{"id":1915,"date":"2016-09-01T17:19:54","date_gmt":"2016-09-01T16:19:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.terrafirmaconsultancy.com\/landscape-architect-blog\/?p=1915"},"modified":"2022-10-20T12:34:32","modified_gmt":"2022-10-20T11:34:32","slug":"landscape-mental-health-alex","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.terrafirmaconsultancy.com\/landscape-architect-blog\/landscape-mental-health-alex\/","title":{"rendered":"The landscape of mental health (by Alex)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>1 Minute, 40 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>

The increasing awareness of our environment has become a focal point within many professions over the last decade and health services across the world have started to reengage with nature. This is largely down to two main factors; the increase in \u201cdiseases of 21st Century living \u2013 obesity, diabetes and depression\u201d (Natural England, 2009) and the positive impact of the natural environment on people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n

The WHO predicts that by the year 2020 depression will be the second largest single cause of ill health in the world and the British Government have also stated that one in four people will directly experience mental health problems.<\/p>\n

As landscape architects do we have a place in the future of mental health care through design? There are already successful examples of site specific design, such as the healing gardens at Roseberry Park in Middlesbrough. This kind of scheme allows the designer to specifically cater to a group of users and tailor the garden elements, creating a suitable environment for them. But can this kind of design be translated to wider landscape schemes?<\/p>\n

Back in the days of CABE Space they reported that the most used open space was local parks but these could often be the most neglected and sometimes seen as unsafe. CABE also stated that poorly designed, maintained and managed local parks were often in areas of higher deprivation.<\/p>\n

When we approach a new project we may not be considering mental health in the landscape design but perhaps we should consider some design principles that could support the end users;<\/p>\n