Urban green spaces, self-rated air pollution and health

A sensitivity analysis of green space characteristics and proximity in four European cities

Journal article (2024)

Authors

M. Cardinali TH OWL, Heritage & Architecture - Architecture and the Built Environment
A. van Timmeren Environmental Technology and Design - Architecture and the Built Environment
U. Pottgiesser TH OWL, Heritage & Architecture - Architecture and the Built Environment
Research Group
Heritage & Architecture (Architecture and the Built Environment) (TU Delft)
Mitigation Air quality Public health Structural equation modelling Greenspace
More Info
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Published Date

2024

Language

English

Faculty

Architecture and the Built Environment

Department

Architectural Engineering +Technology

Research Group

Heritage & Architecture

Abstract

Exploring the influence of green space characteristics and proximity on health via air pollution mitigation, our study analysed data from 1,365 participants across Porto, Nantes, Sofia, and Høje-Taastrup. Utilizing OpenStreetMap and the AID-PRIGSHARE tool, we generated nine green space indicators around residential addresses at 15 distances, ranging from 100m to 1500m. We performed a mediation analysis for these 135 green space variables and revealed significant associations between self-rated air pollution and self-rated health for specific green space characteristics. In our study, indirect positive effects on health via air pollution were mainly associated with green corridors in intermediate Euclidean distances (800-1,000m) and the amount of accessible green spaces in larger network distances (1,400–1,500m). Our results suggest that the amount of connected green spaces measured in intermediate surroundings seems to be a prime green space characteristic that could drive the air pollution mitigation pathway to health.