Media releases

• Brock research shows walking in naturalized landfill areas improves mood, connection to nature

  Thursday, June 30, 2016 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: R00143 – 29 June 2016

  Need a pick-me-up? Just head to the nearest landfill — one that’s been converted to a park, that is.

  New Brock University research has found strolling through green space that was once a landfill has positive impacts on mood and physical health and encourages a feeling of connectedness to nature.

  “No one has really ever looked, experimentally, at the extent to which these naturalized landfills are beneficial for mood and overall well-being and yet, we’re restoring these landfills all over the country and the world,” says Shawn Geniole, graduate student and lead author of the study published June 27 in the journal Ecopsychology.

  Each study participant walked two routes: one in the Glenridge Quarry Naturalization Site in St. Catharines and the other through an adjacent business and commercial zone.

  Researchers compared the physical and psychological impacts on participants from the two walks.

  The results showed that, although alertness and attention increased and stress levels decreased after both routes, participants’ mood improved with the naturalized landfill walk but not with the urban walk. Overall, the study found the naturalized landfill walk increased participants’ connectedness to nature more than the urban walk.

  “The main finding is that, although you get positive benefits from both walks, mood improvement was really specific to walking in nature,” says Professor of Psychology Cheryl McCormick, the research team’s leader.

  “So, you can get some stress reduction and attention control increase in both walks, but the real psychological and health benefits — an improvement in mood — came from the naturalized landfill walk.”

  The Brock study, Restoring land and mind: The benefits of an outdoor walk on mood are enhanced in a naturalized landfill area relative to its neighbouring urban area, comes at a time of rapid urbanization worldwide.

  Various studies have shown people living in cities are more likely to develop mood disorders than those living in the countryside and that the likelihood of developing schizophrenia increases with the degree of exposure to an urban environment.

  “Those are the people who need nature most, the ones who are least connected with it,” says McCormick. “They might be most susceptible to the harmful effects of urbanization.”

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Media Relations Officer, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970
   
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  Categories: Media releases

• Brock research shows residents want more vibrant green spaces in downtown St. Catharines

  Thursday, June 30, 2016 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: R00142 – 29 June 2016

  The City of St. Catharines is off to a good start with recent downtown revitalization efforts, but more needs to be done to attract residents and enable those who work downtown to relax, according to new Brock University research.

  On Wednesday, Brock’s Niagara Community Observatory released the report Downtown Revitalization in St. Catharines: Building the Vibrant Public Space, which includes the results of data collected by Professor of Geography Michael Ripmeester through polling 300 city residents on what they thought of recent downtown redevelopment efforts.

  These include the construction of the 5,000-seat Meridian Centre, the First Ontario Performing Arts Centre and Brock’s Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts.

  About 80 per cent of those surveyed believe the Performing Arts Centre, the Meridian Centre and the Walker school are beneficial to the downtown.

  However, only 7.63 per cent of survey respondents reported attending live arts events and 6.5 per cent live sporting events on a regular basis.

  Of those who held positive views of St. Catharines’ recent development projects, “95 per cent also noted that other things would be more likely to bring them downtown,” says the report.

  “They suggested that the downtown needs more welcoming spots in which to stroll, sit or commune with other downtown visitors,” says Ripmeester.

  Survey respondents offered a number of ideas of how to make the downtown core greener and more relaxing and interesting.

  “It seems clear that participants believe that the presence of individuals, families and seniors doing everyday social activities could provide the vibrancy that would attract them to downtown,” Ripmeester says.

  “They want to see places where people are comfortable and engaged in pleasurable, low-cost or free leisure activities.”

  The report concludes with a list of six recommendations for the downtown core, including:
  ·      Install more benches for “people watching”
  ·      Invest in a water feature in the city hall/market square area that could be a skating rink in the winter
  ·      Add landscaping, artwork and creative lighting
  ·      Arrange for free family outdoor entertainment during the spring and summer
  ·      Convert James St. between Church and King streets as a pedestrian walkway

  Professor of Geography Michael Ripmeester is available directly at mripmeester@brocku.ca

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Media Relations Officer, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970
   
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  Categories: Media releases