Owen Douglas
Hosted by Birmingham City University (BCU), UK, Well-Being 2016: The third international conference exploring the multi-dimensions of well-being (https://wellbeing2016.org/) took place on the 5th-6th September 2016. In attracting academics and practitioners from wide-ranging disciplines, the conference facilitated a holistic consideration of well-being from multiple perspectives. Exposure to natural environments and green space emerged as a cross-cutting theme for well-being and was reflected in keynote lectures, parallel sessions, poster displays and workshops.
Keynote Lectures
Karen Creavin (Head of the Birmingham Wellbeing Service), discussed the engagement of communities through the promotion of physical activity in civic and green spaces to improve physical well-being. Focusing in particular on disadvantaged communities, Karen explained how the facilitation of physical activity (e.g. exercise, running and cycling) in public spaces is at the core of the service’s Wellbeing Strategy. Through the provision of easy, attractive, timely and social services, Karen demonstrated positive health and social outcomes for individuals and communities.
Professor Claire Freeman (Dept. of Geography, University of Otago, New Zealand) discussed well-being across the age range. Using case studies from her work in New Zealand, Prof. Freeman considered the role of everyday nature encounters in influencing the health and well-being of children and older people. Focusing on private gardens and places close to home, the importance of biodiversity for the creation of spaces which facilitate physical activity, mental escape and social interactions across age groups was emphasised.
Professor Kalevi Korpela (Professor of Psychology, University of Tampere, Finland) considered the relationship between environment and well-being in the context of natural settings and favourite places. He presented some of his key published research which has identified associations between exposure to such places and reduced stress, improved cardio-vascular health, reduced mental fatigue and increased positive emotions. He emphasised the need for increased evidence of the effects of different kinds and qualities of green spaces on mental wellbeing.
Hosted by Birmingham City University (BCU), UK, Well-Being 2016: The third international conference exploring the multi-dimensions of well-being (https://wellbeing2016.org/) took place on the 5th-6th September 2016. In attracting academics and practitioners from wide-ranging disciplines, the conference facilitated a holistic consideration of well-being from multiple perspectives. Exposure to natural environments and green space emerged as a cross-cutting theme for well-being and was reflected in keynote lectures, parallel sessions, poster displays and workshops.
Keynote Lectures
Karen Creavin (Head of the Birmingham Wellbeing Service), discussed the engagement of communities through the promotion of physical activity in civic and green spaces to improve physical well-being. Focusing in particular on disadvantaged communities, Karen explained how the facilitation of physical activity (e.g. exercise, running and cycling) in public spaces is at the core of the service’s Wellbeing Strategy. Through the provision of easy, attractive, timely and social services, Karen demonstrated positive health and social outcomes for individuals and communities.
Professor Claire Freeman (Dept. of Geography, University of Otago, New Zealand) discussed well-being across the age range. Using case studies from her work in New Zealand, Prof. Freeman considered the role of everyday nature encounters in influencing the health and well-being of children and older people. Focusing on private gardens and places close to home, the importance of biodiversity for the creation of spaces which facilitate physical activity, mental escape and social interactions across age groups was emphasised.
Professor Kalevi Korpela (Professor of Psychology, University of Tampere, Finland) considered the relationship between environment and well-being in the context of natural settings and favourite places. He presented some of his key published research which has identified associations between exposure to such places and reduced stress, improved cardio-vascular health, reduced mental fatigue and increased positive emotions. He emphasised the need for increased evidence of the effects of different kinds and qualities of green spaces on mental wellbeing.
Parallel Sessions
There were two sessions on nature-based solutions towards well-being. Talks variously considered the contribution of gardens to mental well-being (both private and institutional) and the wellbeing implications of ‘solo’ interactions with greenspace and nature and the influence of woodlands. The UCD Eco-Health project was outlined and critical comment on the state of knowledge was made. In particular gaps in knowledge, the attribute-descriptive nature of existing research and the challenge of influencing planning policy in the development of health places were discussed. The overlap between public health and sustainability agendas and the importance of green spaces in reducing health inequalities and protecting the environment were considered in the session on visioning and future thinking of well-being scenarios. Alan Carr of Sustainability West Midlands, UK, described a number of case studies in the West Midlands and outlined ambitious targets for physical and mental health outcomes. It is likely that such ambitious outcomes will be difficult to achieve given the gaps in knowledge identified by UCD Eco-Health and others.
Poster Displays
A number of posters dealt with nature and greenspace with titles including ‘A Garden for Active Ageing’, ‘The Practice of Biophilic Design’, ‘Dancing in, with and as Nature’. In addition to the UCD Eco-Health poster – which won the poster competition [click here] – a poster titled ‘Public and Third Sector Collaboration – Can it Really Work’ by Elizabeth Mary Woodcock (Bangor University, UK) set out a plan for research which will engage with the ecosystems services approach.
Workshops
Workshops dealing with nature-based solutions towards well-being were run on both days. A workshop titled The Practice of Biophilic Design was facilitated by Elizabeth Freeman Calabrese (Calabrese Architects, Inc, USA and the University of Vermont, USA). The workshop focused on methods for fostering human and environmental health and well-being using biophilic design. The session was very interactive and provided a good overview of biophilic design and its potential benefits for health and well-being. A useful resource ‘ The Practice of Biophilic Design’ was used and is available for free download here. On the closing afternoon of the conference, a workshop titled Building Well-Being Together: Exploring Strategies for Well-Being Network Development was facilitated by Florence Scialom and Dr Larch Maxey of the Network of Well-Being (NOW). This workshop explored different ways to generate connections and provided a suitable close to a stimulating and thought-provoking conference.
Well-being 2016 brought together multiple disciplines to discuss and debate the concept of well-being from different perspectives. Exposure to green space and nature emerged as an important and cross-cutting focus for well-being. The wide variety of research presented at the conference provides significant support for the ‘green space improves well-being’ argument. However, as emphasised by a number of contributors - including UCD Eco-Health - a better understanding of the type and quality of greenspaces that improve health and well-being outcomes is necessary for planning policy. It is this gap in knowledge that UCD Eco-Health is addressing.
Parallel Sessions
There were two sessions on nature-based solutions towards well-being. Talks variously considered the contribution of gardens to mental well-being (both private and institutional) and the wellbeing implications of ‘solo’ interactions with greenspace and nature and the influence of woodlands. The UCD Eco-Health project was outlined and critical comment on the state of knowledge was made. In particular gaps in knowledge, the attribute-descriptive nature of existing research and the challenge of influencing planning policy in the development of health places were discussed. The overlap between public health and sustainability agendas and the importance of green spaces in reducing health inequalities and protecting the environment were considered in the session on visioning and future thinking of well-being scenarios. Alan Carr of Sustainability West Midlands, UK, described a number of case studies in the West Midlands and outlined ambitious targets for physical and mental health outcomes. It is likely that such ambitious outcomes will be difficult to achieve given the gaps in knowledge identified by UCD Eco-Health and others.
Poster Displays
A number of posters dealt with nature and greenspace with titles including ‘A Garden for Active Ageing’, ‘The Practice of Biophilic Design’, ‘Dancing in, with and as Nature’. In addition to the UCD Eco-Health poster – which won the poster competition [click here] – a poster titled ‘Public and Third Sector Collaboration – Can it Really Work’ by Elizabeth Mary Woodcock (Bangor University, UK) set out a plan for research which will engage with the ecosystems services approach.
Workshops
Workshops dealing with nature-based solutions towards well-being were run on both days. A workshop titled The Practice of Biophilic Design was facilitated by Elizabeth Freeman Calabrese (Calabrese Architects, Inc, USA and the University of Vermont, USA). The workshop focused on methods for fostering human and environmental health and well-being using biophilic design. The session was very interactive and provided a good overview of biophilic design and its potential benefits for health and well-being. A useful resource ‘ The Practice of Biophilic Design’ was used and is available for free download here. On the closing afternoon of the conference, a workshop titled Building Well-Being Together: Exploring Strategies for Well-Being Network Development was facilitated by Florence Scialom and Dr Larch Maxey of the Network of Well-Being (NOW). This workshop explored different ways to generate connections and provided a suitable close to a stimulating and thought-provoking conference.
Well-being 2016 brought together multiple disciplines to discuss and debate the concept of well-being from different perspectives. Exposure to green space and nature emerged as an important and cross-cutting focus for well-being. The wide variety of research presented at the conference provides significant support for the ‘green space improves well-being’ argument. However, as emphasised by a number of contributors - including UCD Eco-Health - a better understanding of the type and quality of greenspaces that improve health and well-being outcomes is necessary for planning policy. It is this gap in knowledge that UCD Eco-Health is addressing.
RSS Feed
