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A Systematic Review of the Impact of Changes to Urban Green Spaces on Health and Education Outcomes, and a Critique of Their Applicability to Inform Economic Evaluation

Author

Listed:
  • Wajeeha Raza

    (Centre for Health Economics, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK)

  • Laura Bojke

    (Centre for Health Economics, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK)

  • Peter A. Coventry

    (Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York YO10 5NG, UK
    York Environmental Sustainability Institute, University of York, York, YO10 5NG, UK)

  • Peter James Murphy

    (Centre for Health Economics, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK)

  • Helen Fulbright

    (Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK)

  • Piran C. L. White

    (York Environmental Sustainability Institute, University of York, York, YO10 5NG, UK
    Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York YO10 5NG, UK)

Abstract

Several reviews have consolidated the evidence on the impact of living near an urban green space on improving health and education outcomes and reducing mortality. However, there is limited evidence on the effectiveness or cost-effectiveness of specific improvements to these urban green spaces, which would help decision-makers make informed decisions on how to invest in urban green spaces. Therefore, this review synthesizes the impact of more specific changes to, or investments in, urban green spaces on health and education outcomes, synthesizes the cost-effectiveness of these interventions, and critiques the applicability of the evidence for an economic evaluation. We find that interventions targeted towards improving play areas or fitness equipment tended to have mostly positive impacts on physical activity, while interventions on improving walking path, or the overall greenery showed a more mixed impact on physical activity. There were only two studies on the impact of changes to urban green spaces on mental health, with only one finding a positive association of the intervention with depression, and there were no studies measuring the impact of changes to urban green spaces and educational outcomes. From a cost-effectiveness perspective, we find that typically very small improvements are required to make the interventions a cost-effective policy choice; however, we found several limitations with using the existing evidence to estimate the cost-effectiveness of the intervention. Overall, we found that most of the evidence does suggest that improvements to urban green spaces can lead to improvements in physical activity, but further research is needed on the impact on mental health and educational outcomes. Furthermore, additional evidence with longer time horizons, multi-sectoral benefits, distributional outcomes, and more consistent outcome measures would assist in informing cost-effectiveness and may ultimately lead to improved decision-making around investments for urban green spaces in specific contexts.

Suggested Citation

  • Wajeeha Raza & Laura Bojke & Peter A. Coventry & Peter James Murphy & Helen Fulbright & Piran C. L. White, 2024. "A Systematic Review of the Impact of Changes to Urban Green Spaces on Health and Education Outcomes, and a Critique of Their Applicability to Inform Economic Evaluation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(11), pages 1-16, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:11:p:1452-:d:1511645
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Arnaud Chevalier & Colm Harmon & Ian Walker & Yu Zhu, 2004. "Does Education Raise Productivity, or Just Reflect it?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 114(499), pages 499-517, November.
    2. Gert-Jan Vanaken & Marina Danckaerts, 2018. "Impact of Green Space Exposure on Children’s and Adolescents’ Mental Health: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-17, November.
    3. Hanneke Kruize & Nina van der Vliet & Brigit Staatsen & Ruth Bell & Aline Chiabai & Gabriel Muiños & Sahran Higgins & Sonia Quiroga & Pablo Martinez-Juarez & Monica Aberg Yngwe & Fotis Tsichlas & Pani, 2019. "Urban Green Space: Creating a Triple Win for Environmental Sustainability, Health, and Health Equity through Behavior Change," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-22, November.
    4. Rui Zhou & Ying-Jing Zheng & Jing-Yi Yun & Hong-Mei Wang, 2022. "The Effects of Urban Green Space on Depressive Symptoms of Mid-Aged and Elderly Urban Residents in China: Evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(2), pages 1-12, January.
    5. Laura Bojke & Laetitia Schmitt & James Lomas & Gerry Richardson & Helen Weatherly, 2018. "Economic Evaluation of Environmental Interventions: Reflections on Methodological Challenges and Developments," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-9, November.
    6. Kirsti S. Anthun & Ruca Elisa Katrin Maass & Siren Hope & Geir Arild Espnes & Ruth Bell & Matluba Khan & Monica Lillefjell, 2019. "Addressing Inequity: Evaluation of an Intervention to Improve Accessibility and Quality of a Green Space," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-16, December.
    7. Bin Chen & Shengbiao Wu & Yimeng Song & Chris Webster & Bing Xu & Peng Gong, 2022. "Contrasting inequality in human exposure to greenspace between cities of Global North and Global South," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
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