Research: Go Green Routes

Research summary

• June 2020 to June 2024

GoGreenRoutes is an international project to help people who live in cities connect with nature in a way that improves their quality of life and wellbeing.

40 partner organisations are involved across Europe, Latin America and China.

They will work with residents in six cities - Burgas, Lahti, Limerick, Tallinn, Umeå and Versailles - to create ‘wellbeing labs’ to assess different approaches.

By putting health and wellbeing at the centre of urban design, encouraging citizen engagement and applying data science principles, the project aims to foster a new relationship between city dwellers and their environment.

Planned activities are grouped under four themes:

• grow: nature-based enterprise

• move: sustainable physical activity

• feel: digital and cultural engagement

• know: knowledge innovation

Partners will create green corridors, parks and walkways to make public spaces that encourage active mobility, recreation, restoration and social interaction.

The project will also develop environmental quality indicators to help authorities assess their cities.

And it will share lessons-learnt with a group of ‘seed cities’ (Munich, the region of Murcia and Gzira) and a wider ‘cross-pollination network’ (Mexico City, Beijing, and Tblisi).

Manchester Met’s focus

Manchester Met will play a key role in the four themes of the project. Its researchers will focus on the role of digital technology in supporting placemaking, and the psychological factors that can affect the wellbeing of residents.

They will also create toolkits to help planning authorities use digital technology to support the creation of green spaces.

Dr Brendan Keegan will lead four project-wide workstreams involving multiple project partners:

• technology - connecting residents to nature through technology, including virtual reality tools, smartphone apps and online learning
• co-creation - involving local residents in shaping the places they live in
• health - finding ways to improve the physical and mental health of city dwellers by nature
• city - working with planners and local authorities to ensure sustainable development

Prof Marc Jones will focus on aspects relating to stress, and stress reduction from engagement with nature, as well as work to encourage behaviour change through positive habit formation. He will also look at what motivates people to exercise in green spaces, and consider the impact that exercise and engagement with an area has on residents’ physical and mental health.