GoGreen Routes in Burgas: Nature-Based Solutions for a Healthier City

Research Stream: Social Lives

Author: Tom Hall, Research Assistant, Go Green Routes Project, Maynooth University

GoGreen Routes

The GoGreen Routes project lead by Principal Investigator Dr. Tadhg McIntyre carried out research in six “Cultivating Cities”: Burgas (Bulgaria), Lahti (Finland), Limerick (Ireland), Tallinn (Estonia), Umeå (Sweden) and Versailles (France).  This blog focuses on research  undertaken in Burgas (Bulgaria) at “Healing Island” nature-based solutions site in June 2024. Here Tadhg was joined by GoGreen Routes Research Assistant Tom Hall and Project Intern Solène Caron. Assistance was provided by Ivalo Trendilov from the EU Projects Team in the Burgas municipality. The team spent four days collecting observational, interview, environmental and air quality data in order to assess the overall impact that Healing Island is making for the people of Burgas.

The picture shows an overhead view of the park. There is a circular fountain at the center, a raised platform to the left side of this, and a wooden walkway on the right.

GoGreen Routes Aims

GoGreen Routes is a large-scale multinational project which aims to enhance the physical and mental well-being of urban residents by increasing their connection to nature in an inclusive way. To achieve this aim, the project has implemented a collection of nature based solutions (NbS). These solutions center around the use of green corridors, linear parks, pocket parks and shared walkways. By maximizing the available public space, people have greater opportunities to move about cities more actively, enjoy their free time and interact with others. Other NbS benefits include: reduced air and noise pollution, improved urban ventilation and providing ecosystem services and habitat to plant and animal species.

Reclaiming Public Space

The creation of NbS such as Healing Island are crucial due to the lack of green spaces in European cities. Research from the European Environmental Agency (EEA) on public accessibility to green infrastructure (allotments, private gardens, parks, street trees, water and wetlands) indicates that there is limited accessible space available. Here it was found that whilst green space makes up on average 42% of the city area in 38 EEA member countries, publicly accessible green space amounts to 3% (on average) of the total city area. This being so, the focus must be on reclaiming public space and maximising the area available.

“Healing Island”

As the site where Healing Island sits had previously been the location of a derelict and abandoned building, Healing Island represents a fine example of how urban locations can be reclaimed as a green space. Healing Island is so-called due to its proximity to three nearby hospitals. As such, the park provides a place where people can relax and recuperate. Shaded seating areas help cool the park and a running fountain built from local volcanic rock adds to the peacefulness of the environment.

The park can be navigated along bright paths made from recycled granite paving stones. A podium in the centre of the park provides a versatile space for health-related activities such as yoga or Tai-Chi, and can also be used as a stage for events. Beyond this, there is a soft wood-chip play area for children, as well as carved wooden animals and bug hotels for insects. A seesaw made from recycled timber along with interactive and musical features dotted around the park add to the variety of activities available. Despite the park being located close to the city centre, there is a diversity of birdlife which can be seen and heard about the park. Among these is a nearby seagull nest and the sounds of various birds including a woodpecker. Taken together, these features make Healing Island stand out as a sustainable nature-based solution which can be used by all to benefit diverse groups in society.

Access to Green Spaces

A key component of the GoGreen Routes research carried out in Burgas was to examine access to Healing Island. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognises the contribution that access to green areas has on the health and wellbeing of urban residents. It recommends that citizens should have access to public green spaces which measure at least 1/2 football field and is located within 300 metres’ linear distance (around 5 minutes’ walk) from their homes.

The consequences of not achieving this WHO target were examined in a study led by GoGreenRoutes project partner ISGlobal. This research used satellite imagery to assess the impact of green space on mortality in 922 European cities. As part of the study, it was found that 62% of the urban populations have lower green space access than recommended. Consequently, it was estimated that 42,968 annual natural-cause deaths in these cities could be prevented if the WHO standard was brought about.

With this in mind, the GoGreen Routes team recorded the numbers of citizens using Healing Island over three days. Walking interviews with local residents added context to how people use and perceive the park. The data recorded at this time will be compared with similar data recorded a year earlier (before the park was constructed). In the final report on the project, these figures will indicate how successful Healing Island has been in attracting increased footfall.

360 Degree Health Approach

Beyond the number of people using the park, their activities (such as walking, standing, biking etc.) were recorded to allow for physical and psychological health measurements to be assessed. This is part of 360-Health approach taken by the GoGreen Routes project. This approach integrates multiple health domains. It focuses on mental health and well-being, physical activity, nutrition, sleep, cognition and performance, social health, human-nature interaction and sustainability in relation to urban nature. The results of the research in these areas are important as they can indicate the impact of Healing Island on the well-being of residents in a very powerful way.

Provisional Results

Among the provisional results of data collection in Burgas, local residents expressed their happiness at the building of Healing Island, stating that it was a much-needed amenity. Some reflected on the usefulness of the park as a place to relax and spend time with family and friends. Others including local planning professionals, pointed out that there is a future need for more green areas similar to Healing Island in the city of Burgas.

Funding Acknowledgement: The GoGreenRoutes Project is supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreeement No 869764.

Autumn School Reflections: Inclusive Methods for a Shared Sustainable Future

Social Lives

Authors: Tadhg E. MacIntyre Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology, Maynooth University and scientific coordinator of the H2020 project GoGreenRoutes. Chloe Mooney is a third year BSc. Psychology student and was an intern for GoGreenRoutes this semester. Cassie Murphy MA is second year MU Psychology doctoral student, on a scholarship funded by GoGreenRoutes, supervised by Dr. Elaine Gallagher and Dr. Tadhg MacIntyre.

Stephen Seaman (Head Groundsman) explains how they cultivate a green campus approach.
Stephen Seaman (Head Groundsman) explains how they cultivate a green campus approach.

The Maynooth University green campus with 700-year-old trees provided an authentic backdrop to our GoGreenRoutes project Autumn School concerned with understanding the links between nature and health. Our award winning campus venue (see here for  Green Shoots feature) was a highlight for participants who had a tour of the grounds with Stephen Seaman supported by Rachel Freeman (TU Dublin, PhD candidate on GoGreenRoutes).

The wonder of our bucolic campus, recently featured on RTÉ, was not lost upon our new President Eeva Leinonen who noted how nature may be vital for effective leadership too. Our president, a psychologist, quoted as she opened the event, the 44th President of the United States Barack Obama who, in his memoirs had said, how the one-minute open-air commute along the colonnades that bookmarked his day helped him clear his mind and free him from stress. This speech was followed by a superb strategic overview of gender, inclusion and diversity at Maynooth University and beyond, by Vice-President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Dr Gemma Irvine, which set the tone for event, with strong gender representation across all the sessions (over 60% Women speakers) and more emphatically, an appreciation for inclusion at every level.

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