Page - 392 - in Biodiversity and Health in the Face of Climate Change

392 Significant pre-post increases in trail usage were found for both comparison (31% increase) and intervention (35% increase) trails (p  <  0.01). A large multisite natu- ral experiment in the UK (n  =  1796 participants) investigated the impact of new walking and cycling routes on physical activity (Sahlqvist et  al. 2013; Brand et  al. 2014; Goodman et  al. 2014). Proximity to the intervention was strongly associ- ated with greater use of the new infrastructure (32% of the study population reported using the new infrastructure at 1-year follow-up; 38% reported at 2-year Case Study: Parque Ribeiro do Matadouro, Santo Tirso, Portugal Led by the Santo Tirso municipality, the ‘Parque Ribeiro do Matadouro’ is a 1.54  ha park constructed on derelict land, near the Matadouro stream, close to the Santo Tirso city centre. Construction of the park was completed in 2013 costing approximately €1,400,000. This park-based intervention applied a dual approach. Open public forums engaged local community in the design of the park with feedback and suggestions from the community being included in the design (e.g. wi-fi access in the park). Guided tours occurred during the construction phase to keep the community updated on progress of the park’s construction and the park’s name was chosen via community voting in a nam- ing contest. Signs, interactive art installations and organised community events within the park invite people to visit and use the park. Further work is planned to expand green space along the river to create green networks improving connectivity between Parque Ribeiro do Matadouro and other green spaces. This phase of works will also closely integrate social engage- ment, with community gardens and a youth house being established as part of the intervention (Fig.  17.1). Fig. 17.1 Interactive art installations at Parque Ribeiro do Matadouro invite visitors to engage with the space. (Image: Victor Esteves, Oh!Land Studio) R. F. Hunter et al.