Green and blue spaces

What do we mean by green and blue spaces?

Green and blue spaces are natural and semi-natural areas, which includes local pocket parks, wild groves and meadows as well as ponds, canals, lakes and coastlines. Our neighbourhoods should provide everyone with access to a variety of different green and blues spaces, allowing us to feel more connected to nature in our everyday lives and leaving space for wildlife, too. Green and blue spaces also provide opportunities for social contacts and help to improve community cohesion.

Most of the country is covered in green space. More than 90% of the UK consists of pasture, arable land, forests, moors, wetland, natural spaces and the green spaces within our towns and cities. [38] This green space can be brought into neighbourhoods as green corridors along river valleys, canals and former railway lines. It can form a network linking natural spaces within urban areas along with parks and formal green spaces such as school grounds, sports pitches and cemeteries.

For disabled people and older adults, the design of green spaces is as important as being in close proximity to them. Structural barriers in the design of street furniture, provision of amenities and the accessibility of wayfinding (the use of colour, signage and other design elements to help people find their way around) can all contribute to exclusion, [39] therefore the design of green and blue spaces must be considered with these communities in mind.

How does this affect health and wellbeing?

Access to, and engagement with, green and blue spaces is widely associated with positive health outcomes, such as improved physical and mental health, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, risk of mortality and other chronic conditions. [40] Green and blue spaces also provide opportunities for social contacts and help to improve community cohesion. Research shows that opportunities to engage with nature, conduct physical activity and interact with our wider community, all of which contribute to our wellbeing, are influenced by the safety and accessibility of urban green spaces. [41]

Further evidence shows that people experience less mental distress, anxiety and depression, improved wellbeing and productivity levels, and reduced stress levels when living in urban areas with greater levels of green space. [42] For physical activity, running in a park is associated with a more restorative experience when compared to the same exercise in an urban environment. [43] Community health can also be improved through access to green spaces. [44]

Much like green spaces, there are positive associations of blue space with mental health, improved social interaction, increased physical activity and stress reduction. [47] It is important to note that the presence of urban green or blue space is not enough to secure the desired health outcomes. Important elements that need to be considered are maintenance, access, perceived security aspects, cultural and socio-economic barriers. [48] Social interactions promoted through areas in the urban environment such as gardens, parks, allotments, green paths and other areas of public use with grass, provide essential meeting and gathering points. [45] And linked to this are the clear economic benefits of creating employment, hosting economic activities (such as cafés or events) and encouraging inward investment. [46]

Case study

Connection to nature: Icknield Port Loop, Birmingham

Port Loop is a 43-acre urban neighbourhood nestled in the meander of the Birmingham Canal Old Line and a few minutes walk from Edgbaston Reservoir.

A hierarchy of open spaces caters to a range of activities across the neighbourhood. The canalside public park was completed in 2019. The high-quality landscape consists of a geometric network of concrete paths which meander through playful grass mounds, swales, planted areas and trees.