We performed a number of studies within Green CURIOCITY, using various methods and data sources.
For two studies, we used information from a birth cohort (HELIX) with data from Norway, Lithuania, UK, France, Spain, and Greece analysing children’s neurodevelopment and birth outcomes. In the first study, we developed a heat index and then evaluated the impact of heat on various parameters of childhood neurodevelopment. Further, we assessed if greenspaces had a mitigating impact on any negative effects of heat. Results from the analyses did not support our hypothesis of negative impacts of heat on neurodevelopment and we did not find any protective impact of greenspaces.
In the second study, we used the same methodological approach but analysed the impact of heat during pregnancy on birth outcomes. Similarly, we assessed the modifying impact of greenspaces. Preliminary results suggest that exposure to heat during pregnancy has a negative impact on birth weight, but this association is diminished in green areas. The results are summarised in a scientific article under preparation.
In another study, we used data from the Catalonian COVID-19 cohort, and we found that lacking views of greenspace from residential windows during the COVID-19-related lockdown increased the risk of severe depression significantly. This is of very high relevance for urban planning that needs to consider not only access to greenspaces and general tree canopy cover, but must also make sure that trees are evenly distributed and that views are provided for everyone. These results have been communicated to both the health and environmental sectors, for example at the conference of environmental epidemiology in Athens (2022) and at the annual conference of the European Forest Institute.
Other results include a systematic assessment, in collaboration with WHO, of how greenspaces can reduce air pollution as well as two published studies about the beneficial impacts of urban greenspaces on childhood development and ADHD prevalence. Both studies are published in high-impact journals and received notable media attention.
In summary, the results from Green CURIOCITY have been disseminated through three public webinars (in Spain, Canada, and Sweden), five scientific oral presentations at international conferences (online and in person in Spain and Greece), and through numerous social and public media outlets, including, for example, Twitter, LaVanguardia (Spain), CBT News (Canada), and ISGlobal blogs and news. The results have also been communicated at an ERASMUS+ funded summer school in Italy and through policy briefs and various transdisciplinary meetings. The exploitation and dissemination aspects of the project were to some extent hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing some outreach activities, but much could be achieved through online arrangements instead.
