Therapeutic landscapes beyond the lush season: extending the well-being benefits of urban green and blue spaces through outdoor leisure

Mental health has become an increasing problem in the European Union and a similar trend is observed in Sweden.

While there is well-documented evidence that urban nature (green/blue spaces) can support mental wellbeing, there is a lack of knowledge on how to extend this benefit to the cold and dark season, when wellbeing needs are at their highest.

The goal of this project is to examine possibilities for planning and use of nearby green/blue spaces beyond the ‘lush season’, to extend access to their benefits as ‘therapeutic landscapes’ throughout the year.

We address this challenge by combining the concept of ‘therapeutic landscape’ with social practice theory and a relational understanding of accessibility, in order to improve our understanding and methods of assessment of the therapeutic qualities of urban landscapes, and the seasonal accessibility issues that impact these.The project is implemented by an interdisciplinary team and is empirically exploring women’s everyday leisure practices in Botkyrka, utilizing filmed interviews and diaries to better understand how accessibility and wellbeing are made possible during the dark season.

The project also involves an analysis of planning practices and engages stakeholders, such as urban planners, through close dialog, and workshops.

The results of this project will produce a significant social impact by addressing season inclusive use of urban green/blue infrastructures to contribute to greater health equity.