Professor Simon Bell gave a lecture series on research methods to an audience of Master and PhD students at the School of Architecture at Harbin Institute of Technology in July 2026.
This was his 11th continuous attendance to present such a course and his hosts held a special event to mark the 10 years of this collaboration and to acknowledge Simon’s contribution to international cooperation.
This included a video of the highlights of each year, subsequently updated to include 2026.
OPENspace Research Associate, Dr Charlotte Wendelboe-Nelson, recently participated in an online Early Career Researcher (ECR) Impact Roundtable hosted by the PRN Impact Interest Group on 29 April 2026.
The event brought together four ECRs to share and reflect on their individual impact journeys, exploring how they have approached research impact within their PhD studies or recent research projects. Discussions focused on the different strategies and activities researchers have used to support impact, what had worked well in practice, the challenges encountered along the way, and what they might approach differently in hindsight.
During the session, Dr Wendelboe-Nelson spoke about her work on the GroundsWell project and highlighted a Community Researcher Model for engagement and participation in nature-based health interventions.
As part of the roundtable, participants also explored a practical Impact Roadmap as a reflective tool to help structure discussion, identify key learning points, and encourage shared learning across disciplines and research contexts.
The event provided a valuable opportunity for early career researchers to exchange experiences, reflect critically on impact practice, and discuss the realities of embedding impact within academic research.
Dr Wendelboe Nelson’s presentation slides are included below.
PRN_ImpactPresentationV1OPENspace 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 11th 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.
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.
More Information and registration: III Global Summit of Science, Nature & Health | April 9-10 2025
Professor Peter Aspinall
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.
> Joint Laboratory of Healthy Space 2024 Annual Report and 2025 Plan (55.8MB)
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”.
