Speaker: Sjerp de Vries, researcher in Environmental psychology at the University of Wageningen. 

Numerous studies have shown beneficial associations between the availability of nearby greenspace and a wide range of mental as well as physical health outcomes. However, it is still unclear how precisely such associations come about. Answering that question is important, because it will give indications about how much greenspace, of which type(s) is most conducive to generating specific health benefits.

The webinar starts with a brief overview of the most prominent protective associations. After that, the Environment for Health Impact Assessment (E4HIA) framework is introduced, as a basis for discussing several mechanisms by which nearby nature is suggested to affect one’s health beneficially, and what is needed to make them work well.