Urban Green Spaces and Mental Health: Evidences from London, Singapore, and Hong Kong
◈ 주 제 : Urban Green Spaces and Mental Health: Evidences from London, Singapore, and Hong Kong
◈ 발표자 : Kwan Ok Lee (NUS)
◈ 일 시 : 2024년 9월 26일 목요일 12:00 ~ 13:15
◈ 장 소 : 우석경제관(223동) 405호
◈ 주 관 : 경제학부, 경제연구소 한국경제혁신센터, SSK, BK21
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Urban Green Spaces and Mental Health: Evidences from London, Singapore, and Hong Kong
Abstract:
Given accumulating evidence that highlights the negative effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on public mental health, we examine green space accessibility as a potential mitigator. Based on mobility data from 2 million mobile phone users within London between January 2019 and December 2020, we found that, after the COVID-19 outbreak and during lockdowns, residential neighborhoods within 800 m of the nearest green space had a higher proportion of green-space travellers (0.9–1.4 percentage points) compared with other neighborhoods. Next, using multiwave data with a matched sample of 4,998 individuals across towns and cities in the United Kingdom, we demonstrate that individuals who lived close to green spaces experienced much less mental distress than those who lived farther away during lockdown periods. We imply that enhancing green space accessibility for residential neighborhoods can help citizens become more resilient to future pandemics with mobility restrictions.
The follow-up research examines how multidimensional factors of urban green spaces (UGS)—including accessibility, quality, and features—affect public visitation and the associated mental well-being benefits. Comparative analyses of Singapore and Hong Kong reveal that residents’ UGS behaviors and their impact on mental well-being are shaped by city-specific UGS characteristics. In Singapore, where UGS access is relatively lower, satisfaction with accessibility significantly influences visitation decisions. In contrast, in Hong Kong, where UGS sizes are smaller, satisfaction with UGS quality is more strongly associated with frequent and extended use. Structural equation modeling indicates that, for Singaporean respondents, satisfaction with UGS accessibility positively influences mental well-being by increasing both the frequency and duration of UGS visits during the COVID-19 pandemic, which restricted mobility. While UGS visits also contribute to mental well-being among Hong Kong residents, this effect is independent of their satisfaction with UGS access.
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