Prof Simon Bell has been invited to join a working group set up by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to provide recommendations on the prevention of drowning, one of the leading causes of death worldwide.
While there are many aspects to consider, the planning and design of water areas in landscapes to make them accessible while maintaining safety is an important task for landscape architects. Following his work on BlueHealth, Prof. Bell joins the group as an expert in designing waterfront environments.
We are delighted to announce that Professor Jenny Roe has joined the Edinburgh College of Art as the Visiting Professor. Jenny was a Honorary Research Fellow in the OPENspace Research Centre previously.
“I’m thrilled that ECA has appointed me as a Visiting Professorship almost 20 years after I started my PhD in Edinburgh. Some of the most innovative research of my career to date has been with colleagues from the Universities of Edinburgh and Heriot Watt, and I’m very much looking forward to new research collaborations with old and new colleagues alike.”, Jenny shared.
Professor Catharine Ward Thompson gave the opening Keynote presentation at the 4th World conference on Forests and Parks for Public Health in Luxembourg on 21st May 2025. Her paper, entitled Ecological Public Health: the future of Salutogenic Landscapes, was presented to an international audience of academics and policy-makers/ practitioners from 34 different countries.
Join OPENspace Research Centre co-director Professor Simon Bell in the III Global Summit of Science, Nature and Health where he will discuss with Dr Keeren Sundara Rajoo (Malaysia) , Kirsten McEwan (United Kingdom) and Chia-Pin (Simon) Yu (Taiwan) about the topic of Recent Advances in Forest Bathing and Forest Therapy Research. The Summit runs from 9-10 April and the seminar will be held on 9th April, 12pm London time.
We regret to announce the death of Peter Aspinall in 2024. Peter was latterly Honorary Professor at the University of Edinburgh and Emeritus Professor of Environmental Studies at Heriot-Watt University. With expertise in environmental psychology and visual science, he worked in the Schools of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at Edinburgh College of Art for a number of years, becoming ECA Director of Research in 1997 before moving to Heriot-Watt University in 2000. Peter continued to work actively for many years with the two research groups he co-founded: OPENspace Research Centre (with Professors Catharine Ward Thompson and Simon Bell), focusing on inclusive access outdoors, health and the environment; and VisionCentre3 (with Professor Bal Dhillon), focusing on vision and quality of life, based in the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion, NHS Lothian.
Peter is remembered for his expertise and dedication to innovative research of the highest integrity as well as his kind and inspiring mentorship of a great many staff and students in their research careers.
The first Annual Report of the Joint Lab of Healthy Space between the University of Edinburgh and the Beijing Institute of Technology has been published. It highlights the main activities and achievements of 2024 and presents the plans for the coming year.
Congratulations to our researcher Antonio Ross-Perez, who graduated with his PhD on “Data Analytics and Society” from the University of Manchester in December 2024 with his thesis titled “Integrating Data and Simulation Towards a Mobility Services Decision-Support System”.
On 30 October 2024 Professor Simon Bell, who was awarded his personal chair in Landscape and Wellbeing in 2023, gave his inaugural lecture entitled “The role of landscape in supporting human health and wellbeing: what is this and how does it work?” The lecture showed how the human relationship with nature and landscape developed over time, the research undertaken by Simon together with colleagues in OPENspace and elsewhere and some of the challenges ahead. Simon wove into this story some elements of his career which intersected with and helped to build up his work, starting out as a forester and going on to become a landscape architect. The lecture was recorded and can be viewed at this link: Inaugural Lecture – Professor Simon Bell – Media Hopper Create
As the number of older people increases around the world, it is important we create the environments that ensure everyone has the opportunity to live a long and healthy life. In this new research, we look at how key aspects of the places we live across the whole of our lives can support healthy ageing.
Watch our new video showing how research led by CRESH, working with LBC1936 and OPENspace, explores the way key aspects of the places we live across the whole of our lives can support healthy ageing.
OPENspace Research Centre co-director Professor Catharine Ward Thompson will present some of the OPENspace research and understandings at The Landscape of Public Health – FOLAR Annual Symposium 2024 on 2nd November.
