IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i3p1982-d1042144.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Raising Healthy Children: Promoting the Multiple Benefits of Green Open Spaces through Biophilic Design

Author

Listed:
  • Alessio Russo

    (School of Arts, Francis Close Hall Campus, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham GL50 4AZ, UK
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Maria Beatrice Andreucci

    (Department of Planning, Design, Technology of Architecture, Sapienza University of Rome, 00196 Rome, Italy
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

Abstract

Several studies have indicated that children who grow up in green environments enjoy beneficial impacts on their development. However, to date, very little attention has been paid to the types and characteristics of dedicated public open green space for children. In addition, studies on biophilic design that could help landscape architects to design open spaces for children are limited. In order to fill this gap, this perspective examines the scientific literature on the relationship between open spaces and children. The authors specifically discuss and analyze the following points: (1) pathways to and effects on children’s health and well-being; (2) types and characteristics of open spaces for child-dedicated facilities (e.g., schools, hospitals, fitness camps, playgrounds, etc.), as well as for child-friendly urban open spaces. Finally, the authors provide inspiring examples and case studies of biophilic design for children’s health and well-being. Conclusions from this perspective show that biophilic design could benefit both the physical and mental health of children, as well as improve children’s overall resilience to pandemics and other diseases. This perspective provides, for the first time, new insights for designing biophilic and child-friendly cities, and explores areas of future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Alessio Russo & Maria Beatrice Andreucci, 2023. "Raising Healthy Children: Promoting the Multiple Benefits of Green Open Spaces through Biophilic Design," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-21, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:3:p:1982-:d:1042144
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/3/1982/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/3/1982/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Andrea Nathan & Phoebe George & Michelle Ng & Elizabeth Wenden & Pulan Bai & Zino Phiri & Hayley Christian, 2021. "Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions on Western Australian Children’s Physical Activity and Screen Time," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-13, March.
    2. Sabirah Adams & Shazly Savahl & Maria Florence & Kyle Jackson, 2019. "Considering the Natural Environment in the Creation of Child-Friendly Cities: Implications for Children’s Subjective Well-Being," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 12(2), pages 545-567, April.
    3. Alessio Russo & Giuseppe T. Cirella, 2018. "Modern Compact Cities: How Much Greenery Do We Need?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-15, October.
    4. Jun-Hyun Kim & Chanam Lee & Wonmin Sohn, 2016. "Urban Natural Environments, Obesity, and Health-Related Quality of Life among Hispanic Children Living in Inner-City Neighborhoods," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-15, January.
    5. Chongxian Chen & Weijing Luo & Haiwei Li & Danting Zhang & Ning Kang & Xiaohao Yang & Yu Xia, 2020. "Impact of Perception of Green Space for Health Promotion on Willingness to Use Parks and Actual Use among Young Urban Residents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-21, August.
    6. Elliott P. Flowers & Anna Timperio & Kylie D. Hesketh & Jenny Veitch, 2019. "Examining the Features of Parks That Children Visit During Three Stages of Childhood," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-10, May.
    7. 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.
    8. Alessio Russo & Wing Tung Chan & Giuseppe T. Cirella, 2021. "Estimating Air Pollution Removal and Monetary Value for Urban Green Infrastructure Strategies Using Web-Based Applications," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-17, July.
    9. Casey Gray & Rebecca Gibbons & Richard Larouche & Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter & Adam Bienenstock & Mariana Brussoni & Guylaine Chabot & Susan Herrington & Ian Janssen & William Pickett & Marlene Powe, 2015. "What Is the Relationship between Outdoor Time and Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour, and Physical Fitness in Children? A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-20, June.
    10. Linda Novosadová & Wim van der Knaap, 2021. "The Role of Biophilic Agents in Building a Green Resilient City; the Case of Birmingham, UK," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-20, April.
    11. Krzysztof Herman & Leon Ciechanowski & Aleksandra Przegalińska, 2021. "Emotional Well-Being in Urban Wilderness: Assessing States of Calmness and Alertness in Informal Green Spaces (IGSs) with Muse—Portable EEG Headband," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-20, February.
    12. Katrina A. Lambert & Gayan Bowatte & Rachel Tham & Caroline J. Lodge & Luke A. Prendergast & Joachim Heinrich & Michael J. Abramson & Shyamali C. Dharmage & Bircan Erbas, 2018. "Greenspace and Atopic Sensitization in Children and Adolescents—A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-12, November.
    13. Marcia P. Jimenez & Nicole V. DeVille & Elise G. Elliott & Jessica E. Schiff & Grete E. Wilt & Jaime E. Hart & Peter James, 2021. "Associations between Nature Exposure and Health: A Review of the Evidence," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-19, April.
    14. Matthew H. E. M. Browning & Alessandro Rigolon, 2019. "School Green Space and Its Impact on Academic Performance: A Systematic Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-22, February.
    15. Maria Beatrice Andreucci & Angela Loder & Martin Brown & Jelena Brajković, 2021. "Exploring Challenges and Opportunities of Biophilic Urban Design: Evidence from Research and Experimentation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-24, April.
    16. Sung Jun Park & Hyo Chang Lee, 2019. "Spatial Design of Childcare Facilities Based on Biophilic Design Patterns," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-15, May.
    17. Rokhshid Ghaziani & Mark Lemon & Paramita Atmodiwirjo, 2021. "Biophilic Design Patterns for Primary Schools," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-14, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Alessio Russo, 2024. "Renaturing for Urban Wellbeing: A Socioecological Perspective on Green Space Quality, Accessibility, and Inclusivity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-16, July.
    2. Shereen Khatoon-Jaan Din & Alessio Russo & Jamie Liversedge, 2023. "Designing Healing Environments: A Literature Review on the Benefits of Healing Gardens for Children in Healthcare Facilities and the Urgent Need for Policy Implementation," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-20, April.
    3. Yunjin Wang & Cheryl Desha & Savindi Caldera & Tanja Beer, 2024. "Roles of Urban Green Spaces for Children in High-Density Metropolitan Areas during Pandemics: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-24, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Alessio Russo, 2024. "Renaturing for Urban Wellbeing: A Socioecological Perspective on Green Space Quality, Accessibility, and Inclusivity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-16, July.
    2. William L. Rice & Sarah Y. Michels & Miranda Foster & Jon Graham & Peter Whitney & Jennifer M. Thomsen, 2023. "Exploring the Impacts of Protected Areas’ Attributes on Pediatric Health: The Case for Additional Research beyond Greenspace," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-19, August.
    3. Phi-Yen Nguyen & Thomas Astell-Burt & Hania Rahimi-Ardabili & Xiaoqi Feng, 2021. "Green Space Quality and Health: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-38, October.
    4. Amber L. Pearson & Catherine D. Brown & Aaron Reuben & Natalie Nicholls & Karin A. Pfeiffer & Kimberly A. Clevenger, 2023. "Elementary Classroom Views of Nature Are Associated with Lower Child Externalizing Behavior Problems," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(9), pages 1-14, April.
    5. Alessandro Rigolon & Matthew H. E. M. Browning & Olivia McAnirlin & Hyunseo (Violet) Yoon, 2021. "Green Space and Health Equity: A Systematic Review on the Potential of Green Space to Reduce Health Disparities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-27, March.
    6. Yijun Zhang & Suzanne Mavoa & Jinfeng Zhao & Deborah Raphael & Melody Smith, 2020. "The Association between Green Space and Adolescents’ Mental Well-Being: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-26, September.
    7. Yunlong Niu & Mastura Adam & Hazreena Hussein, 2022. "Connecting Urban Green Spaces with Children: A Scientometric Analysis Using CiteSpace," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-23, August.
    8. Argyro Anna Kanelli & Maria Lydia Vardaka & Chrisovaladis Malesios & Zainab Jamidu Katima & Olga-Ioanna Kalantzi, 2024. "Can Campus Green Spaces Be Restorative? A Case Study from Tanzania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-21, January.
    9. Nicola Walshe & Joy Perry & Zoe Moula, 2023. "Eco-Capabilities: Arts-in-Nature for Supporting Nature Visibilisation and Wellbeing in Children," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-21, August.
    10. Nabetse Baruc Blas-Miranda & Ana Lilia Lozada-Tequeanes & Juan Antonio Miranda-Zuñiga & Marcia P. Jimenez, 2022. "Green Space Exposure and Obesity in the Mexican Adult Population," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-13, November.
    11. Rosario Padial-Ruz & Mª Esther Puga-González & Álvaro Céspedes-Jiménez & David Cabello-Manrique, 2021. "Determining Factors in the Use of Urban Parks That Influence the Practice of Physical Activity in Children: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-23, March.
    12. Jenny Veitch & Elliott Flowers & Kylie Ball & Benedicte Deforche & Anna Timperio, 2020. "Exploring Children’s Views on Important Park Features: A Qualitative Study Using Walk-Along Interviews," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-14, June.
    13. Nausheen Masood & Alessio Russo, 2023. "Community Perception of Brownfield Regeneration through Urban Rewilding," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-15, February.
    14. 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.
    15. Joanna Baj-Korpak & Marian Jan Stelmach & Kamil Zaworski & Piotr Lichograj & Marek Wochna, 2022. "Assessment of Motor Abilities and Physical Fitness in Youth in the Context of Talent Identification—OSF Test," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-19, November.
    16. Kirsten McEwan & Vanessa Potter & Yasuhiro Kotera & Jessica Eve Jackson & Sarah Greaves, 2022. "‘This Is What the Colour Green Smells Like!’: Urban Forest Bathing Improved Adolescent Nature Connection and Wellbeing," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-12, November.
    17. Xue Meng & Mohan Wang, 2022. "Comparative Review of Environmental Audit Tools for Public Open Spaces from the Perspective of Children’s Activity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-16, October.
    18. Borualogo, Ihsana Sabriani & Casas, Ferran, 2024. "Children with homeostatically maintained and homeostatically defeated subjective well-being in Indonesia," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    19. Peter J. Irga & Fraser R. Torpy & Daniel Griffin & Sara J. Wilkinson, 2023. "Vertical Greening Systems: A Perspective on Existing Technologies and New Design Recommendation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-13, March.
    20. Shirelle H. Hallum & Marilyn E. Wende & Farnaz Hesam Shariati & Kelsey M. Thomas & Anna L. Chupak & Eleanor Witherspoon & Andrew T. Kaczynski, 2024. "Unearthing Inequities in the Relationship between Multiple Sociodemographic Factors and Diverse Elements of Park Availability and Quality in a Major Southern Metropolitan Region," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(2), pages 1-19, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:3:p:1982-:d:1042144. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.