This five-year research project is aiming to understand how policies and actions related to planning, managing, and investing in natural environments might help to reduce health inequalities.
Funded by a £1.5 million Population Health Career Scientist Award from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), it is being led by Dr Ben Wheeler.
Across three sequential work packages it will focus on ‘green’ and ‘blue’ infrastructure (natural features including parks, street trees and waterways) and evaluate how the socio-spatial distribution of these features might suit the application of ‘proportionate universalism’ – the widespread adoption of an intervention but with targeted emphasis where needs are greatest.
Work package one will develop causal loop diagrams to visualise the complex relationships between natural infrastructure and health inequalities. These diagrams will be created based on existing evidence and through collaboration with experts and the public.
Work package two aims to empirically explore the relationships identified in work package one. It will analyse large-scale spatial data from sources such as the UK Census, alongside survey data on engagement with natural environments, to identify effective interventions at both local and national scales.
Work package three will then use ecosystem service and spatial modelling approaches to evaluate the potential impacts of natural infrastructure policies on population-scale health inequalities.
The project is working closely with several important partners, including Natural England, Public Health Dorset, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, Natural Resources Wales, the Town and Country Planning Association, and Forest Research.
It will also involve research collaborations with colleagues at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and the Technical University of Denmark.
The research began in mid-2024 and over its duration is aiming to influence tools and policies (such as Local Plans) to ensure that green and blue infrastructure is designed to mitigate, rather than exacerbate, health inequalities.
In addition to peer-reviewed publications, a series of blog posts, short films, and events organised with the Town and Country Planning Association, will be sharing research findings as they emerge.
A ‘researcher in residence’ programme will also deliver bespoke, locally-focussed research outputs directly with and for collaborator organisations. Find out more about the project and its progress on the Beyond Greenspace blog.