Five principles for policymaking
What Policymakers need to know
What Planners and Local Government Policymakers need to know
What Greenspace Managers need to know
What Healthcare Professionals need to know
What Voluntary and Community Groups need to know
Supporting People with Mental Health Difficulties – How Urban Nature can help
Supporting Young People’s Mental Health – How Urban Nature can help
Supporting People’s Mental Wellbeing Through Urban Nature – Challenging Inequalities
Five simple steps to better nature connections
Over the last year we have been working with stakeholders in Sheffield to identify actions that can be taken in green and natural spaces to improve mental wellbeing.
Working from existing academic research, from our own emerging findings and from workshops, focus groups and interviews with stakeholders, we listed 35 possible interventions under the headings of ‘making’ (capital investment in existing or new spaces); ‘keeping’ (maintenance and support); and ‘prescribing’ (social and healthcare interventions).
Through our consultation we settled on five interventions that had broad support across a wide range of stakeholders, from health professionals to planners and community volunteers. These are replicable, adaptable ways to maximise wellbeing for a wide variety of users and enhance inclusion and equality in urban green spaces. They can be tailored to a wide range of public urban green space and most potential users. They are:
Economic Evaluation of Interventions
An initial economic evaluation of the interventions was undertaken (available here). The interventions support the development of stronger links between people and urban nature by making green spaces more accessible and attractive. This encourages more visitors to make more visits to green spaces and to spend more time engaging with nature. The character of the interventions varies greatly, as do their costs and benefits. However, all have the potential to deliver substantial net gains for the community.