| Restructuring Green Space in Low Income Urban Neighbourhoods | |
| Brief Description | There were two green space interventions in Dutch low income urban neighbourhoods, one in Rotterdam and one in Breda. In both neighbourhoods, green space was restructured to improve the quality of the neighbourhood and increase the use of the green space. To make it as useful and accessible as possible, residents were involved in the design process.
In Rotterdam the intervention has been completed. Although satisfaction with the neighbourhood and with the targeted green space increases a bit, residents were not really satisfied with the restructuring in general. In addition, there were several elements in the process that could be improved. Eventually the intervention failed because the residents did not maintain the green space in the way the housing association (which owned the green space) wanted. Therefore it was partially reverted back into its original state. In Breda, the restructuring is almost ready but unlike the outcome in Rotterdam, it seems to be promising. The process surrounding the redesign and interaction between the professionals and the residents seem to be satisfactory, and activities, partially organised by residents themselves, are already taking place. A baseline measurement was conducted, and RIVM, together with the municipality and others, have applied for a subsidy to fund follow-up measurements. While each project to restructure green space was initiated independently, they are best described together, since it is useful to compare the successes and failures of each iteration to find the best practices. |
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| European Country(s) | Netherlands |
| Field | Living/Green spaces: Improving availability, quality and use |
| Type | Intervention |
| Impact | Health, Equity, Environmental sustainability |
| Status | Completed |
| Target Group | Low socio-economic status |
| Evaluation | Yes |
| Level | Local |
| INHERIT Perspective | In both interventions, green spaces were restructured with community involvement to increase the use and attractiveness. This may increase physical exercise, social contacts, and relaxation, and therefore improve health. Involving people the design and activities may create more responsibility for the green space and the neighbourhood and result in more social cohesion. Comparing the successes and failures of each intervention may prove useful for creating a model which can be used to provide the best outcomes, potentially leading to a triple-win. |
| Detailed description PDF filename | Download file |
| Relevant links | https://www.zonmw.nl/nl/onderzoek-resultaten/preventie/programmas/project-detail/preventieprogramma-4/creating-healthy-green-space-in-practice-evaluation-of-a-pilot-project-in-a-low-ses-neighbourhood-i/verslagen/ |
| Contact | Hanneke Kruize; E: Hanneke.Kruize@rivm.nl; T: +31 30 2743599 |
