The 18th century philanthropists felt it was true, scientists now firmly believe it to be the case, and Scotland’s planners and housing developers are cottoning on to it too – green, natural spaces close to homes make people healthier, happier and more able to get along.

According to The Faculty of Public Health, which sets the standards for specialists in public health in the UK: “Evidence suggests that contact with safe, green spaces can improve a number of aspects of mental and physical health and wellbeing.

“Safe, green spaces can increase levels of communal activity across different social groups as well as increase residents’ satisfaction with their local area.”

It is hardly a new idea in Scotland.  In 1724 David Hume lobbied Edinburgh council to build a path up Calton Hill, “for the health and amusement of the inhabitants”. In Glasgow, the Victorians spotted that a population crammed into tenements and working long hours in smoky factories were becoming less productive in the industrial age and the city’s impressive array of parks were the result.

Today the Scottish Government is  committed is committed to “fostering the preservation of green spaces in and around towns and to promoting the enjoyment of the countryside”.  And now private property developers are taking up the cause. Last month around 40 residents of Chapelton, a brand new community being created about 10 miles south of Aberdeen, planted the first trees of a community woodland. The 500 or so saplings will form just a small section of green space which will eventually occupy more than a third of the 10-acre, 8,000 home development. This will include allotments, greens, communal gardens and “green corridors”. The Duke of Fife, Director of Elsick Development Company, comments: “Chapelton’s neighbourhoods will be linked with and intersected by
green corridors to allow wildlife to flourish and to offer an enjoyable walking or cycling experience for every age group.”

On the other side of the country near Eaglesham in Renfrewshire, the small, new community of Polnoon is emerging from green fields. Built by Mactaggart & Mickel it is a high-concept, human-scale design with restrictions on traffic speeds and a lot of green space included in the plan.

The layout has been inspired, in part, by Eaglesham’s Orry – a 15-acre green gifted to the village in the late 18th century so Polnoon features generous landscaping and a number of natural play areas. Many of the new residents were attracted to the area for this reason. Amy Hale, who purchased a new home at Polnoon, noted: “We liked that it had little parks built in throughout – it seemed geared up to be quite social.”

Polnoon may be a positive vision of future housing. When work began, the then Minister for and Planning, Derek Mackay said: “Taking the time to consider and apply good design not only enhances our environment and but also our wellbeing. This development demonstrates what can be achieved when we challenge the way we think about streets, public spaces and housing design; the result being sustainable places.” 

Nature’s wonders are on the doorstep

Not everyone can up sticks and move to a funky new village built around allotments and green corridors of course. For those of us in towns and cities there is still a need to feel the benefits of a natural space.  Glasgow City Council employs rangers to encourage people, particularly children outside.

Denise Neely, one of the city’s Countryside Ranger says: “We spend an increasing amount of time indoors, it has never been more important to get outside and explore, particularly for our children.

“It reduces stress, increases self-confidence and promotes a sense of well-being. The next weekend you have some spare time, go on a family adventure to your local park and see what you can find. Lead your very own minibeast safari – lift some logs and rocks to see the tiny creatures living underneath, shake some branches onto a white sheet, look in the cracks and crevices in trees and will be amazed at what you find.

“Children can often tell us all about African wildlife but are unaware of the truly amazing natural world on their doorstep.”