Nature in the city and urban biodiversity: undeniable impacts on health and quality of life

Bibliographical resource

2024

Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires (ANCT)

To mark the launch of the Fabrique Prospective on ‘Nature in priority neighbourhoods: what levers for the ecological transition, employment, social cohesion and territorial cohesion?’, Veille & Territoires is offering a selection of literature co-developed with Elodie Bourgeois, head of foresight and innovation at ANCT.

This book provides an overview of possible actions to promote biodiversity in territories and to develop cities with nature. Illustrated with inspiring and tried-and-tested feedback from municipalities and their groupings, it aims to help structure all the actions needed to move towards a nature strategy, and to find the financial and organisational support for its implementation. 30 actions and 60 lessons learned, grouped into 7 areas, cover all the tools that local authorities can use to help introduce more nature and biodiversity into their areas. doc.cerema.fr/Default/doc/SYRACUSE/592529/la-nature-source-de-biodiversite-au-sein-des-territoires-de-l-outil-a-la-strategie-guide-methodologi

While heatwaves, pollution peaks and successive confinements are all helping to make us collectively aware of the importance of nature - and plants in particular - for the well-being of city dwellers, the question of the ‘types’ of nature present in cities and their effects has rarely been explored. Does growing cherry tomato plants on a balcony produce the same benefits in terms of well-being as a stroll through a public garden? Will this walk have similar effects to those of a stroll in the woods? theconversation.com/bien-etre-en-ville-toutes-les-natures-ne-se-valent-pas-180171

This report provides a vision for cities of the future and the needed systemic shifts to develop BiodiverCities that place nature at the heart of decision-making and infrastructure investments. The report also sets out how public and private urban leaders can utilise nature to both reduce the impact of their cities on biodiversity, increase their climate resilience, and secure significant economic benefits. www.weforum.org/reports/biodivercities-by-2030-transforming-cities-relationship-with-nature

What impact does urban nature have on our health? And how can we take practical action to promote health and well-being in the urban environment? This methodological guide provides the keys to building a city that takes care of its residents. www.paysdelaloire.prse.fr/espaces-vegetalises-urbains-et-sante-un-guide-a754.html

42 authors from a variety of disciplines (ecologists, geographers, town planners, architects, landscape architects, economists, sociologists, agronomists, computer scientists, lawyers) of different nationalities, researchers and professionals alike, have brought together their thoughts in this two-volume work. Their aim is to examine the relationship that city dwellers have with ecosystems, especially the green spaces found in the city, and not just the benefits of nature, but also its harms. This first volume reveals the ambivalence of the relationship between nature and the city. Examples taken from different cultural contexts reveal an oscillation between destruction and need, between well-being and social exclusion. Yet the demand for nature is growing, and so is its presence. New systems are emerging, reflecting paradigm shifts. hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03502405

The interactions between health and the environment were highlighted by the Covid-19 crisis, highlighting the impact that environmental degradation can have on human health. In particular, this Fabrique Prospective confirmed that the living environment of small towns is an asset in terms of health and well-being that can be leveraged to offer privileged access to nature-based spaces and develop nature-based solutions. agence-cohesion-territoires.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/2021-12/211029-ANCT- Comprendre-PetitesVilles-web.pdf

This new publication, produced as part of the GREENH-City intervention research project, is dedicated to green spaces, a major component of health-promoting urban planning and a real lever for action for local authorities. This collective production provides a well-founded illustration of the importance of creating such environments that are conducive to health and equity for metropolitan populations. www.villes-sante.com/wp-content/uploads/web_Ouvrage_GreenhCity-2020.pdf

Since the industrial revolution, nature has often been thought of in opposition to the urban environment. Urbanisation, combined air and soil pollution, and the densification of our cities are partly at the root of a sense of urgency: the need to ‘green’ our urban environment - both public and private spaces - in order to make cities healthier. However, developing health-friendly urban planning is not something that can be taken for granted, and does not fall within the traditional remit of local authorities. So this work on urban morphology raises the fundamental question of man’s relationship with nature and the urban environment, between the desire for well-being and the need for health. La Fabrique de la Cité has invited Lise Bourdeau-Lepage, professor of geography (Université Jean Moulin, Lyon 3) and PhD in economics, and Florence Marin-Poillot, CEO of Urbalia (a biodiversity and urban agriculture consultancy), to discuss the return of nature to the city, its representations and the associated issues of well-being and health. www.lafabriquedelacite.com/publications/la-nature-en-ville-facteur-de-sante-et-de-bien-etre-points-de-vue-de- lise-bourdeau-lepage-et-florence-marin-poillot/

The ‘One Health’ approach proposes a continuum approach to human-animal-ecosystem relations. This systemic approach can be extremely useful in addressing the links between green woodland in urban areas and the health of city dwellers (more than half the world’s population). These links are now beginning to be well documented in the scientific literature, in all their diversity and complexity. The benefits and risks for human health can now be better analysed, and useful avenues for future action identified. www.cairn.info/revue-sante-publique-2019-HS1-page-173.htm

Natural spaces contribute to the quality of life in cities: the idea is now accepted; the benefits for users are numerous. Cities are aware of this and are using these spaces as a seductive argument to attract new residents; their elected representatives are also exploiting them as an electoral argument. Green spaces help to improve the image of towns and cities and make them more attractive. In this article, the authors take a closer look at the appeal of green spaces: what kind of nature do city dwellers want? This nature takes a variety of forms, from highly ordered pleasure parks to woods and natural parks, where vegetation grows more spontaneously. What type of green spaces are city dwellers most in favour of? How do managers integrate this preference? Amélie Robert and Jean-Louis Yengué carried out observations and interviews in six medium-sized towns in the Centre-Val de Loire region in order to identify the demand for nature among city dwellers, through their uses and perceptions, and the resulting management practices put in place by municipal players. journals.openedition.org/metropoles/5619

Ecosystem services were studied in the urban environment even before the publication of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) report in 2005. The need to take into account the multifunctionality of green spaces when drawing up urban planning documents is strongly suggested. The aim of this study is to discuss the question of how to make the transition of public green spaces from a decorative feature to a multifunctional urban amenity by enhancing their services. A summary of 170 articles on the characterisation of ecosystem services identified 56 services, among others. The planning of urban green grids appears to be an opportunity to make the most of the ecosystem services provided by vegetation. journals.openedition.org/eue/1575

Many inter-relations exist between health and urban green spaces. This book, originally published in English by the WHO, offers knowledge and methods for promoting health and reducing social inequalities in health, through the creation or development of urban green spaces. www.villes-sante.com/actualites/espaces-verts-urbains-plaidoyer-pour-agir

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