What are Green Spaces and Why are they Important?
Plants play an important role in greening cities. Without them, there is no nature. If the right plants are planted in the right places, there can be multiple benefits for urban communities. By inviting more plants into our increasingly urban lives, whether in our living rooms or in the public realm, we build stronger connections with the natural world that ultimately sustains us and our planet.
Nature For All, 2021
Green spaces are the places that make up the greenery and natural world around us. Green spaces include:
Natural areas can be understood through the lens of urban nature. Urban nature includes the areas in urban environments that are home to plants and animals. Urban nature is not just dedicated recreational space such as public parks, but other types of informal green spaces, for example, green streetscapes, nature areas, roof gardens and community gardens.
Undeveloped land and water, both public and private. Or land and water that has the capacity to conserve, protect, and enhance natural or scenic resources; protect biodiversity; and enhance recreation opportunities.
The Alberta Recreation and Parks Association (2010)
Places reserved for conserving and experiencing Nature, with varying objectives but important complementary goals such as: Land trusts and private preserves, urban streams, community parks, playgrounds, trails, ravines, territorial and provincial parks, marine parks, protected areas, Indigenous protected and conserved areas, wilderness areas and more
We refer to “parks” as any land and water that exists on the parks continuum.
(CPRA & CPC, 2017)
When we refer to green spaces in the Healthy Communities Framework, our focus is on the parks and/ or natural areas that exist within or border our urban or rural communities.
Green spaces are important because they can provide many benefits to the health and well-being of our communities. Some of these benefits include:
- Improved physical health, healing, and development
- Improved mental health
- Improved social connection
- Improved ecosystem health
Including and protecting green spaces in our communities (rural or urban) can lead to a greater chance of maintaining healthy and active living for all. Just as with Built Environments, Green Spaces should aim to create or enhance a healthy food environment and provide opportunities for physical activity.
Community Spotlights
Children Taking Healthy Habits Home
ChooseWell Champions at the Fort McKay Wellness Centre have been leading the way in fostering healthy places for their community members by showing them the importance of engaging with green spaces to create healthy eating and active living opportunities.
Further Your Understanding
For more perspectives on the importance of parks and green spaces, check out the following resources:
- Parks & Greenspace from PlanH in British Columbia
- Pocket Parks from the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) in the U.S.
- World Urban Parks, a partner of the Alberta Recreation and Parks Association (ARPA)
Key Considerations
Coming Soon.
Healthy Eating in Green Spaces
Creating healthy food environments within green spaces requires unique plans specifically adapted to each space and the surrounding communities’ needs. Generally speaking, however, a healthy food environment within outdoor spaces addresses two main areas:
- Increasing access to locally grown food and,
- Promoting and encouraging responsible consumption of that food (NPC, 2021; NPC, 2019).
Consider the following steps to help you take action towards designing healthy food environments in your community green spaces.
Step 1: Check-in
This step is intended to help you start thinking about the scope of healthy food environments in your community green spaces and what goes into creating/supporting them. Check out the prompts below to help you get started:
Are your green spaces healthy food environments?
- Do residents have access to healthy food and drinking water in public parks or natural areas?
- Does each neighbourhood within your community have access to a community garden?
- Does your community have fruit, berry or edible plants that are publically accessible? These can be located in parks, boulevards, public planters, etc.
- Does your community have a food map that identifies where fruit trees, berry bushes and edible plants are located?
- Are there publicly accessible and available tables, covered areas and/or picnic sites in your community parks?
Check out Communities ChooseWell’s newest free module Healthy Eating in Community Spaces from the HERS eCourse. Developed in partnership with World Urban Parks, this module explores how to offer healthy food and drinks at public and cultural events, in parks and any place where communities recreate.
Step 2: Prioritize Your Focus
Now that you’ve given some thought about what goes into designing healthy food environments, take this time to determine what your short-term vs. long-term goals are to help you prioritize your focus for your community.
Be realistic and consider the question: “What capacity do you realistically have to take this on?” Once you have identified areas that are important to you and feel comfortable with the direction you’d like to take, get ready to take action!
Step 3: Take Action!
The following items are suggested action steps you can take to implement healthy food environments in your community spaces.
- Build a community garden in your neighbourhood to create an opportunity for social connection, physical activity and access to fresh produce.
- Note: Community gardens aren’t exclusive to parks! Community gardens can be built on rooftops, in planter boxes along sidewalks and boulevards, in hanging baskets on fences, or in any place that can support plant growth.
- Develop food maps that connect citizens to publicly accessible edible berries and fruits that grow within the community
Create advocacy groups or work with local/ provincial/ federal government to:
- Create pathways and travel routes that connect green spaces to the nearby grocery stores and other healthy food retailers (i.e. farmer’s markets) for access to healthy food and drink options
- Make healthy food options and free water available in public spaces and at public events (e.g. parks, recreation facilities, community centres, municipal buildings, marathons).
Key Considerations
Coming Soon.
Active Living in Green Spaces
Green Spaces are important places that create and enhance opportunities for recreation and physical activity. In Built Environments, we cover the importance of creating formal recreation amenities and supporting active transportation to and from amenities. Here we will cover the importance of providing trails within community parks and open spaces.
Trails & Walking Paths
Trails and walking paths are not only necessary for supporting active transportation, but they are critical for connecting people to nature (NPC, 2021). Moreover, by incorporating EDI principles, trails can also make it easier and safer for everyone to access and participate in recreation.
Similar to recreation amenities, designing and constructing trails and walking paths requires time, planning, advocacy and engagement from both government and local stakeholders. Our focus is to encourage reflection of:
- Where, how many and what types of trails exist in your community
- How small improvements can be made to increase usability
Consider the following steps to help you take action towards creating/supporting active living in your community green spaces.
Step 1: Check-in
This step is intended to help you start thinking about the scope of active living in your community green spaces. Check out the prompts below to help you get started:
Do the Green Spaces in Your Community Support Active Living?
- Where and how many trails and walking paths are located in your community?
- What types of trails are available to the community? (i.e. paved, dirt/ natural, multi-use etc.)
- Are there trails and/or walking paths that support community members with limited mobility? (i.e. paved with ramps, benches and other rest areas)
- Are the trails and walking paths in your community safe? (i.e. lighting, signage, cleanliness, safety)
- Do the trails and walking paths in your community have resting and gathering areas? (i.e. park benches / picnic sites?)
- What public facilities exist in your community parks and open spaces? (i.e. gender-neutral washrooms, water fountains, etc.)
Check out these resources to learn more about how your community can plan and design green spaces:
- Healthy Homes Healthy Communities from the Centre for Healthy Communities at the UofA
- Parks & Greenspace from our provincial neighbours at PlanH in BC.
Step 2: Prioritize Your Focus
Now that you’ve given some thought about how your community supports active living, take this time to determine what your short-term vs. long-term goals are to help you prioritize your focus for your community green spaces.
Be realistic and consider the question: “What capacity do you realistically have to take this on?” Once you have identified areas that are important to you and feel comfortable with the direction you’d like to take, get ready to take action!
Step 3: Take Action!
The following items are suggested action steps you can take to implement active transportation in your community.
- Create a committee in your community dedicated to parks and trails clean-ups (i.e. plogging meet-ups, Leave No Trace initiatives)
- Host a community engagement session to explore options for building new or improving existing trails
- Create wayfinding signs and resources for trails and walking paths
Create advocacy groups or work with local/ provincial/ federal government to:
- Design trails and walking paths to be as inclusive as possible (i.e. paved trails, ramps, benches, single stall public washrooms etc)
- Host a community engagement session to explore options for building new or improving existing trails
- Build safety into trails and walking paths (i.e. wayfinding signage, lighting, garbage disposals)
- Fund and support the improvement of current trails and/or build new trail and walking path infrastructure
(PlanH, 2021)
Key Considerations
Remember that we share our Green Spaces with wildlife! When enjoying the outdoors, be aware of your surroundings and be respectful of the creatures and critters that call your local green spaces home.
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Built environments are the human-made places in which we live, work, learn and play.
Built Environments
Built Environments
Built environments are the human-made places in which we live, work, learn and play.
Historic and contemporary policies like the Indian Act, Band Membership and Hunting and Treaty Rights, continue to have a large influence on Indigenous communities and their ability to create healthy places.
Indigenous Voices in Places
Indigenous Voices in Places
Historic and contemporary policies like the Indian Act, Band Membership and Hunting and Treaty Rights, continue to have a large influence on Indigenous communities and their ability to create healthy places.
Asset Mapping is a tool that communities can use to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the places that currently exist in their community.
Asset Mapping
Asset Mapping
Asset Mapping is a tool that communities can use to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the places that currently exist in their community.