The Value of Public Space: How High Quality Parks and Public Spaces Create Economic, Social and Environmental Value

How high quality parks and public spaces create economic, social and environmental value Introduction " We are the fourth wealthiest nation in the world, and yet we have chosen for a long time to dress ourselves in rags. As a society we seem now to accept the poverty of our streets and spaces. " Public space is all around us, a vital part of everyday urban life: the streets we pass through on the way to school or work, the places where children play, or where we encounter nature and wildlife; the local parks in which we enjoy sports, walk the dog and sit at lunchtime; or simply somewhere quiet to get away for a moment from the bustle of a busy daily life. In other words, public space is our open-air living room, our outdoor leisure centre.

[1]  S. Sturgess STREETS OF SHAME. , 1991 .

[2]  I. Fjørtoft The Natural Environment as a Playground for Children: The Impact of Outdoor Play Activities in Pre-Primary School Children , 2001 .

[3]  P. Petrie 'OUT-OF-SCHOOL LIVES, OUT-OF-SCHOOL SERVICES' , 2000 .

[4]  K. Yano,et al.  Effects of walking on coronary heart disease in elderly men: the Honolulu Heart Program. , 1999, Circulation.

[5]  J. Burgess,et al.  Nature in the city: popular values for a living world , 1987 .

[6]  J L Kelsey,et al.  Risk factors for falls as a cause of hip fracture in women. The Northeast Hip Fracture Study Group. , 1991, The New England journal of medicine.

[7]  D. S. Davis,et al.  Tracking restoration in natural and urban field settings. , 2003 .

[8]  Helen Woolley,et al.  Skateboarding: The City as a Playground , 2001 .

[9]  John Handley,et al.  "City form and natural process" - Indicators for the ecological performance of urban areas and their application to Merseyside, UK , 2001 .

[10]  C. Cooper,et al.  Physical activity at 36 years: patterns and childhood predictors in a longitudinal study. , 1992, Journal of epidemiology and community health.

[11]  William C. Sullivan,et al.  Growing Up in the Inner City , 1998 .

[12]  S. Fowler,et al.  Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin. , 2002 .

[13]  K. Painter The influence of street lighting improvements on crime, fear and pedestrian street use, after dark , 1996 .

[14]  J. Luttik The value of trees, water and open space as reflected by house prices in the Netherlands , 2000 .

[15]  J. Potter,et al.  Energy balance and colon cancer--beyond physical activity. , 1997, Cancer research.

[16]  K Nakamura,et al.  Urban residential environments and senior citizens’ longevity in megacity areas: the importance of walkable green spaces , 2002, Journal of epidemiology and community health.

[17]  Moura Quayle,et al.  Growing community : A case for hybrid landscapes , 1997 .

[18]  F. E. Kuo,et al.  Coping with add , 2001 .

[19]  RB Peiser,et al.  The private value of public open space within subdivisions , 1993 .

[20]  Limor Shashua-Bar,et al.  Vegetation as a climatic component in the design of an urban street: An empirical model for predicting the cooling effect of urban green areas with trees , 2000 .

[21]  R. Rogers,et al.  Towards an Urban Renaissance , 1999 .

[22]  Rowland Atkinson,et al.  Gated Communities: A Systematic Review of the Research Evidence , 2003 .

[23]  J. Gehl,et al.  Public Spaces, Public Life , 1996 .

[24]  H. Woolley,et al.  Urban Open Spaces , 2003 .

[25]  M. Griffin,et al.  Green Exercise: Complementary Roles of Nature, Exercise and Diet in Physical and Emotional Well-Being and Implications for Public Health Policy , 2003 .

[26]  William C. Sullivan,et al.  Fertile Ground for Community: Inner-City Neighborhood Common Spaces , 1998 .

[27]  Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris,et al.  Measuring the Effects of Built Environment on Bus Stop Crime , 2000 .