Improving mental health

Take Heart charity contracted Landscape Projects and artist Susan Trangmar for the creation of a roof garden at Leeds General Infirmary. The garden situated on the 5th floor is close to the intensive care wards where patients are placed to recover from major operations. The rooftop’s garden ideas developed around the idea of a garden as an escape from the intensity of the hospital for patients, staff and visitors, and the requirements of a therapeutic environment which could begin the process of reconnecting patients to the world again. (Ref 5)

Hailes Quarry Park (HQP) is a large open space in the south-west of Edinburgh. It covers an area of 12.15ha. HQP was a very boggy area in the centre of the park which was effectively out of use. A project was planned which aimed to make environmental improvements and engage the local community and encourage healthy living. One of the main features of the park’s recent development is the creation of a wetland area with a range of wetland plant species. This new habitat will be home to birds, amphibians and native wetland plants, and will be a part of the green corridor. Additionally, a Biodiversity enhancement project was carried out at the site (ref 1, 7).

The woodland community garden is the main project of the Woodland community. Since 2010 they have transformed a derelict urban waste dumping site into a thriving community garden and ‘outdoor community centre’. Since then it has become an important local space where people make new friends and feel part of the community. It’s also a great place to unwind from the everyday stresses and strains of city life. Each year, around 50 households grow their own fruit, vegetables and herbs in the garden’s raised beds. The garden has over 50 raised beds where local people can grow their own food with beds allocated on an annual basis. For people who do not have raised beds there are still plenty of opportunities to get involved, including via twice-weekly volunteer sessions. The garden is a wonderfully therapeutic space that helps people to recover from the stresses and strains of everyday life. (Ref 1)

The Leeds Parks and Green Space Strategy is a park protection, improvement, and creation program in Leeds under their Cultural Strategy. Main priorities are set out to achieve a vision where good quality and accessible parks and green spaces are at the heart of the community and meet the needs of everyone who lives, works, visits or invests in Leeds, now and for the future (Ref 5). The Parks and Green Space Strategy looks at the contribution made to priorities nationally and locally, and how it fits within the Leeds Cultural Strategy to develop parks and green spaces (Ref 3). Consultation is being undertaken to develop a vision for the future of Leeds City Council owned and managed public parks and green spaces beyond 2020, and a strategy for how to deliver that vision over the next 10 years. The new strategy will replace the previous strategy which runs to 2020 (Ref 9).

In 2017 the City of Bari provided funds to citizens and non profit associations to promote the regeneration of an abandoned area. Eventually an area of 4500 sqm was rehabilitated and the authorities plan to extend the area until the green space reaches 10,000 sqm. Among the planned interventions are the maintenance of greenery and trees, as well as the redevelopment of the side wall that borders the buildings. For the 4500 sqm intervention which was designed by the local community and migrant volunteers, the first multifunctional furniture was built at Bari. It was made with recycled wood, stones, fabrics and lots of goodwill during the natural architecture laboratory.The NBS allowed to have a green area where different activities were implemented such as green and educational laboratories. Also a shared gardening project (in order to promote the importance and the culture of preserving green areas) and social labs were organized(promoting school and sport activities outdoors). (Ref.1, 2, 3, 4)

The project has been implemented in a derelict and dumping site. It includes the creation of a community food garden (Ref 2). The locals are enjoying good quality foods with a green space inside the city centre. Today this area is a vibrant community vegetable growing garden comprising five 17ft raised growing beds; a 20ft polytunnel; a 16.5ft greenhouse (made from recycled 2lt plastic bottles) and a tool shed (Ref 2). The place is overlooked by 120 homes and is contributing to the urban green space as well as local food and market creation (Ref 2)

"The garden was created in 2012 with the Parenthesis Association. The association closed in 2015. In January 2016 a group of gardeners decided to create a new association to continue their garden, that is when the gardens of Fontgiève were born. In the garden one discusses, one shares, one exchanges, one helps one, one gives oneself advice. The garden produces much more than vegetables and fruits; Ideas germinate there, sharing them is collective intelligence" (Ref.1).

The intervention concerns the regeneration of the neighbourhood Liberta, which is actually in a state of decay. The Gasometro, renamed Maria Maugeri park is one of the few green spots of the area, and the municipality decided to invest 2 million € in the regeneration process. The park was renamed after one of its promoters and advocates, Maria Maugeri passed away suddenly. The project expects the creation of a public urban park (within an area lacking of green spaces) with several activities, such as a cycling path, restaurants, playground for children, sport infrastructures. The overall plan is the result of an announcement promoted by the Council of Ministries of the Italian parliament (Ref.4.)

Situated in park Spilberk, the garden features a building with a green roof and a garden with various plots. The building is designed to be carbon neutral and reuses rainwater for toilet flushing and for watering the garden plots. The garden is used for horticultural purposes and environmental education, as well as animal and beekeeping. The complex improves the local micro-climate through cooling and humidification and promotes biodiversity. (Ref. 1; Ref. 2; Ref. 5; Ref. 6)

“The Environment and Me project (TEaM) is operated by Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and CWMind (Coventry and Warwickshire Mind) and supported by Coventry City Council. (Ref. 1) It is an ecotherapy-based project which aims to enhance mental health and wellbeing. (Ref. 1, Ref. 2). It provides opportunities for outdoor activities at allotment sites, gardens, woodlands, parks and nature reserves – giving people some much-needed breathing space in the fresh air, whilst learning new skills, meeting new people and giving back to nature.” (Ref. 1)