Invited discussant comments during the UCL-Penn Global COVID Study webinar 'How Do We Trust (Again): Paranoia and Mental Health': part 2 of 2.

Loneliness has been reported by the UCL-Penn Global COVID Study participants throughout the pandemic year, not surprisingly, although this has been an issue that has been manifesting itself even before the pandemic. In identifying loneliness in communities, the built environment industry and professionals have been looking at how good and targeted design in the public realm and master planning can help to firstly design interventions and secondly orchestrate or manage these spaces in a way that helps create opportunities to address loneliness. Furthermore, how these spaces create opportunities for people to both interact with each other but also interact with the space can help connect people together and with nature/biodiversity. In doing so this also helps to create better health outcomes for mental health and wellbeing, as well as physical health and wellbeing. Coronavirus (Covid-19) and the associated lockdown periods have caused people to reconnect with local green spaces and has focused the attention to what these spaces provide in terms of opportunities and benefits for people. As a result, the value placed on these and the expectation of how they will provide value to communities is increasing and will continue to increase in the post-Covid-19 world. Better connected, activated and well-structured public realm and green spaces will be central to the development of projects and schemes for housing, and mixed used schemes in the forthcoming years.

Invited discussant comments during the UCL-Penn Global COVID Study webinar 'How Do We Trust (Again): Paranoia and Mental Health': part 1 of 2.

The article provides commentary on Wong et al.'s investigation of the relationship between schizotypal traits, social mistrust and aggression, mental and physical health outcomes across three waves of data collection commencing in April 2020. The researchers aimed to consider the nature of the relationship between these variables and the stability of these relationships as coronavirus (Covid-19) restrictions fluctuated over time. Their results suggested that loneliness reflects a hub which links the trait variables of schizotypal and social mistrust to aggression and mental and physical health symptoms. Their network did not vary by demographic factors nor wave of data collection, suggesting that stable individual differences were driving results. Their results propose that interventions which increase social connection could provide positive health benefits as well as decreasing aggression (via reductions in social mistrust). Their data contributes to understanding about how schizotypal traits link to outcomes under conditions of social stress.

Current Approaches of Ecological Sustainability in Urban Planning

The most important way to deal with urgent problems in the history of world is to pay attention to the dialogue with our past. The fact that the local government is effective in the city administration, which came to the agenda with the COVID- 19 process, shows that the planning approaches should be specific to the city. Because every city is affected by this process in different ways due to its own dynamics. Therefore, the protection of local knowledge and the development of planning and design decisions based on local knowledge is highly valuable. In this respect, it should be remembered that the international environmental law documents developed as a result of environmental crises and the urban planning approaches created within the scope of these documents provide important knowledge and experience in dealing with global problems. This study examines the perspectives and approaches of urban planning theory and practices related to nature- culture harmonization, which have come to the fore intensively with the COVID- 19 process. Perspective is the way you always observe and understand something from one angle. The information produced in this direction is contextual. In other words, knowledge does not develop independently of the fact, and the opinion of the individual. Approaches defining the theoretical and conceptual background of anthropocentric perspective and ecocentric perspective, which determines the human- nature relationship in landscape architecture have existed as a result of local, regional and global phenomena and since the establishment of the profession;but their conceptualizations have taken place in recent years. Although it is too early to predict how the pandemic process will create a change in the planning and design knowledge (episteme) in the field of landscape architecture, it is obvious that the professional discipline has to use the knowledge of the past more effectively in both planning and design, and it has to improve its relationship with the field of landscape ecology and social sciences. It is possible that sustainability rhetoric is used extensively in developing the relationship in between Landscape Architecture and other fields. However, Landscape Architecture has the power to overcome the sustainability rhetoric with ecological design approaches such as sustainable infrastructure, green infrastructure and ecosystem services, and to integrate the ecosystem into daily life and to ensure harmony with nature. © 2023 Peter Lang GmbH, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften.

The benefits of nature-based systems in a and uncertain world

Multifunctional nature-based solutions (NBS) can help urban areas become more climate proof and adaptable and provide a range of societal goals. Alongside chronic impacts from climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic has illustrated the disruption that unexpected and acute shocks can bring to society. Measures such as NBS can help reduce the vulnerability of urban areas and increase resilience. Traditional infrastructure planning relies on strong business cases to demonstrate the economic value of a scheme. Numerous approaches assign economic value to the benefits from using NBS. However, this value is more than what can be accounted for by traditional finance methods, as there are many different perspectives on 'value'. Decision making processes for selection of NBS measures require stronger integration of these value perspectives. This paper considers these perspectives in the business models that are being used in the decision processes regarding use and selection of NBS. Examples are drawn from case studies in the EU Begin project and also from the Living with Water partnership in the UK, which illustrate how value perspectives can be included in business cases for NBS, also signposting the need to account for potential future changes using scenario planning.

Briefing: Rethinking urban infrastructure from an ecological perspective in a post-Covid-19 world

Urban areas continue to change in response to climatic, engineering and socio-economic changes. Covid-19 exacerbated this by forcing many people to reflect on the composition of their local environment and evaluate the quality, quantity and provision of nature within urban areas. As a consequence of Covid-19 built infrastructure specialists have been further challenged to consider more ecologically focussed approaches to development that work within existing development frameworks. To achieve this, engineers, planners, architects and the environment sector should work more effectively to exchange knowledge, share best practice and create new practices that align engineered solutions with environmentally focussed design and management. It also requires a more nuanced appreciation of the elemental and thematic understandings of urban nature, which are often absent from development plans. If cities are to become more sustainable, a more holistic approach to development that integrates ecologically sensitive design with engineering innovation is needed. As a consequence, there is the potential to future-proof urban areas against the problems associated with health, climatic and economic change. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Engineering Sustainability is the property of Thomas Telford Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Effect of green infrastructures supported by adaptative solar shading systems on livability in open spaces

Lack of thermal comfort in the existing building stock in many warm summer climates and the COVID-19 pandemic have increased residents' temporary occupation of urban open spaces. However, climate change and other effects such as urban heat islands are also negatively affecting the livability of these spaces. Therefore, strategies are needed to improve the thermal conditions in these areas. In this context, the research designs, simulates and assesses an urban green infrastructure supported by an adaptative solar shading system. For this purpose, a public square to be renovated in Seville (Spain) is chosen. After an analysis of the current situation, more vegetation is added. However, trees are not planted fully grown, so their cover is not enough in the short term and an artificial system that protects from the sun by casting shade and that adapts to both their growth and the seasons is included. The urban space is characterized by on-site measurements, proposing four (initial, intermediates and final) scenarios using computational fluid dynamics simulations in an holistic microclimate modelling system. In turn, changes in thermal comfort are analyzed using the COMFA model. Results show that the air and surface temperature are decreased, reducing the number of hours in discomfort by 21% thanks to incorporating the green structure and by 30% due to the vegetation. It can be concluded that the use of these temporary urban prostheses enables urban spaces regenerated with vegetation to be enjoyed without waiting 20 or 30 years for the trees to mature, encouraging people to spend more time outdoors from the start of the intervention. © 2023 The Authors

A Practical Green Infrastructure Intervention to Mitigate Air Pollution in a UK School Playground

Air pollution severely compromises children's health and development, causing physical and mental implications. We have explored the use of site-specific green infrastructure (green barriers) in a school playground in Sheffield, UK, as an air-pollution-mitigation measure to improve children's environment. The study assessed air quality pre-post intervention and compared it with two control sites. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter <2.5 µm in size (PM2.5) concentration change was assessed via three methods: (1) continuous monitoring with fixed devices (de-seasonalised);(2) monthly monitoring with diffusion tubes (spatial analysis);(3) intermittent monitoring with a mobile device at children's height (spatial analysis). De-seasonalised results indicate a reduction of 13% for NO2 and of 2% for PM2.5 in the school playground after two years of plant establishment. Further reductions in NO2 levels (25%) were observed during an exceptionally low mobility period (first COVID-19 lockdown);this is contrary to PM2.5 levels, which increased. Additionally, particles captured by a green barrier plant, Hedera helix ‘Woerner', were observed and analysed using SEM/EDX techniques. Particle elemental analysis suggested natural and potential anthropogenic origins, potentially signalling vehicle traffic. Overall, green barriers are a valid complementary tool to improve school air quality, with quantifiable and significant air pollution changes even in our space-constrained site. © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

The resilient city

This chapter emphasizes the importance not only of why we need resilient cities but also of how we can implement resilient strategies in cities. It examines the various steps the city has taken: through its creation of the Chief Resilience Officer role in 2014, its climate adaptation programme, the release of the first documented resilience strategy, and its formerly assigning resilience as a governmental responsibility, among other things. The chapter looks at the post-pandemic steps the city has taken, the updating of resilience strategy, and the Seven City projects, which aim to boost the economy and liveability, with a focus on green infrastructure and climate adaptation and creating jobs and attracting businesses. The COVID-19 crisis has focused the minds of local governments in the USA and Europe on the need to build resilience into their recovery strategies. Cities are seeing their digitalization planning as a way of supporting and driving a resilience strategy. © 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

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.

COVID-19 pandemic changes the recreational use of Moscow parks in space and time: Outcomes from crowd-sourcing and machine learning.

The limited access to urban green spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the human-nature interaction in cities and human well-being. Number of visitors to green areas, initially declined due to imposed restrictions, was restored after they were lifted as established by several studies across the globe However, little is still known about changes in behavior and preferences of park visitors in the post-COVID time. In this study, we investigated spatial-temporal patterns of recreational activities in the three urban parks in Moscow (Russia) prior, during and after the COVID-19 lockdown (in 2019 and 2020). The selected parks represent two different types: a centrally located park with much infrastructure and open landscapes (Gorky Park) and parks located at the outskirts of the city center with a more forested landscape and little infrastructure (Timiryazevski and Sokolniki parks). Recreational activities were identified based on the analysis of social media photos using machine-learning algorithms. As expected, park closures during lockdown resulted in overall decrease in the number of taken photos. After the parks were re-opened, however, the number of photos did not grow immediately. The number of photos only restored after almost three months, and the visiting peak shifted to autumn. Differences between parks were related to the type of the park and its landscape structure. The lowest decrease in the number of photos was observed for the Timiryazevsky park - a semi-natural green area, while the centrally located Gorky Park was the most affected, likely due to the strictest control measures. In comparison to 2019, photos in 2020 were more evenly distributed across the area in all the three parks. Besides, 'natural' areas became the main attractors for the visitors - photos under 'nature observation' category became the most popular. Spatial distribution of the recreational activities in post-lockdown period was characterized by larger distances between photos, likely corresponding to the social distancing. COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the value of green areas for citizens, but also changed their recreational preferences and overall behavior in parks. The observed shift from high density of visitors around entertainments and attractions in 2019 to a more homogeneous and less dense distribution along the natural zones in 2020 reveals a new pattern in visitors behavior and preference, which shall be considered in spatial planning of the parks. Increasing availability of natural green areas and their integration in urban green infrastructures can become the most relevant policy to consider the crucial role of urban nature as a source of resilience in turbulent times.

Covid-19 and outdoor recreation – Lessons learned? Introduction to the special issue on "Outdoor recreation and Covid-19: Its effects on people, parks and landscapes”

The special issue presents international experiences with COVID-19 in the years 2020 and 2021 on outdoor recreation and nature-based tourism. To set the scene, a bibliometric and qualitative analysis illustrates and clusters recent publications on COVID-19. Against this background contributions from Japan, China, Brazil, Indonesia, Austria, Croatia, the United States, New Zealand, Taiwan, Australia, Sweden, Poland and Ireland draw a truly international picture of the pandemic crisis, the effects, coping behavior and related strategies. The papers contribute to the COVID-19 related research by documenting the shock in the field of outdoor recreation and tourism, by understanding the immediate consequences on behavior and the required managerial consequences and finally, by analyzing the possible follow up effects including long term effects, discussing resilient solutions and proposing new strategies. In the discussion section we try to answer the questions whether the high visitation rate in recreation facilities, forests, parks and protected areas will remain, and whether adapted visitor management concepts will be required. In addition, we discuss possible implications for urban planning and management. Finally, based on a changing connectedness to nature also possible positive effects by the pandemic are discussed which may lead to a new target group in outdoor recreation and nature-based tourism. Management implications: The overview on the Covid-19 related literature suggests improvements in planning and management, such as - new concepts for destination and visitor management, considering an ongoing risk-management, - proactive urban planning and management considering short-term effects in the existing built environment as well as a long-term perspective with strategically planned green infrastructure, including not only the supply of green infrastructure, but also its accessibility, its amenities, and aspects of environmental justice, - the consideration of new target groups in tourism and outdoor recreation. © 2022

Informing the design of urban green and blue spaces through an understanding of Europeans' usage and preferences

In light of global climate change and the biodiversity crisis, making cities more resilient through an adjusted design of urban green and blue spaces is crucial. Nature-based solutions help address these challenges while providing opportunities for nature experiences, and providing cultural ecosystem services that support public health. The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated stressors highlighted the interrelated socio-ecological services provided by nature-based solutions like urban green and blue spaces.This pan-European study therefore aimed to enhance the socio-ecological understanding of green and blue spaces to support their design and management. Using an online survey, green and blue space preferences, usage, and pandemic-related changes in greenspace visit and outdoor recreation frequencies were examined.Greenspace visit and outdoor recreation frequencies were associated with respondents' (N = 584 from 15 countries) geographical location, dominant type of neighbourhood greenspace and greenspace availability during the pandemic, but not greenspace perceptions or sociodemographic background.Greenspace visit and outdoor recreation frequencies were generally high;however, Southern Europeans reported lower greenspace visit and outdoor recreation frequencies both before and during the pandemic than Northern Europeans. Many Southern Europeans also reported having few neighbourhood greenspaces and low greenspace availability during the pandemic.The most common outdoor recreational activity among respondents before the pandemic was walking or running with the most frequently stated purpose of time spent outdoors being restorative in nature (i.e. relaxing or calming down). Most Europeans had positive perceptions of green and blue spaces with preferences for structurally diverse and natural or unmanaged green elements.This highlights the importance of accessible green and blue spaces both in everyday life and during times of crisis. Stakeholders, their preferences, and regional and cultural differences should be included in the co-design of urban green and blue spaces to maximize their potential for both people and nature.Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

A New Urban Greening Scheme Approach: Increasing Quantity and Quality of Urban Green Space

Urban green spaces are perceived as vital urban infrastructure for healing from the spread of the COVID-19 disease. Regarding the limited availability and the high price of land in urban areas, local governments are encouraged to find alternative solutions that are good, appropriate, and fast to achieve the target of 30% green open space in their area. Based on the Green City Development Roadmap by the Ministry of Public Works and Housing in 2015, several cities were creatively assessing and determining the components of green open space based on the city's natural character and stipulated in local regulations. This causes the diversity of existing green open space data in each city which cannot be compared validly. Furthermore, along with technology development in providing more environmentally friendly elements, the term "green open space"is considered to limit improvement efforts in the quantity and quality of urban green spaces. Therefore, this descriptive-qualitative study was conducted to find a new paradigm in defining green open spaces through benchmarking methods based on selected cities' strategic and practical policies. The study results found the term "green space"in general as a response to the spatial problem that does not limit the function and utilization of the space, such as the condition of being open or closed by a tree canopy, owned by public or private, or furnished with vegetation and/or hardscape elements. However, we consider that implementing this breakthrough idea needs to be supported by related scientific studies and best practices relevant to the environmental context, both ecological, social, and cultural aspects. Consequently, a deeper study in realizing the green space concept needs to be carried out, primarily related to proving that this concept can increase both the quantity and quality of the urban green space. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.

Beyond the ‘usual suspects'? Engaging children in diverse communities in co-producing an arboretum-meadow: Professional partner perspectives

Nature-based solutions (NBS) can mitigate the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and mental wellbeing prioritised by the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The advantages of co-producing NBS with local communities have been explored, yet there is a lack of understanding of professional partners' priorities in relation to specific projects, and their perceptions of the opportunities and challenges encountered during the co-productive process. The benefits of co-producing NBS with children are not understood, particularly in deprived, diverse communities. We addressed these gaps by conducting in-depth, semi-structured interviews with eight professional partners in contrasting roles involved in the co-production of an educational arboretum-meadow on a redundant mini-golf site in Wardown Park, within the High Town ward of Luton, Bedfordshire, UK. Here there is considerable ethnic diversity with 41% residents White British, and 59% other ethnicities. There are significant Black and Minority Ethnic communities (38%). A high percentage of households live with overcrowding (24%) and 31% year six children are obese. All partners prioritised connecting children to nature. The social benefits of the project were prioritised over ecological and climate-related ones. Most participants perceived diverse partner expertise and priorities as an opportunity of co-production. Covid-19 was considered a significant challenge and an opportunity. Our research provides insight into the potential for co-production of NBS in a relatively deprived, ethnically diverse context to contribute to "futureproofing” towns and cities by fostering nature connection amongst children, whilst providing a novel, creative approach to managing and maintaining GI under austerity. Learning from this project has international transferability as a ‘flagship project' illustrating how the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be addressed at the local level.

Informing the design of urban green and blue spaces through an understanding of Europeans' usage and preferences

In light of global climate change and the biodiversity crisis, making cities more resilient through an adjusted design of urban green and blue spaces is crucial. Nature-based solutions help address these challenges while providing opportunities for nature experiences, and providing cultural ecosystem services that support public health. The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated stressors highlighted the interrelated socio-ecological services provided by nature-based solutions like urban green and blue spaces. This pan-European study therefore aimed to enhance the socio-ecological understanding of green and blue spaces to support their design and management. Using an online survey, green and blue space preferences, usage, and pandemic-related changes in greenspace visit and outdoor recreation frequencies were examined. Greenspace visit and outdoor recreation frequencies were associated with respondents' (N = 584 from 15 countries) geographical location, dominant type of neighbourhood greenspace and greenspace availability during the pandemic, but not greenspace perceptions or sociodemographic background. Greenspace visit and outdoor recreation frequencies were generally high;however, Southern Europeans reported lower greenspace visit and outdoor recreation frequencies both before and during the pandemic than Northern Europeans. Many Southern Europeans also reported having few neighbourhood greenspaces and low greenspace availability during the pandemic. The most common outdoor recreational activity among respondents before the pandemic was walking or running with the most frequently stated purpose of time spent outdoors being restorative in nature (i.e. relaxing or calming down). Most Europeans had positive perceptions of green and blue spaces with preferences for structurally diverse and natural or unmanaged green elements. This highlights the importance of accessible green and blue spaces both in everyday life and during times of crisis. Stakeholders, their preferences, and regional and cultural differences should be included in the co-design of urban green and blue spaces to maximize their potential for both people and nature. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Relationship between the Duration of Urban Nature and a Lower Waist-Hip Ratio.

Obesity is a prevalent health issue. Evidence suggests that the availability of urban nature may reduce the risks of obesity. However, several knowledge gaps remain. This study explores the relationships between the dose (distance, duration and frequency) of urban nature and demographic factors towards obesity risks among people in Thailand. A total of 111 participants in three urban and peri-urban nature locations answered a survey regarding their distance from green spaces, frequency of visits, and duration of their typical stay, as well as their socio-demographics, and waist-hip ratio (WHR). The results suggested that at least 1-2 h per typical visit to nature predicted low-risk WHR in women. Male participants are more likely to have a high-risk WHR. Increasing age predicted low-risk WHR. Spending more time in green spaces predicted lower odds of high-risk WHR, while distance did not predict the odds. This research is one of the first to study the relationship between time spent in nature and obesity, and one of the first nature and health studies conducted in Thailand. Given that Thailand is one of the countries most affected by obesity in Southeast Asia, this study is relevant and essential. Future research should explore the quality factors of the park with longer duration of stay.

Examining who benefited from green infrastructure during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020: Considering the issues of access to green areas from socioeconomic and environmental perspectives.

Access to green areas was one of the most contested issues during Japan's first coronavirus emergency period in 2020. The access was examined using a large-scale online questionnaire survey. An integrated analysis of socioeconomic attributes and environmental factors was conducted, and a typology of respondents, in terms of being beneficiaries of green infrastructure, was provided. Based on empirical datasets, we identified: (1) a relatively strong influence of the pandemic on the access to green areas for young females, both positively and negatively, (2) difficulties of green area access for unmarried low-income respondents in terms of aspects such as travel time, and (3) the influence of neighboring environments on green area access; for example, if there were agricultural lands near the respondents' residential areas, they tended to visit those lands instead of other green areas. The identified typology can serve as a basis for policy targets or components within policy, to enhance the management of green infrastructure as "open" and public areas. This analysis method can be applied to different regions globally, and it contributes to policymaking for green area management to enhance social and individual well-being.

Rising the Significance of Green Infrastructure in Belgrade, Serbia: Pedestrian and Bicycle Mobility Changes during the COVID-19

The response to the COVID-19 pandemic brought about significant changes in urban mobility and the city usage patterns. This paper elaborates the effect of lockdown measures on the pedestrian and bicycle use of urban green spaces in Belgrade, Serbia (May 6 - September 29, 2020). Mobile Limitless Application and bicycle counters data from thousands of pedestrian and bicycle users were used to detect spatial and temporal changes in activities. It is estimated that outdoor pedestrian activity increased by 23% from the beginning of COVID-19 safety measures implementation, compared to an average detected during the last 2 years in the same time frame. Both pedestrians and cyclists intensified activities on lanes within green areas or along them. Finally, pedestrian and bicycle mobility have increased in urban parks, peri-urban forests and riverbank pedestrian lanes, emphasizing the importance of access to green open spaces, especially during the COVID-19 distress.

Analysis of Domestic and International Green Infrastructure Research Trends from the ESG Perspective in South Korea.

Government-level ESG (environmental, social, and governance) institutionalization and active ESG activation in the private sector are being discussed for the first time this year in Korea, spurred by increased national interest since the COVID-19 pandemic crisis and the declaration of a carbon-neutral society by 2050, and ESG discussion in many fields is spreading rapidly. In addition, global awareness of the crisis caused by environmental pollution and natural disasters has highlighted the importance of green infrastructure (GI) as a new conceptual alternative to improve public value. Based on sustainability, which is a common goal of ESG and green infrastructure, this study aimed to examine the research targets and techniques of green infrastructure from the perspective of ESG. This study selected and analyzed 98 domestic and international academic journal papers published over the past 10 years in the Web of Science academic journal database literature collection. Focusing on the research subjects, the focus on green infrastructure, and research keywords, we examined the aspects of the green infrastructure plan that have been focused on from the ESG perspective and compared domestic and international research trends. In addition, implications for how each research topic is connected to the concept of ESG according to its function and purpose were derived. By examining the domestic and international research trends of green infrastructure from the ESG perspective, we identified the need for a wider range of research on the diversity and relationship between humans and the ecological environment; policies and systems; and technical research that does not focus only on a specific field. In this regard, we intend to increase the contribution to ESG management in the public sector through the establishment of green infrastructure plans and policies in the future, as they account for a large portion of public capital.

Effect of a Park-Based Physical Activity Intervention on Psychological Wellbeing at the Time of COVID-19.

Practicing regular physical activity in green spaces has been invocated as a promising strategy for improving wellbeing in urban settings. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of a structured park-based physical activity intervention, the "Moving Parks" project, on citizens' wellbeing at the time of COVID-19. The intervention was carried out in six public parks in Bologna (Italy) and administered by qualified instructors (from May 2021 to September 2021). The Psychological General Well Being Index short form questionnaire was administered before and after the three months of outdoor activities. A total of 328 participants completed the questionnaire at the beginning and at the end of the project. In September 2021, all psychosocial domains of the questionnaire (anxiety, depressed mood, self-control, positive well-being, vitality energy, and vitality-tiredness) significantly improved in the female sample (p value < 0.01) and only the last two in the male sample (p value < 0.05). The "Moving Parks" project seems to be able to improve citizens' psychological wellbeing, particularly in women.