Adventure sports, risk, and human-more than human wellbeing: local responses to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic

The impact of, and responses to COVID-19 has dominated discussion in every area of life, and fields of academic activity. In this paper I consider some of the impacts and considerations in relation to activities that have been conceptualised as adventure sports. My intention is not to show how adventure is being done differently, rather to use the exceptional circumstances of lockdown to highlighted the multifaceted, meaningful and affective ‘everyday’ experiences of those who engage in adventure sport as part of their everyday practices. My focus is empirical research conducted in Aotearoa New Zealand during lockdowns (2020-21) focusing on coastal communities and surfing specifically. This ‘journey through lockdown’ illustrates the ways in which coastal spaces are experienced as therapeutic landscapes that can foster physical and emotional health and wellbeing from those on the shore, to full-immersion activities such as surfing, influencing people’s sense of wellbeing, collective identities, and forms of belonging. However, in the same ways that COVID has exacerbated many health inequities, it is important to be attentive to the ways in which the wellbeing benefits of coastal spaces are not available and extended to all. A range of cultural, economic, socio-demographic, and political factors contribute to a dis-connect with, or exclusion from various bluespaces. Diverse subjects and bodies access and experience bluespaces in different and unequal ways, impacting who can use blue spaces, and how it can be used. Lastly, the lockdown situation was also informing in understanding the often-romanticised nature of adventure sport participants relationship with the natural world, and more widely how this translates, or not, to broader responses to our climate emergency.

Climate Change Mitigation and Preservation of the Cultural Heritage—A Story of the Municipal Park in Rumia, Poland

Climate change may affect cultural heritage in at least two ways: direct physical effects on the site, building, or structure and effects on social structures. Creating urban parks with therapeutic landscapes can mitigate some of these detrimental effects. This paper presents the revitalization of the former water forge, located in the center of Rumia, near the Tri-City agglomeration. The study focused on the history of the site and the historic manor house called “Dwór pod Lipami” and the preservation efforts. The social engagement, which led to the development of the landscape park and the construction of a talent playground, was an essential factor in the renewal process. The second part of the work presents an assessment of the therapeutic and recreational values of the new urban park using the Universal Standard for Health-Promoting Places, Community Park Audit Tool (CPAT), and mapping the users’ preferences. This operation of urban renewal resulted in creating a popular park that helps promote the health and well-being of the local community.

Landscape code for therapeutic gardens and therapeutic landscapes

The creation of therapeutic gardens and therapeutic landscapes in the structure of landscaping of hospitals and clinics is an important direction in the formation of the landscape and urban planning framework of cities to avoid the consequences of the pandemic. The landscape code of therapeutic gardens and therapeutic landscapes is scientifically grounded practical guidelines for the architectural and landscape design of the territories of healthcare facilities.

Architecture Without Expectation: Designing a third place for mental wellbeing in the community

<p>In 2018, the government published the report of its inquiry into mental health and addiction in Aotearoa New Zealand, which called for a ‘paradigm shift’ in the country’s approach to mental wellbeing. This research portfolio explores the role architecture has to play in this shift, acknowledging the problematic historical associations of architecture and mental health. In doing so, the work aims to establish principles for a new architectural typology of mental health care, outside of conventional institutions. It explores contemporary approaches to wellness, and integrates research from several bodies of theoretical and evidence-based research into a new creative practice within architecture. Specifically, the research draws on theory around nonrepresentational therapeutic landscapes, third place and evidence based design. These inform creative explorations of the therapeutically affective qualities of naturally-sourced materials. The findings of this explorations are transferred to spatial design using a ‘multiplicity’ approach based on nonrepresentational theory and Māori health models, which is then applied to a specific site in Wellington, New Zealand. Finally, architectural applications for this research are proposed in the form of a community-based third place to support mental health and wellbeing.</p>

Architecture Without Expectation: Designing a third place for mental wellbeing in the community

<p>In 2018, the government published the report of its inquiry into mental health and addiction in Aotearoa New Zealand, which called for a ‘paradigm shift’ in the country’s approach to mental wellbeing. This research portfolio explores the role architecture has to play in this shift, acknowledging the problematic historical associations of architecture and mental health. In doing so, the work aims to establish principles for a new architectural typology of mental health care, outside of conventional institutions. It explores contemporary approaches to wellness, and integrates research from several bodies of theoretical and evidence-based research into a new creative practice within architecture. Specifically, the research draws on theory around nonrepresentational therapeutic landscapes, third place and evidence based design. These inform creative explorations of the therapeutically affective qualities of naturally-sourced materials. The findings of this explorations are transferred to spatial design using a ‘multiplicity’ approach based on nonrepresentational theory and Māori health models, which is then applied to a specific site in Wellington, New Zealand. Finally, architectural applications for this research are proposed in the form of a community-based third place to support mental health and wellbeing.</p>

Rehabilitating Healthcare: Therapeutic Landscapes as a Catalyst for Health, Well-being and Social Equity

<p>Aotearoa New Zealand is a society with inequality deeply embedded in its culture, and this translates to the health of vulnerable members of the community. In its current state, healthcare infrastructure and rehabilitative landscapes are isolated from one another, creating physical and mental barriers for achieving well-being. Therapeutic landscape research suggests outdoor spaces can facilitate rehabilitative healing, community support, and self-empowerment. This form of preventive and rehabilitative health may bridge the gap between treatment at the institutional level, and day-to-day living, to better support the well-being, of people in transition. The under-utilized interface between the residential landscape and Kenepuru Community Hospital in Porirua is used as a design case study, for testing how hospital infrastructure, residential housing, and therapeutic landscapes may coexist for mutually beneficial health and well-being outcomes. Results suggest that careful design of the interstitial spaces bridging housing with healthcare can form an important service for the well-being of vulnerable people.</p>

Rehabilitating Healthcare: Therapeutic Landscapes as a Catalyst for Health, Well-being and Social Equity

<p>Aotearoa New Zealand is a society with inequality deeply embedded in its culture, and this translates to the health of vulnerable members of the community. In its current state, healthcare infrastructure and rehabilitative landscapes are isolated from one another, creating physical and mental barriers for achieving well-being. Therapeutic landscape research suggests outdoor spaces can facilitate rehabilitative healing, community support, and self-empowerment. This form of preventive and rehabilitative health may bridge the gap between treatment at the institutional level, and day-to-day living, to better support the well-being, of people in transition. The under-utilized interface between the residential landscape and Kenepuru Community Hospital in Porirua is used as a design case study, for testing how hospital infrastructure, residential housing, and therapeutic landscapes may coexist for mutually beneficial health and well-being outcomes. Results suggest that careful design of the interstitial spaces bridging housing with healthcare can form an important service for the well-being of vulnerable people.</p>

Impact of leisure environmental supply on new urban pathology: a case study of Guangzhou and Zhuhai

Traditional studies on urban pathology primarily focused on impacts of social disorganization and urban settings, such as crime, polarization between the rich and the poor, pollution, and deteriorating living conditions, whereas there is insufficient attention paid to urban mental health and wellness. To provide fresh insights into the issue of urban mental health and wellness, this paper defines the psychiatric disorder of urban citizens as ‘new urban pathology’ which primarily results from a highly competitive, stressful, and fast-paced urban life. Based on 40 interviews from citizens in two rapidly urbanizing cities in mainland China, this paper attempts to investigate how the supply of leisure facilities affects new urban pathology. There are three general findings of this research: (1) First, new urban pathology commonly exists and varies with urban communities. However, it is not significantly influenced by the pace of city life. It is found that the worse prospect the living standards, the more significant the negative impacts of the new urban pathology. (2) Sufficient urban leisure facilities do have positive impacts on relieving psychological pressure of urban dwellers. Apart from these, residents also achieve stress relief from surrounding therapeutic landscapes like aesthetic public space, well-designed architecture, etc. (3) The perceived usefulness of leisure environment serves as a key factor to mediate the stress-mitigating effect of leisure supply. When leisure facilities’ functions highly match the needs of residents, leisure environmental supply can be utilized effectively, which helps alleviate the new urban pathology. This research advances the literature of urban health studies by tentatively revealing the interaction between the supply of leisure environmental facilities and urban mental health. It suggests that urban practitioners should optimize the quality of facilities rather than simply increasing the quantity for reducing the daily stress of urban life.

Waterscapes for Promoting Mental Health in the General Population

The WHO estimates that, with the development of urbanization, 25% of the population is suffering from psychological and mental distress. Preliminary evidence has suggested that aquatic environments and riparian areas, i.e., waterscapes, can benefit psychological and mental wellbeing. The aim of this study was to identify the processes of waterscape psychological and mental health promotion through aliterature review. We propose a design framework of waterscapes for achieving psychological and mental health in the general population that often visits waterscapes, which has the function of therapeutic landscapes through values of accessibility, versatility, habitats, and biodiversity. According to theories, waterscapes can improve psychological and mental health to divert negative emotions through mitigation (e.g., reduced urban heat island), instoration (e.g., physical activity and state of nature connectedness), and restoration (e.g., reduced anxiety/attentional fatigue). By accessing water (e.g., streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and the coast) and riparian areas, people can get in close contact with nature and spend more time in activities (e.g., walking, exploring, talking, and relaxing). Waterscapes with healing effects can enhance psychological resilience to promote people’s psychological and mental health. Future research should focus on ensuring an adequate supply of waterscapes and promoting the efficiency of waterscape ecosystem services on mental health. Moreover, fora deep understanding of the complexity of nature–human health associations, it is necessary to explore more consistent evidence for therapeutic waterscapes considering the characteristics and functional mechanisms of waterscape quality, in terms of freshness, luminescence, rippling or fluidity, and cultural value,to benefit public health and biodiversity conservation.

Creating Healing and Therapeutic Landscapes: Design Experience

Healthy longevity is becoming the main element in assessing the quality of the formed urban environment. The relevance of creating a comfortable urban environment is of great importance for leveling the negative processes of urbanization, burdened by globalization and COVID-19. The article presents the results of designing health-improving landscapes with their integration into the urban-ecological framework of the urban greening system of Sevastopol. The study of the design area was carried out using generally accepted methods of field research.