European PHENOTYPE project organizes its first meeting focused on green space and health

On 30th May -1st June the European funded PHENOTYPE project was officially launched during a kick-off meeting at the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park ( PRBB). Experts gave presentations on topics emphasizing the importance of green spaces, psychological mechanisms, urban and social economic inequalities on human health.

PHENOTYPE is coordinated by Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, research professor in air pollution at the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL) in Barcelona. Seven research centers from Europe and one from United States participate in this project. The European Commission contributes 3.5 million Euros to the project, which aims to assess the mechanisms behind green space and health, and which will provide guidelines for implementation of health measures in urban planning at local and European level.

Countries involved are Spain, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Lithuania, Switzerland and United States. This event coincided with the publication of a paper that presented findings that pregnant women residing in greener areas are exposed to lower levels of air pollution.

These findings, published in Environmental Health Perspectives by CREAL researcher Payam Dadvand, may be partly explained by lower home-indoor pollutant levels and more time spent in less polluted home-outdoor environment by pregnant women in greener areas.

PHENOTYPE project

PHENOTYPE (full title: “Positive health effects of the natural outdoor environment in typical populations in different regions in Europe”) aims to achieve a more robust evidence base on links between exposure to natural outdoor environment and human health and well-being for various regions in Europe, including a better understanding of the potential mechanisms. Another aim is to reach a better integration of human health needs into land use planning and green space management in rural as well as urban areas, and practical guidelines. Both preventive and therapeutic effects of contact with the natural environment will be considered.

The natural outdoor environment ranges from rural to urban settings, and PHENOTYPE will evaluate:
- green spaces (e.g. roof gardens, city parks, court yards) and “greenery”
(forests, nature reserves/parks, mountains, farmland, trees, landscaping…).
- blue spaces (water such as canals, ponds, creeks, rivers, beaches etc).

Further information: www.phenotype.eu