Relative importance of quantitative and qualitative aspects of urban green spaces in promoting health

The health benefits of urban green spaces (UGS) are important considerations in the design of urban environments. Researchers have analysed how the quantity of UGS impacts health outcomes, but less work has quantified the relative health benefits of different components of UGS provision. We examined the associations of different indicators of UGS provision with self-reported mental and general health based on a national representative household survey (n = 1000) in Singapore. We quantified three quantitative attributes of UGS (vegetation cover, canopy cover, park area) using Geographic Information System (GIS) data and measured visual greenness using the Green View Index (GVI) based on Google Street View panoramic images. We measured the subjective attributes of UGS, namely, usage quality and quantity of UGS within a 400 m circular buffer zone of residences using the survey. Among all the UGS indicators at the 400 m scale, only canopy cover and perceived usage quality were significantly associated with positive mental health, whereas none of the UGS indicators were related to general health. For visual greenness at different distance scales, there was a significant relationship between the indicator calculated by the sum of GVI at a 100 m scale and mental health. Canopy cover at a 400 m scale had a stronger correlation with mental health than perceived usage quality of nearby UGS and visual greenness at a 100 m scale. The findings highlight the importance of measuring both objective and subjective attributes of UGS provision and provide useful information for urban greening.

Automated summary

This study examined the relationships between different indicators of urban green space (UGS) provision and self-reported mental and general health in Singapore. Canopy cover and perceived usage quality were significantly associated with positive mental health, while visual greenness at a 100 m scale had a significant relationship with mental health. The findings suggest the importance of measuring both objective and subjective attributes of UGS provision for urban greening initiatives.