Landscape Architecture and Health Evidence-based health-promoting design and planning

Stigsdotter, U. A. , 2005. Landscape Architecture and Health Evidence-based health-promoting design and planning. Doctor s dissertarion. ISSN 1652-6880, ISBN 91-576-6954-6 Swedes are living increasingly longer lives, but the number of years lived in good health is decreasing. The present doctoral dissertation is focused on the threat to Swedish public health that is constituted by aches and pain and various types of mental illnesses, of which fatigue reactions, often called ”burnout syndromes,” are increasing most rapidly. Besides the personal suffering involved, the costs of increased ill health constitute a threat to the welfare of Swedish society. According to the Swedish government, good health has become a resource – perhaps even the country’s most important resource for sustainable development. Today, several scientific disciplines consider health to be a positive and holistic state encompassing the individual’s entire life situation: biological, cultural, social and not least environmental aspects. With the Swedish Parliament’s adoption of the public health bill Public Health Objectives, public health work in Sweden is to be based on the idea of finding different societal factors that promote good health on equal terms for the entire population. The present doctoral dissertation focuses on a health factor represented by different types of natural environments. The dissertation is based on two studies of two different types of health-promoting natural environments: Healing gardens – Improvement of ill health Urban green spaces – Maintenance and fortification of good health Healing gardens are gardens that are purposely designed to promote health among a certain group of patients. The dissertation focuses on the type of healing garden that is specially intended for patients suffering from fatigue reactions or burnout syndromes. Interest in healing gardens is spreading rapidly throughout the world. However, both in Sweden and in other countries, ”healing gardens” are being laid out that do not actually possess health-promoting qualities. In order for health to actually be improved, purposeful design based on the patient group’s special needs is required. There is a great need for scientific knowledge concerning how these gardens should be designed. For a long time past in our history, the importance of city greenery for city dwellers’ health and wellbeing has been pointed out. In the present dissertation, urban green spaces – i.e. greenery in the city such as parks, green areas, schoolyards and gardens belonging to a house – are viewed as healthpromoting elements of city planning. Interest in how urban green spaces can maintain and fortify human health is spreading among scientists, architects, politicians and the public. Despite this interest, the problem remains of how urban green spaces should be planned and designed so as to attract the urban population. The dissertation has an applied perspective and is aimed at both scientists and practitioners. It presents findings from two different studies, one on how healing gardens may be designed for people with burnout syndromes and the other on how urban green spaces may be planned from a health-promoting perspective. The overall purpose is, thus, that the dissertation should contribute to the evidence-based design and planning of health-promoting outdoor environments.