News

The Department of Landscape Architecture of EMÜ is one of key partners in the 4,5-year BlueHealth project the aim of which is to assess the impacts of the EU-s „blue infrastructure“ (natural and man made bodies of water) on people’s health and wellbeing.

According to the Head of Landscape Architecture Department professor Simon Bell, the impacts of green infrastructure have been extensively researched while little attention has been given to blue infrastucture – even though people obviously like to be near or on water. Several studies have shown that people who live near water are healthier. Therefore, various physical interventions (boardwalks, viewing towers and access ways for disabled) developed in the Department of Landscape Architecture are going to be tested in European cities, and people’s activites and assessment of their health and well-being before and after having used those interventions is going to be conducted.

The total budget of the programme is 5,9 million euro, with 850 000 euros to be used by the Estonian University of Life Sciences. There are in total nine partners, including World Health Organization.