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Access to Nature in a Post Covid-19 World: Opportunities for Green Infrastructure Financing, Distribution and Equitability in Urban Planning

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  • Ian Mell

    (Department of Planning & Environmental Management, School of Environment, Education & Development, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK)

  • Meredith Whitten

    (Department of Geography and Environment, London School of Economics and Political Science, London WC2A 2AE, UK)

Abstract

Covid-19 changed the way many people viewed and interacted with the natural environment. In the UK, a series of national lockdowns limited the number of places that individuals could use to support their mental and physical health. Parks, gardens, canals and other “green infrastructure” (GI) resources remained open and were repositioned as “essential infrastructure” supporting well-being. However, the quality, functionality and location of GI in urban areas illustrated a disparity in distribution that meant that in many cases communities with higher ethnic diversity, lower income and greater health inequality suffered from insufficient access. This paper provides commentary on these issues, reflecting on how planners, urban designers and environmental organizations are positioning GI in decision-making to address inequality. Through a discussion of access and quality in an era of austerity funding, this paper proposes potential pathways to equitable environmental planning that address historical and contemporary disenfranchisement with the natural environment in urban areas.

Suggested Citation

  • Ian Mell & Meredith Whitten, 2021. "Access to Nature in a Post Covid-19 World: Opportunities for Green Infrastructure Financing, Distribution and Equitability in Urban Planning," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-16, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:4:p:1527-:d:494203
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ian Mell, 2018. "Financing the future of green infrastructure planning: alternatives and opportunities in the UK," Landscape Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(6), pages 751-768, August.
    2. Mell, Ian, 2020. "The impact of austerity on funding green infrastructure: A DPSIR evaluation of the Liverpool Green & Open Space Review (LG&OSR), UK," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    3. Karen Horwood, 2020. "The Development of Green Infrastructure Policy in the North West Region of the UK 2005–2010," Planning Practice & Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(1), pages 1-17, January.
    4. Athena Yiannakou & Konstantina-Dimitra Salata, 2017. "Adaptation to Climate Change through Spatial Planning in Compact Urban Areas: A Case Study in the City of Thessaloniki," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-18, February.
    5. Im Sik Cho & Zdravko Trivic & Ivan Nasution, 2017. "New high-density intensified housing developments in Asia: qualities, potential and challenges," Journal of Urban Design, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(5), pages 613-636, September.
    6. Ian Mell, 2020. "What Future for Green Infrastructure Planning? Evaluating the Changing Environment for Green Infrastructure Planning Following the Revocation of Regional Planning Policy in England," Planning Practice & Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(1), pages 18-50, January.
    7. Sandra Rousseau & Nick Deschacht, 2020. "Public Awareness of Nature and the Environment During the COVID-19 Crisis," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 76(4), pages 1149-1159, August.
    8. Elizelle Juaneé Cilliers, 2019. "Reflecting on Green Infrastructure and Spatial Planning in Africa: The Complexities, Perceptions, and Way Forward," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-17, January.
    9. Manuel Duarte Pinheiro & Nuno Cardoso Luís, 2020. "COVID-19 Could Leverage a Sustainable Built Environment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-28, July.
    10. Jenny Roe & Peter A. Aspinall & Catharine Ward Thompson, 2016. "Understanding Relationships between Health, Ethnicity, Place and the Role of Urban Green Space in Deprived Urban Communities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-21, July.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Tassia K. Oswald & Alice R. Rumbold & Sophie G. E. Kedzior & Mark Kohler & Vivienne M. Moore, 2021. "Mental Health of Young Australians during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Exploring the Roles of Employment Precarity, Screen Time, and Contact with Nature," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-22, May.
    3. Tania Noël & Benoit Dardenne, 2022. "Relationships between Green Space Attendance, Perceived Crowdedness, Perceived Beauty and Prosocial Behavior in Time of Health Crisis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-18, June.
    4. Marija Jevtic & Vlatka Matkovic & Milica Paut Kusturica & Catherine Bouland, 2022. "Build Healthier: Post-COVID-19 Urban Requirements for Healthy and Sustainable Living," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-21, July.
    5. Bumjoon Kang & Jaewoong Won & Eun Jung Kim, 2021. "COVID-19 Impact on Residential Preferences in the Early-Stage Outbreak in South Korea," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-14, October.
    6. Yan Dai & Yasir Ahmed Solangi, 2023. "Evaluating and Prioritizing the Green Infrastructure Finance Risks for Sustainable Development in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-18, April.

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