[A-List] Destructive creation: urban concretification

["Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx>]

Dear green places promote longer life
Japanese scientists find walk in the park is path to longevity

ROB CRILLY
The Herald, 26 November 2002

FOR the handful of dogwalkers and prampushers sharing Queen's Park, Glasgow,
with the squirrels and swans yesterday, it was enough to catch a breath of
fresh air and the last of the November sun.

But Japanese scientists have found that whiling away an afternoon in the
park can add years to life expectancy.

They studied more than 3000 people born in Tokyo - one of the world's most
densely populated cities - during the first decades of the last century and
found that those living close to a park, grass field, or avenues lined with
trees, tended to live longest.

It seems that Glasgow's Victorian fathers may have known what they were
doing when they developed a network of parks to alleviate some of the worst
effects of overcrowded, disease-ridden slums - even if the city still has a
reputation for poor health.

Takehito Takano, of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, said his research
showed for the first time that parks and gardens did not just improve
quality of life for people living in cities, but were also important to the
health of elderly people.

In the latest issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, he
reports: "The quality of the physical environments near a residence -
observed as the space for taking a stroll, tree-lined streets, the number of
hours of sunlight at the residence, and less noise from automobiles and
factories - showed a positive association with the longevity of senior
citizens."

He urged planners and developers to ensure that urban green spaces were an
integral part of city life.

Margaret and Hugh Young, were among the smattering of people in Queen's Park
yesterday, sharing a bench beside a leaf-covered path.

"We come for a walk and feed the squirrels and small birds, the blue tits
and so on. We take a stroll around the pond and keep an eye out for
wildlife," said Mrs Young, 70, who added that the research did not come as a
surprise.

"Being out in the fresh air, exercising, must promote good health. If you're
stuck inside it can't be good for you," she said.

Jean Fraser, 72, who was taking a brisk short cut through the park, said:
"I'm not sure it's going to add any years to my life but a bit of exercise
must be good for you."

Jess Barrow, head of policy and public affairs at Age Concern Scotland, said
the findings should act as a reminder that the needs of older people were
often left out of the planning process.

"We think about dogwalkers or children wanting to play, but looking at it
from the view of health promotion, I don't think we take into account the
wider spectrum," she said.

"Health promotion is often focused on persuading young people not to smoke
or drink, without targeting messages to older people, where they can have a
really big effect."

However, that could be about to change as Scottish Natural Heritage launches
a campaign in March emphasising the connection between health and urban
parks.

A spokeswoman said: "There is a link between quality of life and health, and
from March we will be looking at health and green space.

However, there remain concerns that green spaces within cities are being
swallowed up by developers.

Fiona Stewart, of the Scottish Wildlife Trust, said that new sports centres
in Bellahouston and Tollcross parks had eroded some of the available green
space in Glasgow.

"I get calls about every second week from people telling me about small
areas of green space that they fear are under threat of development," she
said.

Since 1992, the Tokyo study has monitored more than 3000 people born in
1903, 1908, 1913 and 1918.

They were not surprised to discover the oldest and poorest among the 897
people who died during the study. But they also found that being able to
walk to a public park or having tree-lined streets significantly reduced the
likelihood of death.