Cities can use biophilic design to support children’s health and wellbeingGlobally there is much concern for the impact of urban growth on children, which may result in unhealthy and unsafe environments that limit children’s access to nature and negatively impact their health and development. As a potential solution, biophilic design in urban settings may offer a “critical approach for achieving human rights-based sustainable development.” This study considers: 1) how nature benefits children’s health and well-being; 2) the different types of open spaces that provide facilities for children; 3) examples of communities using biophilic design to support children’s health and well-being; and 4) how biophilic design and access to nature relate to policy.
A summary of the existing literature highlights the positive impacts of nature on childhood health outcomes. These benefits include “decreased emotional and behavioral difficulties, improved birth outcomes, higher academic achievement, and improved overall mental well-being and cognitive development.” The study also provides an overview of the different types of public green space available for children, including parks, schools, trails, recreation facilities, forest schools, informal green spaces (unplanned spaces such as vacant lots), sensory or healing gardens, playgrounds and sports facilities.
Biophilic design in this study is defined as “the process of designing open space leveraging biophilic attributes in order to improve children’s health and well-being” and case study examples of communities with these aims are discussed. Kids’ City Christianshavn, Copenhagen uses biophilic design across multiple locations, including schoolyards, playgrounds, residential green space and urban parks. Design of these sites meets biophilic principles, allowing children direct experience of nature, indirect experience of nature (such as natural materials and naturalistic shapes/forms), and experience of place and space (such as prospect and refuge, or cultural/ecological attachment to place). Birmingham, U.K., the country’s first biophilic city, has prioritized greenspace aimed at supporting the most vulnerable children throughout their development. The city works to empower young people, safeguard greenspace in housing developments, and provide green interventions.
Additionally, ensuring children’s access to green space can effectively contribute to goals outlined in international policies, including the Sustainable Development Goals, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The study offers insights for the design of biophilic and child-friendly cities that should be considered by architects, landscape designers, and urban planners. The authors contend that “caregivers, communities, institutions, and governments can take immediate action to create new green spaces and improve existing green spaces in urban neighborhoods.” The places where children spend much of their time, such as schools and childcare centers, should be prioritized for greening and biophilic design. It is also critical to empower communities in the design, improvement, and creation of urban green space.
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