. [20 May 2018]. Beatley, T 2014, Blue urbanism : exploring connections between cities and oceans, Washington, DC : Island Press, [2014]. Brereton, F., Clinch, J.P., Ferreira, S. (2008). Happiness, geography and the environment. Ecol. Econ. 65: 386-396. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2007.07.008. Duncan, G, Cohen-Cline, H, Cohen-Cline, H, Duncan, GE, & Turkheimer, E 'Access to green space, physical activity and mental health: a twin study', JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH, vol. 69, no. 6, pp. 523-529. Happy City, University of Virginia, Street Plans Collaborative and Space Syntax (2017). Happier by Design. https://thehappycity.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/STC-reportfinal-version-v.5.pdf. MacKerron, G., Mourato, S. (2013). Happiness is greater in natural environments. Glob. Environ. Chang. 23: 992–1000. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2013.03.010. Roe J (2018). Blue Cities for Better Health. Biophilic Cities Journal. Witten, K., Hiscock, R., Pearce, J., Blakely, T. (2008). Neighbourhood access to open spaces and the physical activity of residents: a national study. Prev. Med. 47: 299–303. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18533242. Wood, S.L., Demougin, P.R., Higgins, S., Husk, K., Wheeler, B.W., White, M. (2016). Exploring the relationship between childhood obesity and proximity to the coast: a rural/ urban perspective. Health Place 40: 129–136. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2016.05.010. About the Author
22 Comments
Alex Chrissy
6/30/2021 07:31:20 am
DR SAYO HERBAL HEALER HAS THE CURE TO ALL DEADLY DISEASE/VIRUS AND ILLNESS.Hello everyone, i don't know the reason why some people is finding it difficult to believe that there is a cure for herpes virus, i was browsing the internet searching for help when i came across lot of testimonies shared by a lot of people on how Dr. sayo cured diabetes, cancer, hiv/aids, fibrold, hsv, pad, hpv, etc.... i was so much in need of getting his treatment so i contacted Dr. sayo and told him i have herpes since last 3 years and then Dr. sayobrought smile to my face with his herbal medicine i am happy that i am cured from herpes with herbal medicine prepared by Dr. sayo the great herbal healer, i am so much happy today that we have someone like this great healer out there, so everyone out there kindly contact this great healer on his email address: sayoherbalhealer@gmail.com or whatsapp him on: +2349012175679 visit his website: http://sayoherbalhome.com/
Reply
Alex Chrissy
6/30/2021 07:35:47 am
DR SAYO HERBAL HEALER HAS THE CURE TO ALL DEADLY DISEASE/VIRUS AND ILLNESS.Hello everyone, i don't know the reason why some people is finding it difficult to believe that there is a cure for herpes virus, i was browsing the internet searching for help when i came across lot of testimonies shared by a lot of people on how Dr. sayo cured diabetes, cancer, hiv/aids, fibrold, hsv, pad, hpv, etc.... i was so much in need of getting his treatment so i contacted Dr. sayo and told him i have herpes since last 3 years and then Dr. sayobrought smile to my face with his herbal medicine i am happy that i am cured from herpes with herbal medicine prepared by Dr. sayo the great herbal healer, i am so much happy today that we have someone like this great healer out there, so everyone out there kindly contact this great healer on his email address: sayoherbalhealer@gmail.com or whatsapp him on: +2349012175679 visit his website: http://sayoherbalhome.com/
Reply
Mato Ray
3/29/2022 01:30:13 am
I'm just too happy that everything is in place for me now. I would gladly recommend the use of spell to any one going through marriage problems and want to put an end to it by emailing Dr Emu through emutemple@gmail.com and that was where I got the help to restore my marriage. Whatsapp +2347012841542
Reply
Shannon Mattingly
4/4/2022 06:38:54 am
I live in USA, ohio, I have to give this miraculous testimony, which is so unbelievable until now. I had a problem with my Ex husband 2 years ago, which lead to our break up. I was not myself again, i felt so empty inside me, my love and financial situation became worst, until a close friend of mine told me about a spell caster who helped her in the same problem too her name is Dr Unity I emailed the spell caster and i told her my problem and i did what she asked of me, to cut the long story short. Before i knew what was happening , less than two days my husband gave me a call and told me that he was coming back to me i was so happy to have him back to me. The most interesting part of the story is that am pregnant. Thanks to Dr Unity for saving my marriage and for also saving others own too. Continue your good work Dr Unity.. If you are interested to contact the great spell caster.Here his contact...WhatsApp: +2348055361568 ,
Reply
Mary Counts
8/22/2020 04:42:26 am
I can’t believe this. A great testimony that i must share to all HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS patient in the world i never believed that their could be any complete cure for Herpes or any cure for herpes,i saw people’s testimony on blog sites of how Dr Wealthy prepare herbal medicine that cure and brought them back to life again. i had to try it too and you can,t believe that in just few weeks i started using it all my pains stop gradually and i had to leave without the pills the doctor gave to me. Right now i can tell you that few months now i have not had any pain,delay in treatment leads to death. Here is his email:(wealthylovespell@gmail.com) whatsapp him with +2348105150446 visit blog http://wealthyspellhome.over-blog.com
Reply
Darlene Treger
12/29/2020 01:10:57 am
HERBAL DR EMU WHO PREPARE HERBAL MEDICINE TO CURE ALL KINDS OF DISEASES INCLUDING HERPES DISEASE.
Reply
2/9/2021 07:31:36 am
A great vaccine is waiting for you. Do you know which vaccine it is? It is this blog.
Reply
2/9/2021 07:42:37 am
To keep healthy you must obey the rules of hygiene. If you read the blog carefully you must know about it. Recommended it.
Reply
Caillo Lisa
6/4/2021 01:41:05 pm
This is another testimony on how Chief Dr Lucky cured my HIV disease. Do you need a cure for your HIV disease? Do you want to be cured from your cancer disease? Or you want to be free from any type of disease. Kindly visit his website https://chiefdrluckyherbaltherapy.wordpress.com/ , he just cured my HIV disease and I’m very grateful to him, he is the only herbalist that can cure you.
Reply
Alex Chrissy
6/30/2021 07:31:36 am
DR SAYO HERBAL HEALER HAS THE CURE TO ALL DEADLY DISEASE/VIRUS AND ILLNESS.Hello everyone, i don't know the reason why some people is finding it difficult to believe that there is a cure for herpes virus, i was browsing the internet searching for help when i came across lot of testimonies shared by a lot of people on how Dr. sayo cured diabetes, cancer, hiv/aids, fibrold, hsv, pad, hpv, etc.... i was so much in need of getting his treatment so i contacted Dr. sayo and told him i have herpes since last 3 years and then Dr. sayobrought smile to my face with his herbal medicine i am happy that i am cured from herpes with herbal medicine prepared by Dr. sayo the great herbal healer, i am so much happy today that we have someone like this great healer out there, so everyone out there kindly contact this great healer on his email address: sayoherbalhealer@gmail.com or whatsapp him on: +2349012175679 visit his website: http://sayoherbalhome.com/
Reply
Alex Chrissy
6/30/2021 07:36:09 am
DR SAYO HERBAL HEALER HAS THE CURE TO ALL DEADLY DISEASE/VIRUS AND ILLNESS.Hello everyone, i don't know the reason why some people is finding it difficult to believe that there is a cure for herpes virus, i was browsing the internet searching for help when i came across lot of testimonies shared by a lot of people on how Dr. sayo cured diabetes, cancer, hiv/aids, fibrold, hsv, pad, hpv, etc.... i was so much in need of getting his treatment so i contacted Dr. sayo and told him i have herpes since last 3 years and then Dr. sayobrought smile to my face with his herbal medicine i am happy that i am cured from herpes with herbal medicine prepared by Dr. sayo the great herbal healer, i am so much happy today that we have someone like this great healer out there, so everyone out there kindly contact this great healer on his email address: sayoherbalhealer@gmail.com or whatsapp him on: +2349012175679 visit his website: http://sayoherbalhome.com/
Reply
Michael DeBruin
8/27/2021 06:00:04 am
My wish right now is that God should continue to bless Dr Emu for his good works towards the life of those people who are heart broken. My name is Michael DeBruin and I am from the USA, it's been a while since my lover's attitude changed from being the caring type she has been to me, but later turned out not to be caring at all. But not long, I later discovered that my lover was having an affair with someone else. and also she told me she doesn't need me after all we pass through then a friend told me about a spell caster. that with the spell I will get back my woman, I took his cell number then called him and also what's-app him which he reply to me and I did some sacrifices to the spell man and he bought the items for me which he used for the sacrifices and later called me that before 48 hours my love will come back to me and now we are more in love with each other than ever. you can reach him on WhatsApp +2347012841542 or reach him via mail ; emutemple@gmail.com , my lover returned back and broke up with the other guy she was having a relationship with... Thank you Dr Emu.
Reply
Aaron Jeremy
10/4/2021 01:26:17 am
CHIEF DR LUCKY HERBAL THERAPY
Reply
Erwen wilson
10/24/2021 01:52:54 pm
LOVE SPELL FOR BROKEN RELATIONSHIP AND MARRIAGE WHATSAPP +19085174108
Reply
Emma Ava
12/4/2021 04:30:05 pm
I want to appreciate the great work of Dr USELU, i have been diagnosed of HIV virus for 3 years, i have lose all hope that there is a cure and i have been taking medicine to sustain myself not until i got to know about Dr USELU, i contacted him and he sent me his herbal medicine which i took as prescribed by him for some days and i went to the hospital after finishing the herbal medicine. To my greatest surprise i was confirmed HIV Negative after years of being positive, it is indeed a miracle.You can contact him for help. he can also cure the following (1) BRAIN TUMOR (2) LUPUS (3) CANCER (4) HSV-1 (5) HPV (6) HERPES (7) PAD (8) DIABETES etc.. his whatsapp number: (+2347052898482) email: dr.uselucaregiver@gmail.com his website: https://druseluherbalhome.simdif.com/
Reply
Jolena Martins
12/12/2021 06:37:18 pm
ONLINE MOST POWERFUL LOVE SPELL CASTER DR JUMBA +19085174108
Reply
2/9/2022 12:17:40 am
Fake Driving Licence UK Welcome to Novelty DMV Experts Best Producers of High Undetected Drivers License . We produce two types of documents qualities.
We have the Real registered Fake birth Drivers License and good quality Fake Driver License will be verify from any other country with no problems involved, meanwhile with the camouflage quality Fake drivers License , non of your biometric details will be under the government system, but it can not be detected as fake with naked eyes, except with the use of machines.
Reply
Mariam Robert
2/11/2022 03:26:51 pm
I want to share my wonderful testimony how I got back my husband back, who I sworn ever to be with until when he left me to another woman for no reason and I try to make things work for both of us yet things were getting worse and I love him so much and there is nothing I could do to get my husband back until I saw a testimony share by a woman called Lauren from Australia on the internet talking about a powerful spell caster who brought her husband back within 24 hours and I decide to give it a try and to my greatest surprise he also did it for me just as he did for Lauren and I have a lot of people complaining of fake spell caster but this one I met was a real spell caster who help me to solve my problem I have no solution to, I introduce many of my best friends that have a similar problems, and their problem were solve with the great help of DR Jumba, who help them to get back their lovers within 24 hours. I am so happy that my husband is back to me again, and the most surprising thing is that our love is very strong, every day is happiness and joy. and There is nothing like being with the man you love. I am so happy my love is back to me with the help of DR Jumba . if you have similar problem I will advise you to contact him ,he is there to help you and put a smile on your face as he did to me and others you can also WhatsApp him +1(908) 517-4108 or Email him at : wiccalovespelltools@gmail.com or view his website for more review https://drjumbaspellhome.wordpress.com
Reply
Shannon Mattingly
3/25/2022 10:11:53 pm
Reply
Flora Hyde
4/17/2022 01:44:13 am
I would gladly tell you all that I was able to put an end to my divorce issue and restore my marriage again, because I never wanted it to happen. I don't know what came over my husband that he was filing for divorce, i tried to talk him out of it but he didn't listen to me, i had no other option than to seek the help in any where I could think of and went to the length of contacting Dr.Jumba and now am glad I did ask for help from him. Because if not for the help Dr. Jumba, I don't know what would have become of my marriage now because I loved my husband so much that I couldn't stand losing him. The spell worked like magic with the way and manner my husband changed and started showing love instead of the divorce he was planning. I'm just too happy that everything is in place for me now. I would gladly recommend the use of spell to any one going through marriage problems and want to put an end to it by emailing Dr.Jumba through his website on https://drjumbaspellhome.wordpress.com/ and that was were i got the help to restore my marriage you can email or text him Via : wiccalovespelltools@gmail.com or +27651108524
Reply
Wilson Fox
6/9/2022 02:01:22 am
I suffered from what they called peripheral artery disease (PAD). I have been suffering for years, Me and my wife searched for a medical cure, and then we came across a testimony of a man who suffered the same and was cured by Dr Chief Lucky. So my wife and I contacted Dr Chief Lucky via an email and thank God he replied. I explained what was wrong and he sent me herbal medicines that helped heal me completely. I am happy to say that herbal medicine is the ultimate and Dr Chief Lucky I am grateful. You can contact him on his email: chiefdrlucky@gmail.com or whatsapp: +2348132777335, Facebook page: http://facebook.com/chiefdrlucky or website: https://chiefdrlucky.com/. Dr Chief Lucky said that he also specializes in the following diseases: LUPUS, ALS, CANCER, HPV, HERPES, DIABETES, COPD, HEPATITIS B, HIV AIDS, And more.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Sanity and Urbanity:
|