Page - 382 - in Biodiversity and Health in the Face of Climate Change

382 Keywords Urban green space · Interventions · Health · Well-being · Environment · Equity Highlights We know little about how to design new, or improve or promote exist- ing, urban green space  for health and social  outcomes. • Interventions should employ a dual approach that incorporates promotion and marketing of urban green space as well as changing the physical environment. • There is evidence to support a range of environmental, health and social benefits. • Little is known about the equity impact of urban green space interventions. 17.1 Introduction The links between green space and health are increasingly well understood and have been summarised in numerous publications (Frumkin et  al. 2017; WHO 2016). More than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas (i.e.  towns and cities), and this number is projected to increase to two in three people by 2050. Providing adequate green space within urban areas is therefore paramount. We need to pre- serve, enhance and promote existing urban green spaces and create new ones. Of course, for green space to provide its intended benefits it must be maintained and well cared for. Certain types of green space, such as vacant lots, have well-reported negative impacts (Branas et  al. 2011). Various political frameworks underscore the need for suitable green spaces in our cities. For example, the New Urban Agenda calls for an increase in safe, inclu- sive, accessible, green and quality public spaces. Similarly, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development pledges to “provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular, for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities” (see Heiland et  al. Chap. 19, this volume, for more on landscape planning legislation). However, despite this growing interest in and support for urban green space, cur- rent knowledge is reasonably limited regarding the effectiveness of interventions related to the environment, health, well-being and equity. The evidence of the impact of such interventions on biodiversity and climate change adaptation is par- ticularly scarce. This may be because there is limited understanding of the mecha- nisms through which green space might impact climate change. A previous review by the WHO Regional Office for Europe investigated the various mechanisms through which urban green space impacts human health (WHO Regional Office for Europe 2016), including by improving mental health and reducing the risk of car- diovascular disease, obesity, type II diabetes and cancer. Purported mechanisms R. F. Hunter et al.