Natur og Kultur som Folkehelse - NaKuHel

INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM
30
A SPATIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GREENERY
AND HUMAN HEALTH
Ikujiro Wakai Professor, Osaka Sangyo University, Osaka, Japan
It is common knowledge that humankind is a part
of the ecosystem, however in general many of
us are not strongly aware of this. This is largely
because we perceive that the ecosystem and our
daily lives are far apart and exist in two clearly
separated spatial milieus. Nevertheless, greenery
represents the ecosystem close to us, which is also
a basic resource vital for the formation of traditional
culture.
Furthermore, in recent years, as socalled ʻ‘forestbathingʼ’
has been found to have a healing effect,
greenery has regained attention as a necessary
environmental resource for the maintenance of
good health. Especially in Japan, eighty percent
of the population now resides in cities, and interchange
with natural resources is becoming a strong
desire among people. In order also to prevent
global warming and the heat island phenomenon,
greening in and around urban areas is being implemented.
Based on such background, this study report aims
to consider the spatial relationship between greenery
as part of the ecosystem and human health.
The correlation between greenery and human
health can be discussed based on the healing effect
resulting from substances dispersed by forests and
visual contact with greenery, in other words from
the viewpoint of the mental health, and medical
or physiological aspects. Here however, the author
assumes and regards human health as an effect of
the symbiosis with greenery, and sees the degree of
human health based on daily experience.
This is mainly because this report is based on an
awareness survey through interviews and questionnaires
concerning the degree of human health
from people who live adjacent to greenery, or analysis
of previous statistical researches on public
health, which are planned for further development.
Thus, based on the assumption that the degree
of human health is proportional to the amount of
greenery and inversely proportional to the distance
between humans and greenery, in order to
quantitatively see the spatial relation between
them, such relation can be expressed by the following
formula:
When applying formula (1), it is required to closely
examine the degree of human health, amount
of greenery, and distance between the two points,
and to define them so that they can be expressed
as measurable quantities. The author is currently
considering to quantify the following three variables
of formula (1).
- The level of life satisfaction, healthcare cost
ratio, number of suicides and medical patients on
a population basis with respect to the degree of
human health.
- The visible area of greenery of a person standing
at a certain point, and the ratio of green coverage
in cities and mountains, with respect to the
amount of greenery.
- The measurable linear distance and psychological
distance, with respect to the distance between
points.
The main task for the future will be the study of
how to express the amount of greenery through a
quantitative definition. To this end, it is necessary
to first study and define the parameters from the
qualitative viewpoint of greenery. It is also necessary
to proceed with a detailed awareness survey
through interviews and questionnaires, or analysis
of previous statistical researches on public health,
thereby realizing their practical application.
References:
1. Sugahara, Satoshi, Shinrin -- Nihon Bunka toshiteno, Chijin Shokan Co., Ltd., February 1996 2. Wakai, Ikujiro (2000) Symbiotic Effectiveness
between Greenery and People – Case study of Kyoto its semi-circular greenery, Science Without Borders, Ecology and Forests for
Public Health, Transactions of the International Academy of Science H&E, Special Edition International Conference Oslo 2009, pp.153-160