Landscape and Health - theory and practice of two allied concepts (essay)
2010
Rodewald, R., Stiftung Landschutz Schweiz, Bern (Switzerland)
The link between landscape and good health has a long historical tradition, stretching from ancient times to the present day. However, scientific evidence for the health-promoting effect of nature and the landscape is somewhat rare. In a literary study published in 2007 by the Swiss Foundation for Landscape Conservation and the organization Doctors for Environmental Protection the importance of landscapes as a health resource was shown unmistakably. On the basis of the results of this study, 37 spatial factors were identified which have a positive influence on psychological, physical and social well-being. These spatial factors were tested in practice in two concrete examples of case histories. It was thus shown that the assessment of places and landscapes according to these spatial factors promises a successful and feasible approach. At the legislative level, this method could lead to a Health Impact Assessment as an extension of the Environmental Impact Assessment. The article postulates that the scientific recognition of landscapes as determinants for good health should be more seriously taken into account in the relevant political spheres.
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