scholarly journals Public Urban Green Spaces’ Visiting Habits and Perception Regarding Their Health Benefits in Addis Ababa City, Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 50
Author(s):  
Girma Alemayehu Beyene ◽  
Emawayish Nigussie Borishe
Keyword(s):  
Addis Ababa ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces

scholarly journals Quantifying Rapid Urbanization and its impact on Urban Green Spaces: Directional and Zonal Analysis integrated with Landscape Expansion Index

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eyasu markos woldesemayat
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Addis Ababa ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Urban Zone

Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, is urbanizing rapidly in recent years mainly through the destruction of environmental resources. This study aimed at the dynamics of urban green spaces (UGS). Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) was used to extract land use and land cover data. The Landscape Expansion Index (LEI) was employed to measure urban growth patterns. The result showed that a more noticeable growth was observed in the peri-urban zone (40.1km2 to 176.1km2), followed by the inner urban zone (from 67.1km2 to 105km2). The expansion in the urban core zone was marginal and followed a non-unidirectional trend i.e. increased in the first period (1989-1999) and second period (1999-2009) by (0.11% and 4.2%), while decreased in the third period (2009-2019) by 3.6%. The result for LEI dynamics showed that the city experienced a pronounced outlying growth (98%) pattern, while edge expansion and infilling growth were insignificant. Conversely, the UGS declined in the inner urban zone by (18.03%), (28.61%) and (18.97%) in the first, second, and third periods. Similarly, in the peri-urban zone, the UGS persistently declined by (11.5%), (17.1%) and, (28.03%). The directional analysis showed that urban areas significantly expanded in SEE, SSE, SSW, and NEE with a net increase of 5.35, 4.4 km, 2.83, and 2.3 km2/year, respectively. Conventional large-scale /citywide/ dynamics investigations are not robust enough to represent the actual magnitude and directions of change, while the zonal and directional study is more effective in characterizing the Spatio-temporal dynamics for better urban planning towards.

scholarly journals A Study on Practicing Qigong and Getting Better Health Benefits in Biophilic Urban Green Spaces

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1692
Author(s):  
Shih-Han Hung ◽  
Wan-Yu Chou ◽  
Chun-Yen Chang
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Flow Experience ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Valid Data ◽  
Data Points ◽  
Biophilic Elements

In natural spaces, people experience traditional environmental Qi (TEQ), which supports healthy environmental energy flow, and helps them gain an overall improved Qi experience from practicing Qigong. However, what kind of urban green spaces support Qigong? This study provides an analysis that measures TEQ, Qi experience, flow experience, restorative experience, and preference when practicing Qigong in different urban green spaces. A total of 654 valid data points were collected. The results indicate that subjects practicing “breathing” among trees, meadows, and waterscapes perceived higher TEQ, Qi experience, flow experience, and restorative experience, and preferred it to the environment of plazas. In addition, practicing Qigong in environments featuring biophilic elements, such as plants (meadows and trees), elicits flow experience and Qi experience in the built environment. Water, an important biophilic element, also produces better TEQ and restorative experiences, and is preferred by human beings. These results make a connection between Qigong, experiences, and biophilic urban green spaces, and offer suggestions for users to gain health benefits while exercising in urban areas.

scholarly journals THE CITY OF ADDIS ABABA FROM ‘FOREST CITY’ TO ‘URBAN HEAT ISLAND’: AN ANALYSIS OF URBAN GREEN SPACE DYNAMICS USING REMOTE SENSING AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 254-262
Author(s):  
Mathias Tesfaye Abebe ◽  
Tebarek Lika Megento
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Addis Ababa ◽  
Urban Green Space ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Gis Tools ◽  
Remote Sensing Techniques ◽  
Space Dynamics

The unprecedented rate of urban growth in developing countries causes various problems such as deficiency in public infrastructure services, lack of green spaces and inadequate service provisions. This study applies GIS tools and remote sensing techniques to assess the effects of urban development on urban green space in Ethiopia’s capital. Spatial and non-spatial datasets were collected from different organizations and processed using GIS tools and remote sensing techniques for land use/ land cover classification and analysis. The analysis demonstrated shrinking of urban green spaces- plantations, forestland, grassland and cultivated land (at annual rates of 5.9%, 3.3%, 5.4% and 3.7 % respectively) by 82.1%, 62.1%, 78.8 and 65.8 % respectively during the past three decades (1986-2015) whereas built-up and transport areas increased at annual rate of 5.7% and 1.3% and consumed 419% and 47% of the city’s total area respectively.

scholarly journals The health benefits of urban green spaces: a review of the evidence

2010 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 212-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. C. K. Lee ◽  
R. Maheswaran
Keyword(s):  
Health Benefits ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces

scholarly journals THE CITY OF ADDIS ABABA FROM ‘FOREST CITY’ TO ‘URBAN HEAT ISLAND’: AN ANALYSIS OF URBAN GREEN SPACE DYNAMICS USING REMOTE SENSING AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 254-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathias Tesfaye Abebe ◽  
Tebarek Lika Megento
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Addis Ababa ◽  
Urban Green Space ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Gis Tools ◽  
Remote Sensing Techniques ◽  
Space Dynamics

The unprecedented rate of urban growth in developing countries causes various problems such as deficiency in public infrastructure services, lack of green spaces and inadequate service provisions. This study applies GIS tools and remote sensing techniques to assess the effects of urban development on urban green space in Ethiopia’s capital. Spatial and non-spatial datasets were collected from different organizations and processed using GIS tools and remote sensing techniques for land use/ land cover classification and analysis. The analysis demonstrated shrinking of urban green spaces- plantations, forestland, grassland and cultivated land (at annual rates of 5.9%, 3.3%, 5.4% and 3.7 % respectively) by 82.1%, 62.1%, 78.8 and 65.8 % respectively during the past three decades (1986-2015) whereas built-up and transport areas increased at annual rate of 5.7% and 1.3% and consumed 419% and 47% of the city’s total area respectively.

scholarly journals A Qualitative Analysis of UK Wetland Visitor Centres as a Health Resource

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (16) ◽  
pp. 8629
Author(s):  
Jonathan P. Reeves ◽  
Conor H. D. John ◽  
Kevin A. Wood ◽  
Phoebe R. Maund
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Health Benefit ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Health Resource ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces

The health benefits associated with spending time in natural environments have been highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdowns and restrictions to safeguard public health have exacerbated the pre-existing mental health crisis and rise of non-communicable diseases. Thus, the importance of nature as a health resource has been elevated, hastening calls for a better understanding of how health benefits might differ across user groups and nature provisions. In this regard, urban green spaces have become the greatest research focus; however, blue spaces, especially inland freshwater (e.g., wetlands), remain less studied. First-hand user experiences are also under-represented. This exploratory study examines the motivations and benefits of active wetland centre users in the UK, both during and after visits. Responses to three open-ended questions were collated online from 385 participants, and a qualitative content analysis was conducted based on an existing taxonomy from users of urban green spaces. The results showed strong motivations to visit due to the biodiversity at the site (mainly the birdlife), while less tangible nature (e.g., fresh air) and amenities were also important. In contrast to other studies on natural environments, physical activity was a less influential motivation. Salient derived effects included positive and intensely positive emotions, relaxation and mental restoration. After visits to wetland centres, feelings of vitality and satisfaction were the most prominent effects that emerged. For decision-makers looking to leverage inland blue spaces for public health benefit, our results highlight the broad range and relative prominence of the reasons for use and the associated perceived health benefits derived by users of UK wetland centres. They highlight how biodiversity, abiotic nature and good amenities are important qualities to consider when planning, managing and encouraging people to use natural environments for health benefit, qualities that may also provide important environmental co-benefits.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document