Date& Time: 5.11.2019, 9am Location: School of Architecture and Civil Engineering (SACE 5), Xiamen University, #182 Da Xue Road, Xiamen, China With the growing interest among researchers, practitioners, and urban decision makers in the influence of the quality of the built environment on peoples’ health, there is increasing emphasis on using scientific knowledge to inform urban design, Read More
I have recently found a great piece of literature about designing urban gardens for well-being. “Restorative commons: Creating health and well-being through urban landscapes” by Campbell, Lindsay; Wiesen, Anne published in 2009 under USDA – Forest Service. Here is the link to the online resource – available free pdf version! What specifically caught my attention there Read More
Singapore is one of the most prominent examples of Urban Sustainability through new technologies, research and development. It is also one of the few countries where the government is actively supporting science and innovation in order to inform the practice of urban design and solve urban living issues. The Urban Sustainability R&D Congress is organized Read More
Heidi’s Syndrome is known also as ‘nature-deficit disorder’; a term coined by an American author and activist Richard Louv to describe “the psychological, physical and cognitive costs of human alienation from nature, particularly for children in their vulnerable developing years.” While it is not a formal diagnosis, it reflects a medical jargon that is weaving Read More
If you’ve ever played the Chinese whispers game, you know it that the original message gets distorted by the time it reaches the final player with often hilarious effects. However, when it comes to research and neuroscience, the result of passing on information through various persons may not be as funny and innocent as an Read More
It’s time to review a book that you might gladly keep on the bookshelf as a reminder of the important lesson it teaches about the magic of trees – the hardback edition of “Shinrin-yoku. The Art and Science of Forest-Bathing” written by the very man who could be considered the founding father of the movement, Read More
Different initiatives undertaken by the urban authorities can contribute to the improvement of urban dweller’s contact with nature and the nature exposure These include: Leaving unmowed areas in the urban green spaces, for developing a small ecosystems for flora & fauna, (urban meadows) Promoting the spontaneous habitat creation Leaving the fallen leaves on the ground Read More
When I went to my first scientific conference, as a PhD candidate, I was surprised that the main topic of the post-conference discussion was about “what is the landscape architecture?”. For more than 1 hour landscape architects (teachers, academics, and proffessionals) were discussing vividly about what it is that what they do. I found it Read More
In our ongoing collaboration with the EKLIPSE mechanism, together with Expert Working Group from different European countries and representing various disciplines, we are trying to answer the question: Which types and components of urban and peri-urban blue / green spaces have a significant impact on human mental health and mental well-being? EKLIPSE is project funded Read More
Our newest publication XSection Journal features the process of evolution in perception of urban green spaces in terms of the health benefits they can deliver, through a popular “expanding brain meme. Check out this short article and how to interpret the image here: https://www.xsectionjournal.com/edition-8/2018/11/22/generations-of-urban-green-for-health-dr-agnieszka-olszewska-guizzo