How can cities help us be proactive about our physical and mental health?
Well designed public space has always been central to health and wellbeing of the urban population, as it provides easy access to physical activity through green spaces, playgrounds or pedestrian areas. With physical inactivity becoming the major challenge to health and wellbeing globally, designing active cities forms a central paradigm for building healthy communities. Open green spaces, for example, not only improve our physical conditions, but also impact air quality, water quality and noise reduction. Equally, well-designed pedestrian areas encourage walking, social interaction and neighbourhood cohesion, while accessible running trails and safe cycling paths are becoming central to active travel in cities. This section explores how designers, architects and town planners are designing healthier streets, neighbourhoods and cities that can produce physical, mental, social, environmental and economic benefits.
Life cycle
There is now no denying that a cyclised city – one which has fully embraced the cycling culture – is a more civilised city. But data is also now fairly conclusive that the more of a modal shift a place can make from vehicular traffic to bikes, the better the air quality and health and wellbeing of all of us. In London, mayor Sadiq Khan has pledged to increase the proportion of his transport department’s budget to be spent on cycling, with a continued push for more segregated cycle superhighways and so-called quiet ways, safer junctions, and safer, cleaner lorries, which are often the cause of road accidents with cyclists. Why? Because cycling is good for London and other cities since it cuts traffic emissions and noise pollution, improves health, is a major mover of people, and less motor traffic means a better quality of life for all. Other cities such as Copenhagen and Amsterdam have known this for years, of course. They, like cities such as Paris (and many others across France), Barcelona, Berlin, New York, London – even Blackpool – have turned to cycle hire systems as a good way to get yet more people onto two wheels. In the UK capital, the regime now sponsored by Santander was first dreamt up by former mayor Ken Livingstone, modelled on Paris’s Velib system, despite the system getting the ‘Boris Bikes’ nickname after cyclist and former mayor Boris Johnson. Some 50 million cycle hire trips have now been completed on London’s hire system, and to capitalise on this push towards wellness, London is publishing a new ‘Healthy Streets vision this autumn. More generally, there is some broad data around to support the notion that those who cycle regularly live longer than those who do not, and lead healthier lives. King’s College London compared 2400 twins and found those who did three 45-minute rides a week were 9 years ‘biologically younger’. It aids sleep, as a study by Stanford University School of Medicine found after it asked insomniacs to cycle for 20-30 minutes every other day. Their sleep improved. The same University also found that cycling regularly can protect the skin against harmful effects of UV radiation and reduce the signs of ageing– mainly by increasing circulation and delivering more oxygen and nutrients to skin cells. Such physical activity can also help one’s constitution, decreasing the time it takes food to move through the large intestine, found Bristol University experts. Aerobic exercise accelerates breathing and heart rate, which helps to stimulate the contraction of intestine muscles. And it even helps the grey matter– University of Illinois discovering that a 5 per cent improvement in cardio-respiratory fitness from cycling led to an improvement of up to 15 per cent in mental tests. This is because cycling helps build new brain cells in the hippocampus –the memory area of the brain. There is more. Cyclists can keep illness at bay better, since moderate exercise makes immune cells more active, and US studies have shown that regular cycling can cut the risk of heart disease by 50 per cent. All of this is in addition to the benefits of weight loss, burning more fat (the long-burn of raising the metabolic rate), and relief from stress which could make a more than healthy contribution to reducing the burden on the UK’s already stretched NHS. No wonder governments around the world are so keen on it. What are you waiting for?
By David Taylor
David Taylor is editor of New London Quarterly and a new magazine about cycling and cities called ‘Velocity’, out soon www.Velocitymagazine.co.uk
By David Taylor
David Taylor is editor of New London Quarterly and a new magazine about cycling and cities called ‘Velocity’, out soon www.Velocitymagazine.co.uk
J & L Gibbons with muf architecture/art.
Dalston Eastern Curve (Making Space in Dalston)
London Borough of Hackney, Design for London, London Development Agency, Greater London Authority
2010
Making Space in Dalston is a design led example of deliberative planning. By involving local people in decision-making, it allowed local partners to take ownership of the projects.
The Dalston Eastern Curve designed by J&L Gibbons with muf, was one of the priority projects that was delivered. An overgrown abandoned piece of railway land was identified as a place of potential through conversations with stakeholders as part of the Making Space in Dalston project. The opportunity to develop an eco-garden gained much local support. One important aspect was the secret nature of its location which enhanced the sense of discovery through an existing old hoarding.
The success of the Dalston Eastern Curve Garden lies in the social and environmental benefits it has provided for the local community in Dalston, an area lacking in open space. It is a valuable example of how to revitalise public space without losing the existing qualities of the local neighbourhood.
Designed around a spacious wooden garden pavilion, the Eastern Curve includes space for wildlife-friendly planting, as well as raised beds in which local residents can grow vegetables and herbs. The site’s restoration delivered a design and construction apprenticeship scheme for young men in partnership with the local youth centre and Hackney Community College.
Wider health benefits have been delivered through contact with nature, tree planting that offers shade during warm weather and goes some way towards improving air quality by offsetting the pollution from heavily trafficked roads nearby. The garden reduces social isolation, fosters a good sense of community and provides a place for people to connect with nature, improving their mental and physical health through that relationship.
Images from left to right:
1. Dalston Eastern Curve, community event, photo J&L Gibbons
2. Dalston Eastern Curve, learning about nature, photo J&L Gibbons
3. Dalston Eastern Curve, relaxation in the garden, photo J&L Gibbons
4. Dalston Eastern Curve, tactile plants, photo J&L Gibbons
The Dalston Eastern Curve designed by J&L Gibbons with muf, was one of the priority projects that was delivered. An overgrown abandoned piece of railway land was identified as a place of potential through conversations with stakeholders as part of the Making Space in Dalston project. The opportunity to develop an eco-garden gained much local support. One important aspect was the secret nature of its location which enhanced the sense of discovery through an existing old hoarding.
The success of the Dalston Eastern Curve Garden lies in the social and environmental benefits it has provided for the local community in Dalston, an area lacking in open space. It is a valuable example of how to revitalise public space without losing the existing qualities of the local neighbourhood.
Designed around a spacious wooden garden pavilion, the Eastern Curve includes space for wildlife-friendly planting, as well as raised beds in which local residents can grow vegetables and herbs. The site’s restoration delivered a design and construction apprenticeship scheme for young men in partnership with the local youth centre and Hackney Community College.
Wider health benefits have been delivered through contact with nature, tree planting that offers shade during warm weather and goes some way towards improving air quality by offsetting the pollution from heavily trafficked roads nearby. The garden reduces social isolation, fosters a good sense of community and provides a place for people to connect with nature, improving their mental and physical health through that relationship.
Images from left to right:
1. Dalston Eastern Curve, community event, photo J&L Gibbons
2. Dalston Eastern Curve, learning about nature, photo J&L Gibbons
3. Dalston Eastern Curve, relaxation in the garden, photo J&L Gibbons
4. Dalston Eastern Curve, tactile plants, photo J&L Gibbons
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ARUP
Wild West End
The Crown Estate, Grosvenor Britain & Ireland, Shaftesbury, the Howard de Walden Estate and The Portland Estate
In July 2015, The Crown Estate, Grosvenor Britain & Ireland, Shaftesbury, the Howard de Walden Estate and The Portland Estate, announced that they had formed a unique collaboration to promote green infrastructure through an ecology project entitled ‘Wild West End’. The project, the first city centre ecology project worldwide to be conceived and driven forward by an industry partnership of this sort, is supported by the Mayor of London and the London Wildlife Trust.
Arup is the technical partner and plays a supporting role to the partnership, helping the Estate’s to develop objectives, implement proposals and monitor progress against the targets set. The Crown Estate, with Arup as lead consultant on the project, kick started Wild West End with their London Ecology Masterplan, encouraging other West End property businesses to work on their own masterplan to expand the project. Ultimately, Wild West End will create an extensive network of green stepping stones which form connections between the large areas of parkland, and which are already key natural features of the overall environment in the West End.
The vision is to build upon the Crown Estate London Ecology Masterplan:
Images from left to right:
1. Wild West End, view of urban gardens, ARUP
2. Wild West End, view of urban gardens, ARUP
Arup is the technical partner and plays a supporting role to the partnership, helping the Estate’s to develop objectives, implement proposals and monitor progress against the targets set. The Crown Estate, with Arup as lead consultant on the project, kick started Wild West End with their London Ecology Masterplan, encouraging other West End property businesses to work on their own masterplan to expand the project. Ultimately, Wild West End will create an extensive network of green stepping stones which form connections between the large areas of parkland, and which are already key natural features of the overall environment in the West End.
The vision is to build upon the Crown Estate London Ecology Masterplan:
- Encouraging wildlife into the West End
- Establishing a green corridor
- Creating a better place to live, work and visit
- Improve the wellbeing of residents, workers and visitors by increasing connections to green space and nature and contributing to improvements in local air quality
- Enhance biodiversity and ecological connectivity
- Raise awareness and promote the benefits of green infrastructure to inspire others to participate and create similar initiatives
Images from left to right:
1. Wild West End, view of urban gardens, ARUP
2. Wild West End, view of urban gardens, ARUP
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ARUP
Olympic Parkland Green Infrastructure
Olympic Delivery Authority
2012
The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is one of the largest parks to be built in the UK this century. Adopting rigorous principles of sustainable development, it provides a valuable and high profile example of how to deliver green infrastructure within a dense and complex urban area.
A key achievement has been the role of green infrastructure in supporting the delivery of over three-quarters of the ODA’s sustainability commitments. These included:
• the reduction of carbon emissions through on-site renewables;
• managing flood risk;
• ensuring all buildings are completely accessible by public transport, walking and cycling;
• meeting the biodiversity and ecology targets by creating a species-rich habitat of at least 45 hectares;
• constructing the Parklands with recycled aggregates and certified and legally sourced timbers; and
• conforming to all recognised inclusive design standards.
The permanent Parklands will meet the planning commitments to deliver 102 hectares of open space, and the minimum of 45 hectares of new ecological habitat. In addition, new allotments and a one-mile road cycle circuit will be provided to replace those displaced from the Olympic site during the construction of the Park.
The Parklands will provide safe, tranquil and reflective spaces to improve mental health and encourage quiet relaxation and reflection. As well as increasing participation in active sport through the hosting of the Olympics and the legacy of world class sports venues, the Parklands will promote a large increase in regular, informal and low impact exercise for local communities. It is expected that after the 2012 Games 75 per cent of visitors to the Park will be to the Parklands.
Images from left to right:
1. Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, view of the park, photo Arup
2. Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, view of the park, photo Arup
3. Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, detail of urban furniture, photo Arup
A key achievement has been the role of green infrastructure in supporting the delivery of over three-quarters of the ODA’s sustainability commitments. These included:
• the reduction of carbon emissions through on-site renewables;
• managing flood risk;
• ensuring all buildings are completely accessible by public transport, walking and cycling;
• meeting the biodiversity and ecology targets by creating a species-rich habitat of at least 45 hectares;
• constructing the Parklands with recycled aggregates and certified and legally sourced timbers; and
• conforming to all recognised inclusive design standards.
The permanent Parklands will meet the planning commitments to deliver 102 hectares of open space, and the minimum of 45 hectares of new ecological habitat. In addition, new allotments and a one-mile road cycle circuit will be provided to replace those displaced from the Olympic site during the construction of the Park.
The Parklands will provide safe, tranquil and reflective spaces to improve mental health and encourage quiet relaxation and reflection. As well as increasing participation in active sport through the hosting of the Olympics and the legacy of world class sports venues, the Parklands will promote a large increase in regular, informal and low impact exercise for local communities. It is expected that after the 2012 Games 75 per cent of visitors to the Park will be to the Parklands.
Images from left to right:
1. Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, view of the park, photo Arup
2. Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, view of the park, photo Arup
3. Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, detail of urban furniture, photo Arup
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ARUP
London Weave - Impact of Crossrail on the West End
New West End Company, TfL and Westminster City Council
Arup were commissioned by the New West End Company and its partners Westminster City Council and TfL to examine the public realm strategy for the West End in preparation for the arrival of Crossrail in 2018. The study proposes the ‘Weave’ - an incremental and flexible framework that ensures the streets and spaces of the West End are ready for the additional volumes of people arriving and departing from Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street Crossrail Stations.
The expected increase in visitor numbers into the West End will present a major challenge. The public realm around the West End, especially the areas around Oxford Street, Bond Street and Regent Street is frequently congested. It is the congestion, in its widest sense, taking into account vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists which is the greatest challenge to the introduction of Crossrail, the sheer volume and changing movement patterns needs planning for now.
This study sets out research on the likely volume of people expected to visit the West End at a future date with Crossrail open. It then describes a set of assessment criteria for future public realm schemes. This will allow both the City of Westminster and London Borough Camden and the great estates to take better decisions on public realm projects so that a seamless and joined up approach to their planning and delivery can be achieved.
The application of the proposal seeking to reduce the clash between pedestrian and congestion to improve the physical environment for the user in creating a liveable and increasingly pleasant environment, to promote walking in a breathable environment.
Images from left to right:
1. London Weave, map of the project, image ARUP
2. London Weave, view of the pedestrian areas, image ARUP
3. London Weave, view of the pedestrian areas, image ARUP
The expected increase in visitor numbers into the West End will present a major challenge. The public realm around the West End, especially the areas around Oxford Street, Bond Street and Regent Street is frequently congested. It is the congestion, in its widest sense, taking into account vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists which is the greatest challenge to the introduction of Crossrail, the sheer volume and changing movement patterns needs planning for now.
This study sets out research on the likely volume of people expected to visit the West End at a future date with Crossrail open. It then describes a set of assessment criteria for future public realm schemes. This will allow both the City of Westminster and London Borough Camden and the great estates to take better decisions on public realm projects so that a seamless and joined up approach to their planning and delivery can be achieved.
The application of the proposal seeking to reduce the clash between pedestrian and congestion to improve the physical environment for the user in creating a liveable and increasingly pleasant environment, to promote walking in a breathable environment.
Images from left to right:
1. London Weave, map of the project, image ARUP
2. London Weave, view of the pedestrian areas, image ARUP
3. London Weave, view of the pedestrian areas, image ARUP
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Studio Octopi
Thames Baths and Peckham Lido
In May 2016, Studio Octopi led the crowdfunding campaign for a feasibility study, website & business plan for the Peckham Lido. The site chosen for the lido is at the northern most tip of the Common bordered by Peckham Rye and East Dulwich Road. There is a long history of swimming at this location. In the 1800s a pond was used for swimming until in 1923, a 50m lido was built on the site. As with so many other lidos across the UK, in 1987 the lido was closed, fell derelict and then cleared from the site. The initial designs include a 50m heated and chlorinated pool with the scope for a smaller natural swimming pool alongside it. The natural pool could draw water from one of London’s infamous lost rivers, the Peck which runs directly under the site. Studio Octopi’s outline concepts envision a lido surrounded on two sides by single storey pavilions, while on the other two sides the lido is open to the existing topography and trees of the site.
The project for the Peckham Lido follows Studio Octopi’s research on swimming in urban areas first undertaken with their Thames Baths project developed in 2013. Thames Baths proposes the reintroduction of swimming in the River Thames. The proposals look to re-establish an intimate and playful link between Londoners and this historic lifeblood of the city. The project’s vision is to inspire people in cities around the world to reclaim their rivers for swimming and increased public use. The aim is to launch a series of natural swimming baths which can be replicated across the UK and worldwide, enabling people to enjoy swimming safely in their own rivers.
Images from left to right
1. Peckham Lido, view of the proposed project, image Studio Octopi and Picture Plane
2. Thames Baths, view of the lido near Temple, image Studio Octopi and Picture Plane
3. Thames Baths, view of the lido on South Bank, image Studio Octopi and Picture Plane
4. Thames Baths, view of the lido near City Hall, image Studio Octopi and Picture Plane
The project for the Peckham Lido follows Studio Octopi’s research on swimming in urban areas first undertaken with their Thames Baths project developed in 2013. Thames Baths proposes the reintroduction of swimming in the River Thames. The proposals look to re-establish an intimate and playful link between Londoners and this historic lifeblood of the city. The project’s vision is to inspire people in cities around the world to reclaim their rivers for swimming and increased public use. The aim is to launch a series of natural swimming baths which can be replicated across the UK and worldwide, enabling people to enjoy swimming safely in their own rivers.
Images from left to right
1. Peckham Lido, view of the proposed project, image Studio Octopi and Picture Plane
2. Thames Baths, view of the lido near Temple, image Studio Octopi and Picture Plane
3. Thames Baths, view of the lido on South Bank, image Studio Octopi and Picture Plane
4. Thames Baths, view of the lido near City Hall, image Studio Octopi and Picture Plane
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The Decorators
The Hackney Circle
London Borough of Hackney
2014
In August 2012 The Decorators were commissioned by Lucy McMenemy, Cultural Programme Officer for the London Borough of Hackney, to develop a project in Dalston Square for the residents of Keswick and Parton Lodge, a sheltered housing block for the elderly on the edge of the square, and other older residents of Dalston.
“The project was commissioned as a result of feedback Lucy received about Dalston Square from a resident, who felt the square was a cold, hard space that was not for her. The project brief was therefore to identify obstacles to the participation of older residents in the social and cultural life of this new public square and explore potential solutions.
In spending time with the residents of Keswick and Parton Lodge we realized that there is a great dependence on activities at the lodges for socialising. These activities are very dependent on funding and if there are no activities the residents can go a long time without seeing each other, despite living side-by-side.
Residents wanted to be involved in more mixed-age events but did not know how and finally there was very little interaction between the older residents and the new community of residents and businesses of Dalston Square.
This research and these considerations led to the development of Hackney Circle, a free membership scheme for Hackney’s over-60s, which provides a range of special offers in cafes, restaurants and cultural venues in and around Dalston Square, alongside a programme of free events in these mixed-age high street venues. The membership scheme operated through a network of local businesses and organisations that wanted to work together to make their businesses more accessible to older residents.
The special offers and events aimed to introduce members to spaces they may have never visited before and the people running them, connecting them to the day-to- day life of Dalston Square. Here the pilot wanted to explore how existing local activities for older people could be brought out of backstreet community centres to the public high street of the neighbourhood.
A big challenge for Hackney Circle was how to communicate with the diverse older population of Hackney, many of whom are not online. The Hackney Circle scheme and its offers were communicated via features in Hackney Today, which goes out to 108,000 Hackney households every week, and through targeted older people’s interest groups as well as large format posters in the foyer of Dalston CLR James Library and partner businesses. Businesses that were part of the scheme displayed Hackney Circle window stickers and some introduced re-upholstered Hackney Circle chairs to make visiting and socialising a more comfortable experience for older residents. All Hackney Circle members received a booklet full of special offer vouchers and an events programme as personal welcomes from partner businesses.
The Hackney Circle pilot launched on 17 September 2014 and ran until 12 November 2014, with 300 registered members by the end.
The short 9-week pilot of the Hackney Circle saw a shift in members’ perception of Dalston Square. Involvement in Hackney Circle helped members feel that Dalston Square was more accessible, which shows the potential this kind of initiative has to help build relationships and connections between older residents and the social and cultural spaces of their neighbourhood.”
Images from left to right:
1.Hackney Circle, Hackney Garden event, photo The Decorators
2.Hackney Circle, Hackney Garden event, photo The Decorators
“The project was commissioned as a result of feedback Lucy received about Dalston Square from a resident, who felt the square was a cold, hard space that was not for her. The project brief was therefore to identify obstacles to the participation of older residents in the social and cultural life of this new public square and explore potential solutions.
In spending time with the residents of Keswick and Parton Lodge we realized that there is a great dependence on activities at the lodges for socialising. These activities are very dependent on funding and if there are no activities the residents can go a long time without seeing each other, despite living side-by-side.
Residents wanted to be involved in more mixed-age events but did not know how and finally there was very little interaction between the older residents and the new community of residents and businesses of Dalston Square.
This research and these considerations led to the development of Hackney Circle, a free membership scheme for Hackney’s over-60s, which provides a range of special offers in cafes, restaurants and cultural venues in and around Dalston Square, alongside a programme of free events in these mixed-age high street venues. The membership scheme operated through a network of local businesses and organisations that wanted to work together to make their businesses more accessible to older residents.
The special offers and events aimed to introduce members to spaces they may have never visited before and the people running them, connecting them to the day-to- day life of Dalston Square. Here the pilot wanted to explore how existing local activities for older people could be brought out of backstreet community centres to the public high street of the neighbourhood.
A big challenge for Hackney Circle was how to communicate with the diverse older population of Hackney, many of whom are not online. The Hackney Circle scheme and its offers were communicated via features in Hackney Today, which goes out to 108,000 Hackney households every week, and through targeted older people’s interest groups as well as large format posters in the foyer of Dalston CLR James Library and partner businesses. Businesses that were part of the scheme displayed Hackney Circle window stickers and some introduced re-upholstered Hackney Circle chairs to make visiting and socialising a more comfortable experience for older residents. All Hackney Circle members received a booklet full of special offer vouchers and an events programme as personal welcomes from partner businesses.
The Hackney Circle pilot launched on 17 September 2014 and ran until 12 November 2014, with 300 registered members by the end.
The short 9-week pilot of the Hackney Circle saw a shift in members’ perception of Dalston Square. Involvement in Hackney Circle helped members feel that Dalston Square was more accessible, which shows the potential this kind of initiative has to help build relationships and connections between older residents and the social and cultural spaces of their neighbourhood.”
Images from left to right:
1.Hackney Circle, Hackney Garden event, photo The Decorators
2.Hackney Circle, Hackney Garden event, photo The Decorators
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J&L Gibbons, Dr Andrea Mechelli, Michael Smythe
Urban Mind
The current urbanisation has important implications for global health and wellbeing. Although, traditionally, city dwellers have been considered healthier due to improved sanitation, nutrition and health care, there is overwhelming evidence that urban living is also associated with greater social disparities, a more stressful social environment and increased risk for chronic disorders. The majority of scientific research in this area has focused on the impact of urban living on physical health and wellbeing; however, some of the best-established effects of urbanisation concern mental health and wellbeing.
While city dwellers are at higher risk of mental illness, certain natural features of the urban environment can counteract the detrimental effects of urban living, and even promote mental health and wellbeing. A growing number of studies over the last 40 years indicated that urban areas with more natural elements such as trees, gardens, parks and water, are associated with higher levels of mental wellbeing and reduced incidence of chronic mental illness.
Urban Mind project attempted to advance existing knowledge on the relationship between urban environment and mental health by developing a smartphone app to examine the impact of the built urban environment on mental wellbeing as people go about their daily life.
The final results of the pilot showed that:
(1) Individuals experienced greater level of mental wellbeing when being outdoors than indoors
(2) Answering “yes” to the questions “can you see trees?” was associated with higher levels of mental wellbeing than answering “no” to the same question
(3) Answering “yes” to the questions “is it noisy?” was associated with lower levels of mental wellbeing than answering “yes” to the same question
Taken collectively, these preliminary findings indicate that visual access to trees and lower noise levels are associated with higher levels of wellbeing, even though the relationship between the built urban environment and mental wellbeing varies from one individual to the other and their vulnerability.
Images from left to right:
1. Urban Mind, a visualisation of the project, image J&L Gibbons
2. Urban Mind, mobile app, image J&L Gibbons
While city dwellers are at higher risk of mental illness, certain natural features of the urban environment can counteract the detrimental effects of urban living, and even promote mental health and wellbeing. A growing number of studies over the last 40 years indicated that urban areas with more natural elements such as trees, gardens, parks and water, are associated with higher levels of mental wellbeing and reduced incidence of chronic mental illness.
Urban Mind project attempted to advance existing knowledge on the relationship between urban environment and mental health by developing a smartphone app to examine the impact of the built urban environment on mental wellbeing as people go about their daily life.
The final results of the pilot showed that:
(1) Individuals experienced greater level of mental wellbeing when being outdoors than indoors
(2) Answering “yes” to the questions “can you see trees?” was associated with higher levels of mental wellbeing than answering “no” to the same question
(3) Answering “yes” to the questions “is it noisy?” was associated with lower levels of mental wellbeing than answering “yes” to the same question
Taken collectively, these preliminary findings indicate that visual access to trees and lower noise levels are associated with higher levels of wellbeing, even though the relationship between the built urban environment and mental wellbeing varies from one individual to the other and their vulnerability.
Images from left to right:
1. Urban Mind, a visualisation of the project, image J&L Gibbons
2. Urban Mind, mobile app, image J&L Gibbons
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