Caroline Brown

Elements of Urban Form

This chapter provides a common platform for the research presented in this book and is divided into two parts. The first section examines the elements of urban form identified for the purposes of the research and explains how they were measured. The second section profiles the five case study cities and fifteen case neighbourhoods which were the focus for the empirical research discussed in later chapters. These profiles provide an outline of both the urban form and socio-economic characteristics of the areas studied. The chapter concludes with a review of the urban form features of the case study cities and neighbourhoods, and shows how the different physical elements integrate together with socio-economic characteristics.

Cities and health: An evolving global conversation

Abstract The Cities and Health journal sees its launch in 2017. Looking back over half a century of growth and global expansion in economic activity, although there have been societal benefits, negative impacts are starting to take their toll on planetary resources and human health. As we enter what is being termed The Anthropocene, the city is becoming the preferred habitat for humanity. The imprint of city lifestyles, in terms of both resource use and waste, is found across the globe, threatening the ecosystem services that support our health. In cities themselves, due to risks and challenges to health, we are witnessing a rise in non-communicable disease, twinned with infectious disease for the many who live increasingly in informal or slum urban development. High levels of health inequity are found within urban populations. The resultant health problems are placing increasing strain on health services, with pressure only set to increase due to continuing urbanization and ageing populations. Evidence increasingly demonstrates that many aspects of city and neighbourhood form, urban and transport design, and residential environments play an important role in mediating health and health equity outcomes. The new journal Cities & Health is being launched to support political, academic and technical leadership and transdisciplinarity in this field. For this endeavour we will need to re-examine the nature of evidence required before we act; to explore how academics, policy-makers, practitioners and communities can best collaborate using the city as a laboratory for change; and to develop capacity building for healthier place-making at professional and community levels.

Restorative wildscapes at work: an investigation of the wellbeing benefits of greenspace at urban fringe business sites using ‘go-along’ interviews

Abstract The potential well-being benefits associated with the use of privately owned greenspaces in working environments have received little research attention. Given the growing evidence on the restorative benefits of urban greenspace, and the fact that many people spend most of their daily hours at the workplace, the question of whether physical access to green environments from workplaces can promote well-being is a pertinent one. Person–environment relationships in peri-urban business sites were investigated in a series of semi-structured ‘go-along’ interviews with employees at Scottish science parks. Workers described a range of well-being benefits from outdoor breaks and associated these with qualities of the environment. Semi-natural and informally landscaped areas were most strongly associated with restoration during the working day. The implications of the findings for the planning and design of business sites at the urban fringe are explored.

Understanding Knowledge Workers’ Interactions With Workplace Greenspace Open Space Use and Restoration Experiences at Urban-Fringe Business Sites

Growing evidence suggests that work breaks in greenspace may promote the well-being of knowledge-sector workers, yet understanding of person–environment interactions in relation to the outdoor setting of workplaces is underdeveloped. This study investigated relationships between individual factors and both employees’ use of workplace greenspace and the restoration outcomes they experienced from outdoor work breaks, through a questionnaire survey (N = 366) of employees at five urban-fringe science park business sites. A series of regression models suggested that job stress was positively related to levels of greenspace use and restoration benefits; however, the restoration reported by users varied depending on the social context of use. At the same time, key groups less engaged with the greenspace were identified. Finally, the analysis suggests that although some work-related factors may influence person–environment interactions in this context, individuals’ relationship with greenspace appears to transcend the domains of work and home/leisure to a large degree.

Research for City Practice

CITY KNOW-HOW Planetary health and human health are influenced by city lifestyles, city leadership, and city development. Changing the trajectory requires concerted action, and the journal Cities & Health journal is dedicated to supporting the flow of knowledge, in all directions to help make this happen. We are dedicated to supporting communication between researchers, practitioners, policy-makers, communities and decision-makers in cities. The aim of the City Know-how section of the journal is to make research accessible to all, explaining the key messages to and for city leaders, communities and all those professions involved in city policy and practice. In response we would like to hear more about research priorities from those most closely connected with supporting health and health equity through everyday urban lives.