Approved in 2018, the municipality’s Green Network Plan informs best practices for protecting and managing open space as an interconnected system across the Halifax Region. One of the objectives of the plan is to promote parks and open spaces for health, well-being, sense of community and overall quality of life. The municipality partnered with the Public-Health Central Zone of the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) to review health and science research and produce this information to highlight the health benefits of being in nature.
The benefits of greenspace
Greenspaces such as parks, natural areas and community gardens promote physical, mental, and social health and well-being for all communities.
- Greenspace, including parks, natural areas, and community gardens promotes physical activity and decreases the risk of obesity and stress.
- Spending time in nature helps expectant mothers grow healthy babies.
- While the risks associated with outdoor play are minor, children are becoming less active as a result of increased technology use and safety concerns from parents.
- Greenspaces such as parks and community gardens bring people together and offer social opportunities to prevent loneliness.
- Youth who spend time in greenspaces are exposed to neighbours from all walks of life and have an enhanced sense of empowerment, empathy, social skills, and confidence. Greenspaces promote a sense of community which is important for health and well-being.
- In contrast, lack of greenspace can cause feelings of loneliness and low social support.
- Exposure to greenspaces has a restorative effect and can improve your mood.
- Children who are active in nature show resilience, self-control, critical thinking, and are less likely to develop psychiatric disorders such as mood and sleeping disorders.
- Access to greenspace can be an effective part of therapeutic treatment for people with chronic and mental illnesses (including anxiety disorder, depression, ADHD).
- Parks and outdoor recreation opportunities are an important physical activity resource for low-income residents.
- Equitable access to and use of greenspace and outdoor recreation can minimize health disparities.
Dadvand et al. 2014. Inequality, green spaces, and pregnant women: Roles of ethnicity and individual and neighbourhood socioeconomic status. Environment International. 71. 101-108.
Engemann et al. 2019. Residential green space in childhood is associated with lower risk of psychiatric disorders from adolescence into adulthood. PNAS. 116(11). 5188-5193.
Jennings et al. 2016. Advancing sustainability through urban green space: Cultural ecosystem services, equity, and social determinants of health. International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health. 13(2). 196.
Mitchell et al. 2015. Neighbourhood environments and socioeconomic inequalities in mental well-being. American Journal of Preventative Medicine. 49(1). 80-4.
Participaction et al. 2017. Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play. Retrieved from Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play
Rugel, E. 2015. Green Space and Mental Health: Pathways, Impacts, and Gaps. National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health at British Columbia Centre for Disease Control.
Townsend et al. 2015. Healthy Parks Healthy People: the state of the evidence 2015. Prepared for Parks Victoria.
Wolch et al. (2011). Childhood obesity and proximity to urban parks and recreational resources: A longitudinal cohort study. Health Place. 17 (1), 207-14.