Greenspace

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Spending time at the beach or taking a walk in the park can help us recover from the mental and physical impacts of life’s stresses. But physical distancing measures to contain COVID-19 have included closing beaches, playgrounds and parks, adding to the challenges to our mental health. When we stay home to flatten the curve, how can we help ourselves by taking advantage of the benefits associated with nature?
The evidence for nature supporting human well-being has grown in recent decades. We researched the links between nature and urban residents’ well-being and found there are benefits of nature that we can still enjoy now, even in lockdown. Our findings point to some of the ways we can improve our well-being by engaging with everyday nature close to home.
1. A room with a view
We reviewed the evidence, collected survey data on self-reported well-being and biodiversity indicators, and organised focus groups in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, and Auckland and Wellington, New Zealand, to better understand participants’ relationship with urban nature.
If you’re stuck at home, the good news is there is plenty of research that suggests a view through a window of vegetation or a body of water can provide a micro-break. A view of nature through a window has even aided hospital patients’ recovery from surgery. A short, 40-second glance at a green roof supports cognitive restoration better than a view of concrete.
Our research found urban residents had greater self-reported well-being when they had nature nearby or visible from their homes. Participants valued a view of vegetated areas – green space – and bodies of water – blue space. One participant said:
I could live in something that was pretty grim if it had a balcony that looked out [at nature].
Participants in our focus groups also highlighted the importance of seeing changes in the natural world, such as change in the weather or the seasons. Even if your view does not have a lot of vegetation or water, a view of the sky can allow engagement with nature’s dynamism.
2. Gardening – indoors and out
If you’re lucky enough to have a yard or balcony, now may be a good time to do some gardening. Gardening can offer benefits such as reductions in stress, anxiety and depression. As a physical activity, gardening can also improve physical fitness and support weight loss.
Gardens can also provide habitat for wildlife, potentially introducing you to new plants, pollinating insects and birds. Urban biodiversity benefits us too.
Our study found strong links between gardening and self-reported well-being. If you don’t have a yard, gardening on a balcony or tending to indoor plants also has benefits. One participant explained:
Having a small vegetable garden and flowers in pots makes me feel happy and content … It is wonderful to see things grow in the city.
Gardening in a yard, on a balcony, or even tending indoor plants does us good. Peter Lead, Author provided
3. Green exercise
We know exercise is good for physical fitness and mental health. “Green exercise”, or exercise that takes place in and around nature, can improve your mood and self-esteem.
Our study found strong links between how often urban residents exercised and their self-reported well-being. One participant described how important green exercise is to them:
Being able to walk my dog down at the beach or go up into the hills is a great stress relief and keeps me fit and healthy and, best of all, it’s free.
Another participant described exercising in a public park:
I feel significantly calmer, [my] breathing rate goes down. I love the feel of that moist air going into my lungs from all the trees and I really do feel different.
To limit infection, residents of cities around the world are subject to a range of national and local constraints on when and how they leave the house to exercise. It is important to follow physical distancing guidelines, but it is also important to exercise rather than be both isolated and sedentary.
Urban nature now and for the future
Nature can support our well-being now, when we all could use the help, but we need to protect it. Climate change talks have been postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is clear climate change has not stalled, even taking into account the effect of lockdown on emissions.
There are lasting ways to reduce our emissions and create low-carbon and cooler cities. And the earlier we act, the better the outcomes will be.
If you have a yard, planting trees might be a good lockdown activity now and will ultimately benefit your future.
Taking time to notice nature – via a glance outside, tending plants in pots or gardens, or via green exercise – will improve your well-being. Appreciating nature and having access to it has never been so important.The Conversation
Lucy Taylor, Assistant Researcher, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, University of Melbourne; Dieter Hochuli, Professor, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, and Erin Leckey, Research Scientist, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

3 ways nature in the city can do you good, even in self-isolation

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Around the world, the vast majority of people are flocking to cities not to dwell in their centres but to live in the new suburbs expanding their outer limits.
Reflecting this, from 2000 to 2015, the <a href="https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2017/goal-11/" target="_blank">expansion of urbanised land worldwide outpaced urban population growth</a>. The result is <a href="https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2017/" target="_blank">unprecedented urban sprawl</a>.
Expansive suburbs of single-family, freestanding housing are ubiquitous in countries such as Australia, the US and the UK. Most Australians still <a href="https://theconversation.com/becoming-more-urban-attitudes-to-medium-density-living-are-changing-in-sydney-and-melbourne-84693" target="_blank">aspire to own a large detached house</a> in the suburbs.
Public resistance to so-called infill development is unlikely to be overcome without a major change in how cities approach urban densification. We <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030296001" target="_blank">advocate greenspace-oriented development</a>, or GOD, which provides substantial, public green spaces to serve surrounding higher-density neighbourhoods.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/299805/original/file-20191101-187907-jwuiia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/299805/original/file-20191101-187907-jwuiia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Greenspace-oriented development correlates urban densification with significant, upgraded public green spaces. Author provided
We love our leafy suburbs
The “Australian dream” of owning your own home is often automatically associated with a detached house on a block of land. It’s seen as a mark of having “made it”.
For instance, a <a href="http://www.dhw.wa.gov.au/News/Pages/hwc.aspx" target="_blank">study in Perth</a> found that, if they had the money, 79% of people would prefer a separate dwelling and 13% a semi-detached option. Only 7% preferred flats, units or apartments.
Evidently, the suburban dream runs deep in the Australian cultural psyche. Australia is not alone in this. As a result of widespread preference for suburban living, globally we are not in the age of urbanisation but rather the age of suburbanisation.
Despite the enduring popularity of suburban life, several emerging crises threaten its dominance. These include the <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-protect-fresh-food-supplies-here-are-the-key-steps-to-secure-city-foodbowls-114085" target="_blank">destruction of agriculturally productive</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/squandering-riches-can-perth-realise-the-value-of-its-biodiversity-63933" target="_blank">biodiverse land</a> around expanding cities, <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-city-workers-average-commute-has-blown-out-to-66-minutes-a-day-how-does-yours-compare-120598" target="_blank">ballooning commuting times</a> and service and public transport <a href="https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2019/08/australian-infrastructure-expensive/" target="_blank">infrastructure costs</a>, and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/private-renters-are-doing-it-tough-in-outer-suburbs-of-sydney-and-melbourne-120427" target="_blank">concentration of socio-economic vulnerabilities</a> in outer suburbs. These areas also <a href="https://theconversation.com/living-liveable-this-is-what-residents-have-to-say-about-life-on-the-urban-fringe-111339" target="_blank">have poorer access</a> to jobs.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/299804/original/file-20191101-187938-1d9yuix.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
The problems of sprawl: contractors clear once biodiverse land on the edge of Perth for a new suburb. Author provided. Photo courtesy of Donna Broun, Richard Weller
Why infill efforts are failing
To limit urban sprawl, the emphasis in most cities worldwide is on increasing urban density. In pursuit of infill development, planning strategies have focused mostly on <a href="http://www.tod.org/" target="_blank">transit-oriented development</a>. This approach focuses on higher-density development around public transport nodes and corridors.
Despite the widespread adoption of this ideology in Australia, many cities are <a href="https://dusp.mit.edu/publication/infinite-suburbia" target="_blank">not achieving</a> their <a href="https://uwap.uwa.edu.au/products/made-in-australia-the-future-of-australian-cities" target="_blank">infill targets</a>. In part, this is because transit-oriented development strategies suggest an “<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1745-5871.2006.00374.x" target="_blank">inflexible, over-neat vision</a>” of cities at odds with their “increasing geographical complexity”.
Much of the infill that has been achieved is through indiscriminate and opportunistic subdivision of individual suburban lots by “mum and dad” investors. This “<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07293682.2016.1245201" target="_blank">background infill</a>” fails to achieve infill targets, does not reduce car use, erodes urban forests, and aggravates local communities. This has led to community resistance (the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Not-in-My-Backyard-Phenomenon" target="_blank">NIMBY</a> factor) and what one council official referred to as a “<a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/city-limits-why-australias-cities-are-broken-and-how-we-can-fix-them/" target="_blank">public sullenness</a>”.
Higher density with a green focus
The principles of transit-oriented development are well established and valid. However, we <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030296001" target="_blank">contend</a> that we need a complementary strategy, greenspace-oriented development, for achieving infill development. This approach would correlate urban densification with substantial, upgraded public green spaces or parks that are relatively well served by public transport.
Greenspace-oriented development builds upon the now well-recognised <a href="https://theconversation.com/higher-density-cities-need-greening-to-stay-healthy-and-liveable-75840" target="_blank">array of benefits</a> of green spaces for urban dwellers. Most importantly, it underpins approaches to making our cities more sustainable and liveable.
Australian suburbs do generally contain a reasonable number of parks. But these are typically underdesigned and underused. Many parks offer minimal amenity, often little more than large stretches of irrigated lawn and a scattering of trees.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/299807/original/file-20191101-102207-1w2nlod.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/299807/original/file-20191101-102207-1w2nlod.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Before and after: in greenspace-oriented development, density and natural amenity are interwoven. Images courtesy of Robert Cameron. Author provided
We suggest redesigning parks to increase the naturalness, ecological function and diversity of active and passive recreational uses, which in turn can support higher-density urban areas. Indeed, it should increase the value of neighbouring real estate. With rezoning, this should enable greater local densification that is both commercially viable for developers and more attractive for residents.
Residents would then have an incentive to support well-designed infill development. When completed, each of these upgraded parks operates as a multifunctional, communal “backyard” for residents of a surrounding higher-density urban precinct.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/299806/original/file-20191101-102182-1ncjsyg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/299806/original/file-20191101-102182-1ncjsyg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
Before and after: parks become multifunctional communal ‘backyards’ for people living at a higher density around the park. Author provided
The lure of suburbia clearly remains strong for people around the world. If planners are to deal with the problems of sprawl, they need to increase urban density in a way that resonates with the leafy green qualities of suburbia that most people desire (at very least in Australia).
Transit-oriented development ideology relies on a false presumption that residents will trade the benefits of nature for the benefits of urbanity. We require a new vision of urban densification that responds to the urban, societal and ecological challenges of the 21st century and aligns with people’s preference for suburban living near nature.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/126204/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
Julian Bolleter, Deputy Director, Australian Urban Design Research Centre, University of Western Australia.
Cristina E. Ramalho, Research fellow, University of Western Australia.<a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-western-australia-1067" target="_blank"></a>
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/god-save-us-greenspace-oriented-development-could-make-higher-density-attractive-126204" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Greenspace-oriented development could make higher density attractive

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GUEST OBSERVATION
With the re-election of the Berejiklian government, New South Wales now has a minister for public spaces, Rob Stokes. This portfolio was <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/your-government/the-premier/media-releases-from-the-premier/new-minister-for-public-spaces-protections-for-public-land-150-million-for-new-parks/" target="_blank">first mooted in February</a>, when the premier announced one of the new minister’s tasks would be to identify and protect publicly owned land for use as parks or public spaces.
As important as this task is, we need even more ambition in this portfolio. Public space is crucial to the social, economic, political and environmental life of our towns and cities. As well as increasing the quantity of public spaces, we need to improve their quality.
Here are ten priorities for government action to make our public spaces more plentiful and more accessible to all.
1. Rein in privately owned public spaces
From Barangaroo to Bonnyrigg, public spaces in new urban developments are often owned and controlled by private developers. The public has little say over the rules that govern these spaces and how those rules are enforced. Restrictions are often excessive, and private security guards are <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/security-company-apologises-after-reporter-accosted-at-malcolm-turnbull-event-20181118-p50gqi" target="_blank">known to overstep their powers</a>.
The minister for public space should <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/jul/24/revealed-pseudo-public-space-pops-london-investigation-map" target="_blank">map the extent of privately owned public spaces</a> and ensure these are governed by the same, democratically determined laws that cover publicly owned public spaces.
2. Strategic purchases of private land
As well as identifying publicly owned land that could be used for parks or public spaces, the minister should identify privately owned land that could be acquired for the same purpose. The <a href="https://www.glebesociety.org.au/?socialhistory=glebes-waterfront-history-the-last-40-years" target="_blank">gradual purchase of harbour foreshore property in Glebe</a> has resulted in a wonderful and well-used foreshore walk. Similar opportunities to create public space networks should be identified and planned.
3. Unlock the gates
Too much publicly owned public space is under-utilised because it is locked up. Across the city, ovals and public school playgrounds are fenced off from the public for much of the year when they are not in use. We own these spaces – when they’re not in use for sport or school, we should have access to them.
As minister for education, Stokes recently trialled a program of <a href="https://education.nsw.gov.au/news/announcements/schools-to-throw-open-gates-for-community-use" target="_blank">opening some school playgrounds during school holidays</a>. This should be done across the city. And councils should be required to show cause if they want to restrict access to any public spaces they own.
4. Stop the temporary enclosures
A growing number of park authorities and local governments are doing deals with private companies to <a href="https://theconversation.com/private-events-help-fund-public-parks-but-theres-a-cost-too-21343" target="_blank">temporarily fence off public spaces for commercial activities</a>. Sometimes they do this for days, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/paul-keating-to-peter-garrett-dont-dance-on-sydneys-sacred-land-20171110-gzizzy" target="_blank">sometimes for weeks</a> and even months. They do it because they’re short of funds and need the revenue.
While programming events in public spaces can help attract crowds, we must halt the creeping logic of commercialisation, which results in us being charged money for access to our own spaces. The minister for public space should ensure park authorities do not need to depend on commercial funding for survival.
5. Maintain footpaths
The quality of footpaths makes a world of difference for many people. Think of parents with prams, little kids, people with mobility issues, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/eight-simple-changes-to-our-neighbourhoods-can-help-us-age-well-83962" target="_blank">older people</a> for whom falls are a big health risk. Our footpaths need to be wide and their surfaces even. They also need to incorporate places to rest.
The capacity of local governments to maintain footpaths is <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/australias-richest-suburb-theyre-swimming-in-it-20140103-309o8" target="_blank">highly uneven</a>. Public spaces in wealthy areas are gold-plated, while in other parts of the city footpaths are too often in poor condition or non-existent. The minister must think about the role that state government can play in evening things out, assisting local governments where required.
6. Provide public toilets
As with footpaths, the provision of public toilets can make the difference between going out or staying at home for many people. The minister should <a href="https://toiletmap.gov.au/find/New%20South%20Wales/Sydney" target="_blank">use existing data</a> to audit the provision and accessibility of public toilets in public spaces across the city, identify gaps and fund improvements where required.
7. Less private advertising, more public expression
While <a href="https://theconversation.com/view-from-the-hill-the-uncivil-mr-jones-104549" target="_blank">advertising on the Opera House generated controversy</a>, the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/why-the-creeping-sell-off-of-public-space-for-private-ads-is-so-wrong-20181008-p508el" target="_blank">creeping spread of commercial advertising in public space</a> is also of concern. All this advertising is commercialising our public spaces and crowding out other forms of public expression – from neighbourhood notices about community events and lost cats to murals and street art.
The minister should work with local governments to limit the amount of advertising in public space, and extract more public good from any advertising revenues raised in public space.
8. No more sniffer dogs and strip searches
The policing of public spaces makes a huge difference to its accessibility. Exclusionary policing strategies – especially the use of drug sniffer dogs and <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/rise-in-strip-searches-in-nsw-damaging-the-credibility-of-police-20190213-p50xew" target="_blank">rising use of strip searches</a> – should be stopped.
These tactics are not only put to work at festivals, but also around train stations and entertainment precincts. They are <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-03/fact-check-are-drug-dogs-incorrect-75-pc-of-the-time/10568410" target="_blank">ineffective in leading to prosecutions</a> and are too often used to shame, intimidate and harass people without basis.
The minister for public space needs to challenge the minister for police about this form of policing.
9. Care not control
This is not say that safety is unimportant. We know that <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-create-safer-cities-for-everyone-we-need-to-avoid-security-that-threatens-93421" target="_blank">fear of harassment and assault stops some people using public space</a>, not least women who often experience this.
However, we must not equate “feeling safe” with “more police” and “more surveillance cameras”. Indeed, sometimes these can have the perverse effect of making people feel less safe, by producing atmospheres of threat.
We feel safer when there are others around caring for the space. So, the minister should investigate ways to encourage these forms of care. Simple measures like later opening hours for neighbourhood shops, or staff on railway platforms and train carriages, can make a big difference.
10. Plant more trees
We need <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/news/one-million-urban-trees-808352/" target="_blank">more trees in our public spaces</a> – not just in parks, but on residential and commercial streets too. This is especially important in parts of the city where summer temperatures are already extreme for weeks at a time. Not only do trees help to cool these spaces, they also encourage more biodiversity and combat carbon emissions.
The minister should establish, and fund, a meaningful target for tree planting in public spaces.
This list of suggestions is far from exhaustive. But these reforms and others ought to be on the drawing board as the minister for public space sets about his new work.
It must be hoped this new portfolio is more than a tokenistic attempt to create the appearance of action on public space, in the face of criticism of this <a href="https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/researchpapers/Documents/Privatisation%20in%20NSW%20-%20a%20timeline%20and%20key%20sources.pdf" target="_blank">government’s record on privatisation of public assets</a>.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/115152/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
Kurt Iveson, Associate Professor of Urban Geography, University of Sydney
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-minister-for-public-spaces-is-welcome-now-here-are-ten-priorities-for-action-115152" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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New minister for public spaces is welcome – now here are 10 priorities for action

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Heatwaves have killed more Australians than <a href="https://ama.com.au/ausmed/heatwave-health-warning" target="_blank">road accidents</a>, fires, floods and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1462901114000999" target="_blank">all other natural disasters combined</a>. Although <a href="https://theconversation.com/forget-heatwaves-our-cold-houses-are-much-more-likely-to-kill-us-83030" target="_blank">recent research</a> shows extreme cold is a worry in some parts of Australia, <a href="https://theconversation.com/2018-19-was-australias-hottest-summer-on-record-with-a-warm-autumn-likely-too-112616" target="_blank">our hottest summer on record</a> points to more heat-related deaths to come. The <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-stubborn-high-pressure-system-behind-australias-record-heatwaves-110442" target="_blank">record heatwaves</a> have highlighted the damaging effects of heat stress. Understandably, it’s becoming a major <a href="https://ama.com.au/ausmed/heatwaves-nation%E2%80%99s-deadliest-natural-disaster-0" target="_blank">public health challenge</a>.
The risk of extreme heat events and the adverse impacts on older people has been extensively <a href="https://jech.bmj.com/content/64/9/753.short" target="_blank">discussed in research</a>. Remarkably, very little attention has been paid to the role of urban greenery in reducing heat stress for seniors.
Older people are particularly at risk of heat stress. Pre-existing medical conditions and limited mobility increase their vulnerability. <a href="http://www.cmaj.ca/content/182/10/1053.short" target="_blank">Deaths of older people increase</a> during extreme heat events.
The physical features of urban areas shape the capacity of older adults to engage in many activities when it’s hot. These include vegetation volume and coverage, <a href="https://theconversation.com/building-cool-cities-for-a-hot-future-57489" target="_blank">thermal design</a>, and the extent of shading in public areas and walkways. Increasing urban greenery may offer a way to improve older people’s comfort and social experience.
Ageing adds urgency to greening
It is expected <a href="http://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/ageing/" target="_blank">20% of the global population</a> will be older than 60 by 2050. The figure for Australia <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mediareleasesbyTopic/2CA2134677EF9D03CA257C2E0017283B?OpenDocument" target="_blank">is even higher</a>, at 23%. This means that by 2050 around one in four Australians will be more vulnerable to extreme heat.
Climate change may make the problem worse by <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749379708006867" target="_blank">fuelling even more extreme heat</a> events.
Planning our urban centres to meet the needs of a <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/older-people/older-australia-at-a-glance/contents/demographics-of-older-australians" target="_blank">rapidly ageing population</a> is a matter of urgency. Urban greening to reduce their vulnerability to heat stress should be central to this agenda. It can also improve people’s quality of life, reduce <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1353829208001172" target="_blank">social isolation and loneliness</a>, and ease the burden on health systems.
An important task is matching the design of communities with the needs of an ageing population. Where older adults live and the quality of their local areas strongly influence their lived experiences. Yet <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0885412217704649" target="_blank">recent research</a> found the experiences of seniors were often not accounted for in research on neighbourhood design.
What about aged care?
People face choices about where they live as they age. The common choices are to “<a href="https://theconversation.com/for-australians-to-have-the-choice-of-growing-old-at-home-here-is-what-needs-to-change-91488" target="_blank">age in place</a>” or to move into aged care.
Ageing in place includes living in one’s own home or <a href="https://theconversation.com/co-housing-works-well-for-older-people-once-they-get-past-the-image-problem-79907" target="_blank">co-habiting with relatives or friends</a>. Around 90% of Australian seniors <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/research/completed/housing-decisions-older-australians/housing-decisions-older-australians.pdf" target="_blank">choose this option</a>, with the remainder opting for aged-care facilities.
If one in ten Australian seniors live in aged-care facilities, it is clear these should be designed to minimise heat stress. This isn’t just good for residents; it may also benefit operators by lowering health-care and electricity costs.
While these facilities are purpose-built for older people, many in Australia were built well over a decade ago, when heat stress was not such a large concern. Many more facilities are being built now and will be into the future. Yet it is uncertain whether they are being actively designed to reduce the impacts of heat.
What has our research found?
We recently conducted a focus group to investigate this issue. Participants were senior managers from four large corporate providers of aged care in Australia. We investigated if and how providers try to minimise heat stress through design. We also sought to understand the rationales used to support these design approaches.
Several participants reported on refurbishments that they expect will have cooling effects. Cited design approaches included green roofs and walls, as well as sensory gardens. Other expected benefits included reducing anxiety and improving the mental health of residents.
The fact that single design interventions could produce multiple benefits improved the potential for corporate buy-in. Participants expected that increasing green space and green cover would give their facilities a competitive advantage by attracting more clients and providing a better working environment for staff.
Participants also reported on challenges of including greening in their projects. For example, the benefits of trees were weighed against concerns about roots disrupting footpaths and becoming trip hazards. Species selection was another concern, with fears that inappropriate plants could die and undermine support for greening programs.
Our research suggests that more can be done to make cities hospitable for older people, especially during extreme heat. Urban greening is a start. Encouraging aged-care providers to adopt green infrastructure will have benefits. But we should also consider reforms to planning systems and urban design to better protect older people who choose to age in place.
Claudia Baldwin, Associate Professor, Urban Design and Town Planning, Sustainability Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast
Jason Byrne, Professor of Human Geography and Planning, University of Tasmania 
Tony Matthews, Senior Lecturer in Urban and Environmental Planning, Griffith University
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-we-save-ageing-australians-from-the-heat-greening-our-cities-is-a-good-start-112613" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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How do we save ageing Australians from the heat? Greening our cities is a good start

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GUEST OBSERVER
The federal environment and acting cities minister, Greg Hunt, on Tuesday pledged to increase the number of trees in Australian cities. In a bid to fight higher urban temperatures, the plan will set targets for tree cover.
This is part of a green revolution spreading through the world’s cities. From New York to Singapore, urban areas are undertaking bold “greenspace” initiatives – removing concrete and allowing trees and vegetation back in.
Some of the benefits include replacing the ugly infrastructural trappings of vehicles and motorways as well as cooling cities, absorbing air pollution and minimising runoff. These greenings further have mental health benefits, by bringing residents and visitors alike back into contact with the land.
But what about wildlife? Trees alone aren’t enough to bring back nature. In the rush to create greenspace, we have to make sure we build it in a way to help wildlife thrive. That will take careful thought and planning.
<h2>Nature paved over</h2>
Many of the world’s cities don’t have anything special to offer in terms of nature – either because they never had all that much in the first place, or they’ve long since been lost to urban development.
Melbourne is a case of the latter. James Boyce (in his book 1835) records:
By the time Anthony Trollope visited, then a city of 206,000 “souls” in the early 1870s, the city had already largely turned its back on the Yarra [River], drained the swamps, filled in the lakes and flattened the hills, so that Trollope knew “of no great town in the neighbourhood of which there is less to see in the way of landscape beauty”.
That sounds like many a world city.
London, New York, Hamburg, Madrid, Detroit, Chicago, Seoul and Singapore are among cities that have undertaken bold greenspace initiatives. These cities have recognised the distinct benefits that flow from connecting people back to the natural world.
Detroit and Singapore have strong biodiversity themes and that’s needed too given the global decline in wildlife. Such initiatives help us to view cities from a non-human-centric perspective.
<h2>i-Tree world</h2>
Back in Australia “green infrastructure” has similarly taken hold with councils, property owners and private companies signing up to a national 202020 vision to create 20% more greenspace by 2020. The main underpinning of that “greenspace” is the “urban forest".
While urban forest has a broad definition, cities usually take it to mean tree cover. This has been revolutionised and driven by satellite mapping (known as i-Tree) from the US Department of Agriculture.
This mapping has recently been used to shed light on the performance of Australia’s municipalities. Ranking them according to their percentage of tree cover, parts of Melbourne and Sydney scored badly, with many suburbs having less than 20% tree cover overall. Brisbane scored well, with most areas having more than 50% tree cover.
As cities attempt to increase canopies, it’s worth noting that these trees will have to deal with increasing extreme weather as the world warms.
<h2>Rewilding the city</h2>
However, trees on their own won’t bring wildlife back into our cities. In fact, canopies tend to create spaces for dominant native birds such as the Noisy Miner and Red Wattlebird, which by their behaviour exclude smaller birds.
Birdlife Australia suggests that a dense understory of shrubs up to two metres high is required for small ground birds like thornbills, robins, scrubwrens and fairy-wrens to roost in and make brief forays into grassed areas. Thickets also provide protection from eagles and hawks and other predators.
The Victorian naturalist Alan Reid suggested:
a mixture of fine-leaf and broad-leaf plants with a high percentage of native species, especially at intermediate and ground levels, will provide the greatest opportunities for attracting and holding wildlife.
Private gardens have inadvertently edged towards this prescription, along the way forming “nuclei” for wildlife. To create these on public land, areas will need to be set aside in parklands and other community spaces where small birds and small animals can congregate, breed and flourish.
This may require fencing to counter fox and cat predation, and possibly incorporate bird hides, interpretative apps and surveillance to ensure personal security. We need to give attention to the subtle connections between species.
Wildlife corridors are another construct – in effect they’re flyways for larger birds. Some of these already take advantage of the routes provided by revegetated creek and river banks.
Reid suggests that “corridors as narrow as 5 metres will allow passage of lorikeets and wattlebirds even when gaps exceed 30 metres”.
But if the gaps in 20-metre-wide corridors grow to more than 30 metres they will block many upper-level feeders including butterflies, pygmy possums and marsupial mice.
As the take-up of greening in places like New York, Hamburg and Seoul shows, it’s becoming mainstream in city halls around the world. And we now know that it helps settle the brains of those otherwise enmeshed in asphalt, glass and concrete.
There are some encouraging signs that developers “get it”: witness Singapore building an entire forest in a high-rise apartment atrium. A connection-to-nature element also forms part of the revamped Green Building Council of Australia’s Innovation Challenge Program. Let’s hope it won’t be long before that awareness spills over into popular planning thought.
As the world continues to change under human pressure, we need to make sure our cities can be homes for wildlife too.
Peter Fisher is adjunct professor, Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University and author for The Conversation. He can be contacted <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-fisher-20629" target="_blank">here</a>.
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