Category Archives: Health

Dr. Caroline Pearce Presents ACRC Research at Foundations LIVE Webinar

OPENspace Honorary Fellow Dr. Caroline Pearce recently shared her research as part of a Foundations LIVE webinar held on 21 April 2026, contributing to a wider discussion on how housing design can better support relationships, belonging and community across different stages of life.

The webinar brought together researchers and practitioners to explore how homes and neighbourhoods can respond to changing needs, with Dr. Pearce presenting work from the Advanced Care Research Centre (ACRC) project. Her talk focused on the role of neighbourhood environments and communities in shaping wellbeing, and highlighted the Ageing in Place Standard Tool. This emerging tool aims to support policymakers, designers, third-sector organisations and communities in creating environments that enable people to remain connected and supported as they age.

The Foundations LIVE session, funded by the UK Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, reflects growing national interest in innovative housing approaches. Other speakers included Savannah Fishel from the Innovation Unit, who shared her Churchill Fellowship work on intergenerational communal housing.

Professor Simon Bell speaks at University of Manchester workshop on gardening, wellbeing and sustainable urban futures

OPENspace Co-Director, Prof. Simon Bell, was invited to speak at the ‘Connecting through Nature’ interdisciplinary gardening and wellbeing workshop for postgraduate researchers (PGRs) at the University of Manchester on 11^th March.

The workshop, which focused on sustainable gardening and landscape-wellbeing design, explored the relationships between landscape, health, and sustainable urban environments.

Prof. Bell’s lecture, “Connecting Through Nature: Urban Allotment Gardening and Wellbeing in Europe”, drew on insights from the edited volume Urban Allotment Gardens in Europe. The session explored the historical evolution, governance, and socio-ecological significance of urban allotment and community gardens across European cities.

Through comparative case studies, Prof. Bell highlighted how allotments contribute to food security, biodiversity, social cohesion, and cultural identity, while also revealing tensions around land tenure, planning policy, and gentrification.

Alongside the lecture, participants took part in a hands-on gardening activity, creating small plant installations using recycled materials. The workshop combined practical making with shared reflection and research-led discussion, encouraging interdisciplinary dialogue across planning, geography, and architecture.

Connecting through Nature Workshop – Planting session

Webinar: Cities shape how we live — but could they also help us stay healthy?

As the global population shifts toward urban living, non-communicable and lifestyle-related health conditions are increasing. Chronic stress contributes to depression, anxiety, obesity, heart disease, and reduced focus — even among people who appear otherwise well. At the same time, economies are struggling with the rising costs of healthcare. Yet, the gap between what we know and what we do in city design remains immense.

This webinar explores how landscape architecture can help bridge that gap. Bringing together research, practice, and insights from salutogenesis, it will examine how contact with nature and thoughtfully designed urban landscapes can reduce stress, strengthen wellbeing, and support healthier everyday environments.

Date: 25 March 2026
Time: 8 am NZDT
Register: https://lnkd.in/eYepxeXD

OPENspace Expands Its Research Horizons

OPENspace is broadening its research focus beyond urban green and blue spaces, extending its work into a wider range of environments that shape health and wellbeing.

Researchers are currently collaborating on projects exploring the benefits of White Spaces (landscapes dominated by snow and ice), Skyscapes, and Seascapes, including submerged marine environments such as seagrass ecosystems. Together, these initiatives expand how we understand therapeutic and restorative landscapes, from ground level to underwater and even to the skies.

Several proposals are in development, including:

An ESRC proposal examining the healing potential of recreational flying.
An international proposal under the National Natural Science Foundation of China’s International Collaboration Fund for Creative Research Teams, exploring the health dimensions of white space.
An NIHR Greenspace and Natural Environments proposal investigating urban vegetation and health
An ESRC proposal focused on nature and chronic pain.

OPENspace researchers are also participating in the RethinkBlue COST Action, a European network advancing social science perspectives on the Blue Economy.

Together, this work reflects an important evolution in the Centre’s research, extending our environmental lens while continuing to explore how diverse landscapes offer nature-based solutions to enhancing human health and wellbeing.

Launch of The International Journal of Healthy Space: Establishing a Global Platform for Research in Healthy Environmental Design

On 10 January 2025, the first issue launch of The International Journal of Healthy Space (ISSN：3008-0479) was successfully held at Beijing Institute of Technology. The journal is hosted by the Joint Laboratory of Healthy Space between Beijing Institute of Technology and the University of Edinburgh. The launch marks the formal establishment of an international academic platform dedicated to interdisciplinary exchange in the field of healthy space.

Group photo at the launch ceremony
专家集体合影

The event was attended by leading scholars, industry representatives, editorial board members, school faculty, and students. Among them were Professor Simon Bell at the University of Edinburgh, UK Director of the Joint Laboratory, and Editor-in-Chief of the journal; Professor Yang Jianming at Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), Associate Editor of the journal; Professor Yao Jian, Associate Dean of School of Design and Arts of BIT; Associate Professor Li Dihua, Associate Dean of the College of Architecture and Landscape of Peking University; Professor Wang Jinping, former Dean of the School of Architecture at Taiyuan University of Technology and Distinguished Professor at Shanxi University; Mr Yang Jin; Chairman of Beijing Zhongwai Construction & Architectural Design Co., Ltd.; and Mr Zheng Jinbiao, Chairman of Hualin Wells Publishing Group. The event was chaired by Associate Professor Sun Ziwen, Associate Director of the Office of International Affairs at BIT, China Director of the Joint Laboratory, and Managing Editor of the journal.

Founding Vision: Promoting Interdisciplinary Dialogue and Collaboration

Professor Simon Bell outlined the journal’s founding vision. He emphasised that the core objective of the journal is to encourage and disseminate rigorous research that provides clear evidence of the positive impact of design on human health. He expressed his hope that the journal would serve as a bridge connecting scholars from diverse disciplines and cultural backgrounds, working collaboratively to explore effective pathways through which spatial design can enhance public health and well-being.

Academic and Industry Perspectives: Emphasising Research Quality and Talent Development

During the subsequent guest speeches, several experts shared insights from both academic and professional perspectives.

Li Dihua, drawing on his experience as Executive Editor-in-Chief of the journal Landscape Architecture Frontiers and his research background, elaborated on the characteristics of high-quality research. He noted that publishable studies should clearly define specific issues related to healthy space and apply appropriate methodologies to provide new evidence or solutions. He further highlighted the importance of fieldwork and its practical implications for design practice.

From an industry standpoint, Yang Jin discussed the value of academic journals to professional practice. He observed that in the current context of innovation and transformation, in-depth and rigorous research provides an important benchmark for identifying outstanding design talent and innovative ideas. He expressed his expectation that the journal would foster meaningful dialogue between academia and industry, enabling more research-driven design innovations to emerge and be implemented.

Wang Jinping, reflecting on his decades-long systematic research on traditional architecture in Shanxi Province, emphasised the importance of sustained and focused scholarly commitment. He noted that research into healthy spaces likewise requires long-term dedication and “deep cultivation,” and he hoped that the journal would support and showcase academic achievements grounded in extensive investigation and thoughtful reflection.

On behalf of the School of Design and Arts of BIT, Yao Jian delivered closing remarks, affirming the school’s full support for the development of this international collaborative journal. He expressed confidence that it would enhance the discipline’s global influence in the field of healthy design and provide faculty and students with access to cutting-edge academic resources.

Unveiling of the First Issue: A Platform Sets Sail

Simon Bell, together with M Zheng Jinbiao, Yang Jianming, and Sun Ziwen, officially unveiled the first issue of ***The International Journal of Healthy Space***.

The establishment of The International Journal of Healthy Space represents another significant achievement in the deepening collaboration between the Beijing Institute of Technology and the University of Edinburgh in the field of healthy design. The journal will provide professional support for researchers worldwide to share cutting-edge findings and promote knowledge innovation, contributing to the advancement of research and practice in healthy living environments.

Joint Laboratory of Healthy Space: Exhibition of student research and design work

From 9-13 February, 2026 the Joint Laboratory of Healthy Space a collaborative project established between the School of Design and Art at Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT) and OPENspace Research Centre and Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at ECA, held an exhibition of student research and design work at Matthew Gallery in Edinburgh.

The exhibition featured results from the 2024 summer school in BIT, where designs were intended to improve a blue space in Beijing, outputs from the MArch programme at ESALA which feature the design of edge structures along blue spaces, results of the Landscape and Wellbeing programme course on “Landscape design for health and wellbeing” featuring the Union Canal in Edinburgh and doctoral research in landscape architecture which focused on various types of green and blue spaces and their health and wellbeing potential.

Peter Aspinall Memorial Lecture: Recording Now Available

The inaugural Peter Aspinall Memorial Lecture was held on 26th November 2025, marking an opportunity to reflect on the work and legacy of Professor Peter Aspinall and his pioneering contribution to restorative environment research.

The lecture was delivered by Professor Jenny Roe, Mary Irene DeShong Professor of Design & Health and Director of the Centre for Design & Health at the University of Virginia. A former PhD student and long-standing collaborator of Professor Aspinall, Professor Roe explored his influence through the lens of their shared research and mentorship.

Drawing on empirical work developed with multidisciplinary teams at the Universities of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt and other UK institutions, Professor Roe highlighted the new paradigms they helped establish and the lasting global impact of this research on the field of environmental psychology.

The recording of the lecture is now available to watch below.

Launch of the International Journal of Healthy Space

The International Journal of Healthy Space has officially launched, with its first issue now available here. Featuring editorial contributions from Professor Simon Bell, Chief Editor, and Ziwen Sun, Executive Editor, the journal marks an important step in advancing research and practice at the intersection of design and health.

The International Journal of Healthy Space aims to bridge design with the disciplines of health and wellness, fostering collaboration between researchers and practitioners across fields.

Focusing on the core theme of healthy living environments, the International Journal of Healthy Space explores the crucial role of design in promoting health, improving healthcare settings, and enhancing quality of life. The journal places particular emphasis on innovation and application of design in the health field, addressing not only human-centered healthy spaces but also the design and understanding of non-human health environments.

The journal is also inviting submissions for a special issue on the theme of ‘Healthy Urban Landscapes: Designing for Well-being through Evidence and Practice.‘
Aligned with the IFLA Urban Health and Well-being Working Programme 17, this special issue will explore topics including:

Urban environmental stressors and well-being
Lifestyle, behaviour, and urban form
Blue and green infrastructure for health and well-being
Community-based practice

For more information on how to contribute, please visit https://www.hwipgl.com/sys-nd/185.html.

‘Hard facts’ conference rounds off fantastic year of collaboration with Swedish university

On 30th November 2017, Catharine Ward Thompson will give a keynote lecture on greenspace, health and quality of life as part of the ‘Hard facts about soft values’ conference in Stockholm.

Organised by the Movium network at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), the conference is primarily aimed at policymakers and civil servants at a range of levels, from local to national and international.

> Access presentations from the conference, including Catharine’s

The event rounds off a great year for our relationship with SLU, where Catharine received an Honorary Doctorate in October, gave a public lecture which was streamed live online, and was interviewed by Arkitekten journal.

SLU have said “Catharine’s publications on green environments are used extensively in SLU’s landscape education and have also had a big impact in practice. Her research is an inspiration and knowledge base for our own research on the importance of green environments for health and wellbeing, and she is a long-term collaborator with SLU researchers, for example in co-authored publications and in postgraduate education.”

> Watch Catharine’s Honorary Doctorate public lecture online

Catharine receiving her Honorary Doctorate.

Catharine receiving her bespoke Honorary Doctorate’s hat at SLU. The moment was marked by a ceremonial trumpet flourish! Image © Jenny Svennås-Gillner/SLU

This year is a particularly special one for SLU, as it celebrates its 40th anniversary.

It is fitting, then, that 2017 has also seen the announcement of the Stockholm Declaration on Sustaining Resilient and Healthy Communities at the 10th European Public Health Conference which took place in the Swedish capital earlier this month.

Speaking at the conference alongside Kevin Lafferty of Forestry Commission Scotland and George Morris, formerly of NHS Health Scotland, Catharine again outlined the links between greenspace, health, wellbeing and resilience in a workshop on Public Landscapes for Public Health.

This was an excellent opportunity to share emerging findings from our research on Woods In and Around Towns, as well as to showcase the development of Scotland’s Natural Health Service – an example of innovative collaboration between the environment and health sectors in Scotland.

> Find out more about Scotland’s Natural Health Service

It’s not just one way traffic! This month, OPENspace is delighted to have hosted a group of urban planners from Sweden awarded a grant from the Swedish Association of Transportation Planners to study the walkability of Edinburgh.

The group were particularly keen to know more about the Mobility, Mood and Place (MMP) project, which looked at older people’s mobility outdoors and its impact on health and wellbeing.

In findings we’ve shared through a short animation, MMP has found that older people walking between different types of urban environments show changes in their emotional response to place based on brain activity patterns. Green spaces seem to be restorative, offering a respite from the tiring demands that busy urban places make on our directed attention.

Reinforcing what we have found in earlier work, such as Inclusive Design for Going Outdoors (I’DGO), we have found that, when it comes to walkability, the mundane matters and the commonplace counts! Everyday things, such as pavement quality, benches and street lighting, can make all the difference as we get older.

> Watch our short animation on Mobility, Mood and Place

OPENspace research featured in new WHO Europe Action Brief on Urban Green Spaces

The European Regional Office of the World Health Organizaton (WHO) has launched a new Action Brief on Urban Green Spaces, building on extensive research in the field, including a number of studies by OPENspace.

The Action Brief is a beautifully-illustrated suite of practical guidance on how to maximise the health benefits of urban green spaces.

Designed for urban practitioners, it is based on, and summarises, two recent technical reports by WHO Europe:

‘Urban Green Spaces and Health: A review of evidence’ (2016), which cites a number of OPENspace research papers, and has a chapter co-authored by Professor Catharine Ward Thompson and Dr Eva Silveirinha de Oliveira.

‘Urban Green Space Interventions and Health: A review of impacts and effectiveness’ (2017), which includes our I’DGO and Woods In and Around Town (WIAT) projects as examples of how to assess the health benefits of environmental interventions.

Having been cited by the WHO in its 2007 guidance on Global Age-friendly Cities, OPENspace has become a respected source of evidence for the organisation.

As well as citing our research in publications, WHO has invited Catharine to participate in a number of pan-European meetings and conferences, the most recent of which was the fourth European Conference on Biodiversity and Health in the face of Climate Change (Bonn, June 2017) at which she gave a plenary presentation and was interviewed by MDR, together with Bundesamt für Naturschutz (BfN) President, Beate Jessel.

Check out some of the visuals from the publication below, or access the document in full…

> Download the WHO Europe Action Brief on Urban Green Spaces

> Download Urban Green Spaces and Health: A review of evidence

> Download Urban Green Space Interventions and Health: A review of impacts and effectiveness

Photo of a jogger in a park