In Week One, the lecture session introduced the concept of healthy planet, healthy people, while seminar provided an introduction to urban greenspaces and an overview of the first assignment.
Readings comprised the core content in Outside Our Doors and the recommended reading in GEO-6 Assessment for the pan-European region.
Your feedback on any or all of these components of the first week of the course is welcome below!
Example question: Please list 4 ways ‘nearby nature’ positively influences our lives.
According to the concept of “Healthy Planet, Healthy People”, why is it important to understand human health in the wider context of ecosystem health, especially considering the imminent threat of climate change?
“Outside our Doors” was a very thought-provoking read. I found it interesting that it touched on the attractiveness of neighbourhoods and how that relates to property value, the economy as well as equity. I had no idea that the implementation of greenspaces had the potential to cause social inequality, as I previously thought the exact opposite. Overall, the implementation of urban greenspace affects a much deeper level of society than I originally thought.
In the reading article “Oustside Our Doors”, Israel and Worf suggest that children need green spaces now more than ever, because the generation is overwhelmed with digital and urban environment. The lack of green increases the rate of obesity, ADHD and depression in children, therefore, specific punlic space designed is needed for children for better physical and mental health. While the article keeps emphasizing the importance of building more green spaces, how do people increase their awareness of the benefits provided by natural area? How do we actually get children to be in that green space? I think that certain lifestyle is chosen by people, and urban designer should also focus on designing healthier lifestyles.
The reading for this first week was “Outside Our Doors”, it highlights the reasons for which it is imperative for individuals to have exposure to nature. Not only did it present the reasons for which nature is such an important element in our lives thanks to the health benefits it gives us, it also explained the economic value that real estate which is attatched to natural environments has. Furthermore, this article managed to portray the ways in which the layout of urban landscapes has the power to socially segregate individuals by increasing the desirability of areas thus increasing the price of establishments in said areas which in turn make it unaffordable for poor individuals to enjoy the facilities offered in those spaces. By reading this article I was able to learn about the multifaceted influence that nature has in our daily life.
I really enjoyed reading “Outside our Doors” by The Nature Conservancy. It was interesting because the paper was written in a way that the general public can understand. Consequently this publication has the ability to help educate the general public of the Puget Sound region. I think it’s important that more regions/municipalities publish information about the benefits of their urban forests so that the general public can gain a better appreciation of their urban nature.
After reading the article, I gradually realize the importance of the urban green space. The green space are well linked to the human health and well-being which can increase the physical activity to reduce the chronic disease. What’s more, green space can help to enhance the cohesion of the communities. So the public should notice the importance of the green space and make it beneficial to the human being.
This weeks reading was my favourite out of all of them. The layout, language, images, and design made it really easy to read (almost fun!). I’ve based assignments like the site analysis off of this paper for the layout. I think that I’ll keep the reading for future references to help me figure out how to present a compelling and beautiful document.