WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF GREENSPACES ON THE MENTALHEALTH OF STUDENTS IN ACCOMMODATIONS DURING COVID19? by Elena Benitez Espino

WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF GREEN SPACES ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF STUDENTS IN HALLS OF RESIDENCE DURING COVID-19 LOCKDOWN? Elena Benítez Espino

22900 Masters Thesis MArch Advanced Architectural Design Supervisor: Prof. Tim Sharpe Word count: 15,126 Turnitin Score (excl. References): 10%

DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP Department of Architecture University of Strathclyde 22 900 Dissertation MArch Advanced Architectural Design (AAD)

Declaration “I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and has been composed by myself. It contains no unacknowledged text and has not been submitted in any previous context. All quotations have been distinguished by quotation marks and all sources of information, text, illustration, tables, images etc. have been specifically acknowledged. I accept that if having signed this Declaration my work should be found at Examination to show evidence of academic dishonesty the work will fail and I will be liable to face the University Senate Discipline Committee.” Name: Elena Benitez Espino Signed: ______________________________________________ Date: 13/08/21

Department of Architecture Level 3, James Weir Building 75 Montrose Street Glasgow G1 1XJ t:+ 44 (0) 141 548 3023/3097/4219 e: architecture@strath.ac.uk Head of Department: Professor Tim Sharpe The place of useful learning The University of Strathclyde is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, number SC015263

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This project would not have been possible without the support of many people. Many thanks to my adviser, Tim Sharpe, who read my numerous revisions and helped make some sense of the confusion. Thanks to the University of Strathclyde. And finally, thanks to my parents, sister, partner and numerous friends who endured this long process with me, always offering support and love.

ABSTRACT Mental health issues are common amongst many people around the world, and since the COVID-19 Pandemic started, mental health has been worse for everyone. Lockdowns and restrictions are the norm , and many people were not able to meet others due to the spread of the virus. This has made students daily life much more difficult than before, making lots of them completely isolated in the student accommodations or halls of residence. Student life was shut down entirely, and many other students who stayed in Glasgow did not have opportunities to socialise with others. Most Universities in Glasgow are located in the city centre, so that is why most of the Halls of residence are in dense urban areas and many of them without any views of green spaces or a green features. Many factors influence how we feel, including the weather, the people around us, and the physical environment in which we choose to live. Some of the factors affecting Glasgow’s city's mental health include post-industrial attire, narrow streets, and a lack of places to relax. This is why the addition and or use of green spaces is an essential factor in Glasgow. Students are also a concern during COVID-19 because of the amount of stress they deal with as well as the isolation and the restrictions imposed during national lockdowns. This is why it is necessary to consider ways to improve students mental health during difficult times, and green spaces can be a solution. Many studies have been done during the past years regarding the relationship between mental health and green or blue spaces. These studies conclude on how green spaces are beneficial and help improve the mental health of those using them. This proven hypothesis has been studied and analysed regarding students living in halls of residence in Glasgow. For this study, a qualitative and quantitative strategy was chosen due to the nature of the study. A questionnaire was one of the most significant research tools, reinforced by case studies and quantitative research such as other surveys and articles. This Thesis research study focuses on the mental health of students living in Glasgow student accommodations during COVID-19 lockdowns and how green spaces can be beneficial in improving their mental health.

Table of Contents Declaration of Authorship .......................................................................................... 3 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................... 4 Abstract..................................................................................................................... 5 List of graphs ............................................................................................................. 7 List of tables .............................................................................................................. 8 List of figures and illustrations ................................................................................... 8 CHAPTER 1 Introduction .......................................................................................... 10 1.1.Topic introduction, research question and objectives ......................................... 11 1.2. Structure and scope of studY ............................................................................. 15 1.3.Definition of terms ............................................................................................. 15 CHAPTER 2 Mental Health ....................................................................................... 18 2.1.Mental Health and the environments ................................................................. 19 2.2. Mental health in the city ................................................................................... 22 2.3. Mental Health of students in Glasgow during COVID-19..................................... 25 CHAPTER 3 Green Spaces ........................................................................................ 30 3.1. Definition of Green Spaces ................................................................................ 31 3.2. Green Spaces & Mental Health .......................................................................... 32 3.3. Functions – Different spaces .............................................................................. 34 3.4. Green Therapy (Case study)............................................................................... 37 CHAPTER 4 Research Methods ................................................................................. 40 4.1. Research Methodology ..................................................................................... 41 CHAPTER 5 Research ................................................................................................ 44 5.1. Research Outcome ............................................................................................ 45 5.2. Improving mental health ................................................................................... 63 CHAPTER 6 Conclusion ............................................................................................ 66 Bibliography ............................................................................................................ 70 Appendix A Questionnaire ...................................................................................... 76 Appendix B Questionnaire Answers ......................................................................... 82

LIST OF GRAPHS GRAPH 1. Q1 - AGE OF THE PARTICIPANTS ............................................................................... 45 GRAPH 2. Q9 - BEFORE COVID-19, DID YOU USE TO GO FOR WALKS? (DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS) ................................................................................................................................. 46 GRAPH 3. Q32 - WHO DID YOU ATTEND THE PARK WITH? (DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS) ...... 46 GRAPH 4. Q2 - GENDER OF THE PARTICIPANTS ........................................................................ 46 GRAPH 5. Q9 - BEFORE COVID-19, DID YOU USE TO GO FOR WALKS (MALE VS FEMALE) . 47 GRAPH 6. Q21 - WHAT MAKES A GREEN SPACE IMPORTANT TO YOU? (MALE VS FEMALE) .................................................................................................................................................. 47 GRAPH 7. Q32 - WHO DID YOU ATTEND THE PARK WITH? (MALE VS FEMALE) .................... 48 GRAPH 8. Q13 - DURING WHAT TIMES OF THE DAY DID YOU VISIT THESE SPACES? (MALE VS FEMALE) ............................................................................................................................ 56 GRAPH 9. Q1 - AGE (ENHANCEMENT IN THE LEVEL OF WELLBEING VS NO ENHANCEMENT) .................................................................................................................................................. 58 GRAPH 10. Q2 - GENDER (ENHANCEMENT IN THE LEVEL OF WELLBEING VS NO ENHANCEMENT) ..................................................................................................................... 58 GRAPH 11. Q29 - HAVE YOU DEVELOPED MORE SOCIAL CONNECTIONS WHILE USING THIS GREEN

SPACES?

(ENHANCEMENT

THE

LEVEL

WELLBEING

ENHANCEMENT) ..................................................................................................................... 60 GRAPH 12. Q23 - WHO DID YOU ATTEND THE PARK WITH (ENHANCEMENT IN THE LEVEL OF WELLBEING VS NO ENHANCEMENT) .................................................................................. 60 GRAPH 13. Q14 - DO YOU HAVE A VIEW OF GREEN SPACES OR GREEN FEATURES FROM YOUR FLAT/ROOM? (ENHANCEMENT IN THE LEVEL OF WELLBEING VS NO ENHANCEMENT) ..................................................................................................................... 60 GRAPH 14. Q12 - DID YOU GO TO GREEN SPACES DURING THE LOCKDOWN? (ENHANCEMENT IN THE LEVEL OF WELLBEING VS NO ENHANCEMENT) ..................... 60 GRAPH 15. Q21 - WHAT MAKES A GREEN SPACE IMPORTANT TO YOU? .............................. 61

GRAPH 16. Q21 - WHAT MAKES A GREEN SPACE IMPORTANT TO YOU? (DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS) ................................................................................................................................. 61 GRAPH 17. Q9 - BEFORE COVID-19, DID YOU USE TO GO FOR WALKS? ............................... 63 GRAPH 18. Q12 - DID YOU GO TO GREEN SPACES DURING THE LOCKDOWN? ................... 63

LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1. Q4 - WHERE IN GLASGOW DID STUDENTS STAY. ..................................................... 48 TABLE 2. Q5 - WHEN DID THE STUDENTS EXPERIENCE LOCKDOWN? .................................. 52 TABLE 3. Q7 - DURING LOCKDOWN, HOW MANY HOURS DID YOU STAY INDOORS EVERY DAY? (ENHANCEMENT IN THE LEVEL OF WELLBEING VS NO ENHANCEMENT) .......... 59

LIST OF FIGURES AND ILLUSTRATIONS FRONT COVER GLASGOW SKYLINE IMAGE. AVAILABLE AT: HTTPS://BIT.LY/3G2DFY6 FIGURE 1. URGENCIES DIAGRAM. (AUTHOR'S OWN)

FIGURE 2. THE PANDEMIC AND MENTAL HEALTH. HOW IT SEEMS VS HOW IT ACTUALLY IS (ISOLATION) (AUTHOR'S OWN. USED ON CS5 ASSIGNMENT)

FIGURE 3. MENTAL HEALTH DIAGRAM. (AUTHOR'S OWN)

FIGURE 4. MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES AND GREEN SPACES (AUTHOR'S OWN)

FIGURE

BOYCE

HOUSE,

GLASGOW.

(EDIT:

AUTHOR'S

OWN;

AVAILABLE

HTTPS://TWITTER.COM/FJARCHITECTS/STATUS/1176884719394463746)

AT: 28

FIGURE 6. GREEN AND BLUE NATURAL SPACE. GREENOCK. (AUTHOR'S OWN)

FIGURE 7. UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SOURCE: UN, 2019)

FIGURE 8. MORE PEDESTRIANIZE STREETS. (AUTHOR'S OWN)

FIGURE 9. GLASGOW'S RIVER CLYDE (AUTHOR'S OWN)

FIGURE 10. SINGAPORE. (SOURCE: TUUL & BRUNO MORANDI / GETTY IMAGES)

FIGURE 11. STUDENT ACCOMMODATIONS IN GLASGOW BASED ON THE ANSWERS. (AUTHOR’S OWN)

FIGURE 12. GREEN SPACES IN GLASGOW BASED ON THE ANSWERS. (AUTHOR’S OWN) 50 FIGURE 13. GAPS. ACRONYMS

FIGURE 14. SOCIAL SPACES. (AUTHOR’S OWN)

FIGURE 15. A BUSY TOKYO STREET PRIORITISES PEDESTRIANS AND GREEN SPACE, WITH SEATING AREAS THAT ENCOURAGE RELAXATION AND SOCIAL INTERACTION. (PHOTOGRAPH BY LAYLA MCCAY)

FIGURE 16. CLOSER GREEN SPACES. AROUND 15MIN WALKING DISTANCE. (AUTHOR'S OWN)

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

1.1.TOPIC INTRODUCTION, RESEARCH QUESTION AND OBJECTIVES Rapid urbanisation results in encroachment on natural habitats and closer interactions with zoonotic diseases. We have taken over thousands of kilometres of wild land for human use and advantage. Having taken over territory that is also home to so many animals has consequences. Between 1940 and 2004, over 60% of the 335 new infectious illnesses reported were of animal origin. (Capolongo et al. 2020) Pandemics are now the norm, not the exception.

Figure 1. URGENCIES diagram. (Author's own)

A novel coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2 and a related disease (COVID-19) was detected in December 2019 in Wuhan. This virus spread to the rest of the world, very quickly causing a Global Pandemic (Wang et al., 2020). Infections and deaths grew exponentially and put public health systems all over the world at risk. This required governments to take emergency measures to hold back the spread of the virus. As architects, we might need to re-imagine architecture to achieve more socially distant designs, more individualized spaces, and safe spaces for individuals in the event of a new Pandemic. The United Kingdom was in Lockdown from March 2020 till June 2020 and December 2020 till March 2021, making it around six months

of total Lockdown. All of these issues have harmed people's health in recent years, if not decades. Moreover, we need to find ways to help people’s well-being in situations like this. In 2010, Scotland had the highest homicide rate in Western Europe and the world's sixth-highest. Along with the highest homicide rate than in any other city in Scotland. Unemployment, poverty and a lack of educational possibilities are some of the factors causing this. According to a World Health Organization report from 2008, the average life expectancy for males in Glasgow's Calton neighbourhood is about 54 years old. In the city of Glasgow, men and women are likely to die as a result of alcohol-related causes compared to any other city in the United Kingdom. (2010) (Benitez, E., 2020) This is highly related to people’s mental health since people use alcohol to escape from reality when in difficult times. Mental health needs to be a priority in many cities, and Glasgow is no exception. During COVID-19, it was nearly impossible to socialise with other people. At the same time, there were no activities for students in Glasgow, the ‘student life’. As we know, ‘student life’ it was banished, no more pubs, clubs or even places to go for a coffee with friends. The social life was minimal, just being able to talk to people you live with or by phone calls. The location and view determines the amount of engagement with the outdoor space, and walks were one of the few things that were permitted by the restrictions established by the Scottish Government. Students have been one of the most affected groups because of not being able to be with family, friends and sometimes even being isolated in studios or flats. This is because most students living in Glasgow’s Halls of residence or private student accommodations have come from different parts of the United Kingdom and any other country from around the world. Alongside this, most student accommodations are located in an urban area for several reasons, such as being close to the University or close to the city centre for students to be able to enjoy the ‘student life’ lifestyle. Most Universities in Glasgow are located as near as possible to the city centre, so that is why most of the Halls of residence in Glasgow are in a dense urban area and many of them without any views of green spaces or green features.

Students are also a concern during COVID-19 lockdown because of the amount of added stress they have due to the isolation and the restrictions imposed during the lockdowns. This is why it is necessary to consider ways to improve students mental health during difficult times like COVID-19 Pandemic. There is documentation that proves that access to green spaces can have a positive effect on people’s psychological and physiological health. So a question arises, did students living in halls of residence in Glasgow during COVID-19 lockdowns have access to green spaces? If so, did it benefit their mental health? What provision for green spaces is found near student accommodations? Are there differences in the improvement of mental health between physical access to green space and visualisations of green features? We must take into account the difference between both. Visual access is somehow permanent, meaning we are able to see it from a flat or house all the time, and it sometimes might be involuntary. On the contrary, physical access to green spaces is much more voluntary, implying that the person using it was actively using it (i.e. running, playing football) This Thesis will review the concept of green spaces in the context of health and well-being and gather data from students who remained in student residences during lockdown to examine the impacts of green spaces on their well-being.

Figure 2. The Pandemic and Mental Health. How it seems vs how it actually is (isolation) (Author's own. Used on CS5 assignment)

1.2. STRUCTURE AND SCOPE OF STUDY The thesis focal point is on students living in halls of residence or private accommodations in Glasgow. The research focuses on the benefits parks, gardens, and any other green space have on the students’ mental health during a Lockdown. There is also a distinction between the physical and visual aspects. This study has been carried out by considering quantitative and qualitative data. Chapters 2 and 3 investigates mental health and green spaces on students living in University halls in Glasgow and analyses how mental health has been affected by the Pandemic and how green spaces have a beneficial aspect on mental health issues. An online questionnaire was advertised on various media platforms, and 81 students took part in the research. All the data obtained is shown graphically and analysed in chapter 5. Then, a conclusion has been developed on the final chapter, Chapter 6, and improvements have been suggested to enhance the green spaces and city strategy to boost the mental well-being of students in halls of residence during other possible lockdowns in the future.

1.3.DEFINITION OF TERMS MENTAL HEALTH

The World Health Organization defines it as a state of wellbeing in which an individual recognises his or her own strengths, can cope with the ordinary stresses of life, can work effectively and fruitfully, and can contribute to his or her environment. (WHO)

CITY

In accordance with the Cambridge Dictionary, a city is ‘a large town’ or ‘any town in the UK that has a cathedral’ (Cambridge)

GREEN SPACES

Some examples of vegetated land or water found in cities are parks, gardens, playing fields, woods, green corridors, rivers, and canals. Green and blue spaces, which include water features, are sometimes referred to as "green and blue spaces."

WELL-BEING

The sensation of being in good health, happy, and prosperous. It requires excellent mental health, a high degree of life happiness, a feeling of meaning or purpose, and the ability to deal with stress. (Psychology Today, 2019)

LOCKDOWN

Is defined as a security measure, a state of isolation or restricted access is imposed. (Oxford Languages)

COVID-19

It is also known as coronavirus disease. A coronaviruscaused potentially severe respiratory infection marked by fever, coughing, and shortness of breath. The condition can potentially harm key organs such as the heart or kidneys in some patients.

GREEN FEATURES

It is defined as any tree, flower or plant seen and or able to reach. Any small feature in a green space.

CHAPTER 2 MENTAL HEALTH

2.1.MENTAL HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENTS In accordance with the definition of mental health, it refers to one's mental, emotional, and behavioural well-being. The term mental health is frequently used to refer to the absence of a mental disorder. Because mental health is about how people feel, think, and behave, taking care of our mental health can help us improve and enjoy our lives. This can be accomplished by finding a balance on the many factors that affect our mental health, such as activities, responsibilities, connections, relationships, amongst others. By changing our routines, many mental disorders like depression, anxiety or stress can be affected for good but also badly. There is an array of mental health disorders, being the most popular: •

GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorders): It is defined by the American Psychiatric Association as excessive concern that interferes with daily life.

•

Panic Disorders: People have panic episodes on a regular basis, which feature abrupt, overpowering anxiety or a sense of impending tragedy and death.

•

OCD (Obsessive-compulsive disorder): Obsessions and compulsions are common among people. In other words, they have persistent, anxious thoughts and a strong desire to conduct repetitive behaviours like hand washing.

•

PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder): This can happen if a person is exposed to or sees a very stressful or traumatic event.

•

Mood Disorders: People with these illnesses have major mood fluctuations, usually involving mania (a time of great energy and elation) or sadness.

(Benitez, E., 2020)

Figure 3. Mental Health diagram. (Author's own)

For mental health disorders, there are several modifiable factors. To begin, socio-economic conditions or a person's financial stability, play a significant role in the amount of stress they experience. Second, it needs to be considered the individual's occupation. Some jobs and careers are more favourable to the mental health than others, and this also applies to universities degrees. Another factor is a person’s level of social involvement. Humans are social animals and all our relationships and social connections help us develop as people. But, also those relationships have an effect on our mental health. And lastly education and housing quality have an impact on people. Individuals with mental health difficulties may face severe stigma and social exclusion, have greater morbidity and mortality rates, and are more likely to endure negative social outcomes such as unemployment, financial difficulty and poverty, homelessness, and loss of human rights. (Benitez, E., 2020)

Independently, there are other non-modifiable factors, including gender, age and ethnicity. People from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities are more subjected to experience social exclusion and inequality and racial discrimination, poor socio-economic status and unemployment. A research found that men are 3.96 more likely to have the worst mental health. (Mental Health Foundation, 2021) Physical and mental health issues might arise as a result of loneliness and social isolation. Both are linked to an increased risk of premature death, high blood pressure, cardiac problems, decreased physical functioning, physical impairment, unhealthy behaviours, and poor overall self-reported health. It affects people of all ages and from all backgrounds. However, evidence suggests that social isolation is higher in the poorest neighbourhoods. People who used more local amenities and judged the quality of their neighbourhood environment were less likely to experience occasional or regular loneliness. Worklessness adds to social isolation and marginalisation while also having a substantial impact on income, daily routines, and choices. The position of a person in society has a significant impact on their mental health experiences. The link between social status and mental health problems is assumed to be caused by the intensity, frequency, and duration of stressful events or episodes we encounter, and the availability of social and individual forms of support that can mitigate their influence. (2017) Many aspects of the urban environment, such as noise, pollution, artificial light, and traffic, may have an effect on people's mental health. Cognitive functions are affected by constant noise. A study done in 2017 to a large cohort from Ontario concluded that living in closeness to the main road can increase the risk of developing dementia (Chen et al. 2017, article); this occurs because automobile exhaust particles promote inflammation in the neurological system, activate microglia, and generate antibodies against neurons. However, there is no link to other conditions such as Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis. Nevertheless, we can prevent some mental illnesses with proper city planning and health strategies that aim to reduce the exposure to much traffic.

Each day has 24 hours, and humans have adapted their activities to a consistent 24h light cycle for thousands of years. (Bedrosian and Nelson 2013). But, since the lightbulb was created, around 130 years ago, we have adjusted our environments to the needs of the activity instead of adjusting the activity to the daylight. Urban air pollution is another example. Like any other mammal, the light is registered in the retina and then processed by the brain by the area of the circadian rhythm. Furthermore, it is possible that exposure to artificial light is associated with mood variables such as social contact during the day, and it is considered that exposure to light at night is unnatural and may explain this development.

2.2. MENTAL HEALTH IN THE CITY There are global challenges that come with urbanisation, including insecurity, rising inequalities and housing problems. Due to these, the number of people living in informal settlements, such as slums, is increasing (UN-Habitat 2016). Because of the high levels of social problems, such as violence, drug trafficking, and extreme poverty, informal settlements are detrimental to mental health of the people living there. For years, academics have hypothesised how cities might be ‘toxic’ to the mental health of the people. They have also hypothesised how there is a tendency of more mental illness in the city than in the countryside. The most widespread misconception about how metropolitan surroundings are bad is that they are noisy and congested with traffic, prostitution, narcotics, pollution and homelessness. while more rural places provide access to nature, peace, and relaxation. (Okkels et al., 2017) If we follow this logic, urban spaces and environments can be improved by making more car-free zones, more pedestrianised streets, reducing noise and pollution and building more parks; making those urban environments more ‘rural’.

Figure 4. Mental Health Facilities and Green Spaces in Glasgow (Author's own)

Historian Edward Shorter affirms cities do not favour mental illnesses, but he states, ‘Some cities do, and others do not. It all depends on the balance of risk and protective factors that prevails in the particular place at that particular time, for cities and countryside alike’. (Robinson et al. 2017) With the increase of urbanisation areas, the popularity of mental illnesses have increased dramatically, and around the world it has been one of the leading causes of disabilities. Throughout history, psychologists and researchers have described the higher rates of mental illnesses in the city than in the countryside. In 1839, Jens Rasmussen Hübeertz, a Danish medical doctor, found that in the capital of Denmark, Copenhagen, 1 in 331 were suffering from a mental illness while in the less urbanised areas, only 1 in 466. (Okkels et al., 2017) Most historical data from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries appear to show a higher prevalence of mental disease in cities than in the countryside. (Okkels et al., 2017) In 1838, Jean-Étienne Dominique Esquirol, a French psychiatrist, recognized a high number of mentally ill (‘insané’ in French) people in the capital city, Paris. He claimed that spceificcharacteristics of the city and urbanisation drew this type of individuals in. (Okkels et al., 2017). More recent researches have concluded similar outcomes. In 2010, a research published in Acta Psychiatric Scandinavica determined that the manifestation of mental illness in cities is around 38% higher (van Os et al. 2001). Concluding there are higher manifestations of some mental illness in cities or urban areas than in rural areas. Also, the findings vary depending on the city and country. (Breslau et al. 2014) Around the world, there is a continuous increase in urbanisation. Most parts of the population live in cities, making it more than half, it is estimated that by 2030 the number will double. (Okkels et al., 2017) Developing parts of the world have the most rapid incline; in Africa, the rate is 11 times faster than other developed areas, like Europe. This urbanisation increase is associated with socioeconomic transformation, growth and wealth. Although, a lot of the major world problems are firmly related to urbanisation. (UN Habitat 2016) Organizing mental health services in a city is challenged by the city size. For example, in megacities such as London, there will be more issues with homelessness, mental illnesses and drug abuse than in Glasgow. Up to 75,000

people in Glasgow are estimated to suffer from common mental health issues such as depression or anxiety. (Glasgow.gov, 2017) Many factors influence how we feel, including the weather, the people around us, and the physical environment in which we choose to live. Every fourth person in the UK has a mental health issue, and Glasgow has consistently performed worse than the rest of Scotland's major cities. Some of the factors affecting the city's mental health include post-industrial attire, narrow streets, and a lack of places to relax. This is why the addition and or use of green spaces is an essential factor in Glasgow. Green spaces and blue spaces play a big part in people’s mental health. The River Clyde, Glasgow Green and Kelvingrove Park are some examples of these spaces. During the Pandemic, university students did not have much to do besides university work, so the use of these spaces could have been an important factor in their Mental Health.

2.3. MENTAL HEALTH OF STUDENTS IN GLASGOW DURING COVID-19 Mental health is somewhat a broad topic. COVID-19 has altered how we live and interact with one another. We are currently living in a "new normal" in which we are unable to meet others in the manner in which we formerly could; classes are now taught online, many people now work from home, and our collective mental health has deteriorated. We have all heard of climate change, but we do not know much about the consequences it can have on humans. We are currently experiencing one of the most significant problems we will face if we do not care about the environment. Pandemics, as previously said, will be the rule rather than the exception in the future. During COVID-19 lockdowns, there were two forms of outside nature exposure: "general accessibility" and "individual accessibility." ‘‘General accessibility’ is different in each country or region. It can be classified into 3 levels: Level 1, limitations on movement were a recommendation and not a rule (e.g. Scandinavian countries); Level 2, a strict lockdown but with some time for exercise outdoors (e.g. The United Kingdom); and Level 3, people cannot leave the house unless is strictly necessary (e.g. Spain) (Pouso et al., 2020). The

effects on the mental health of access to outdoor spaces and nature views from the home are likely to be more important in countries with strict lockdown measures than in countries where access to nature and public outdoor spaces for recreational purposes is maintained. Access to outdoor spaces and views of nature from home was linked to fewer feelings of depression and anxiety. Individuals at Level 3 have a higher risk of depression than those in Level 2 and a higher risk of anxiety than those in Level 1 (Pouso et al., 2020). After optimising for socio-demographic variables, people in Level 3 were significantly less likely to exhibit symptoms of depression and anxiety as a result of access to outdoor spaces and nature views. Glasgow and the rest of the United Kingdom followed Level 2 restrictions. Going out for a walk was permitted alongside other essential activities such as going shopping for essentials. Nevertheless, travelling far away from the place of living was not allowed. In this situation, green spaces have played a role in the lifestyle of the people in Glasgow city centre and especially students.’’ ‘Individual accessibility’ is divided into two characteristics: (i) indirect contact and (ii) direct contact. Indirect contact is, for example, when commuting to work or a shop, there is a green space or feature without actively looking for it. And when purposely encounters a green space is defined as direct contact. COVID-19 has resulted in a unique public health catastrophe throughout the globe. All non-essential public movements were restricted, and emergency protocols were put into action. The closure of educational institutions resulted in a fast transition from physical learning to online learning. For years, remote learning has been a possible alternative to conventional learning. It has been discussed if online learning is similar to traditional learning, but not everyone agrees with this statement. (Cohen et. al, 2020) Meanwhile, online learning is suitable for people with busier schedules, but the social aspect of a learning environment disappears. Individuals are motivated to work hard and learn social skills in the school environment because of the peer-to-peer influence, but online learning lacks this aspect. Online learning still needs improvement, keeping students encouraged to continue learning remotely in this challenging environment that will have long term consequences on the student’s life (Cohen et. al, 2020). This change at a large scale has affected students

all over the world. All the rapid changes like the closure of educational institutions and travel restrictions have affected sleeping habits, daily routines, and social support for students of different ages. Government agencies imposed measures such as social isolation and travel restrictions, but failed to consider the mental health implications. In a study done on 1182 students from different educational institutions, they spent an average time of 3.20h/day on online classes. (Chaturvedi et. al, 2021) This suggests students did not spend the amount of time stipulated by the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) on online classes. Out of those students, most of them used a laptop for the online classes, but some of them used a phone and, other people in developing countries did not have access to any technology. This is another issue COVID-19 has brought between students. There is a disparity between developed countries and developing countries. However, there is a difference between different socioeconomic backgrounds in developed countries like the United Kingdom. In Glasgow, some students do not own personal computers, making library computers their immediate access. With lockdown in place and libraries closed, many students had difficulties continuing their studies because they were not able to access online learning. Some Universities, like the University of Strathclyde or Glasgow University, have been giving grants and fundings to students that needed to buy a computer or a tablet to continue their studies. Respondents on the survey (Chaturvedi et al., 2021) who were socially isolated and considered they were wasting their time in lockdown had a negative influence on their mental and physical health. As a result of the COVID-19 situation, many students are likely to endure stress, anxiety, and depression. Hence it is critical to provide emotional support to students. Students have used different methods to deal with stress and anxiety. Most people have used social media as an ‘escape’ to reality and stress reliever. Social media has also helped people connect with each other around the world and also has made people feel more close to one another. The emergence of Covid-19 has thrown everyone's lives into chaos. Adolescents' poor mental health is a well-known

problem (Scottish Health Survey). COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant influence on student’s life, such as their mental health, education and daily routines.

Figure 5. Boyce House, Glasgow – Student accommodation. (Edit: author's own; Available at: https://twitter.com/fjarchitects/status/1176884719394463746)

CHAPTER 3 GREEN SPACES

3.1. DEFINITION OF GREEN SPACES Green areas are critical to the society's quality of life as it becomes highly urbanised. The natural environment not only enhances the beauty of the city's scenery, but it also encourages social connectivity amongst residents, by offering places for people to meet formally and informally for leisure or recreational interests. Natural spaces are critical for the liveability of cities and the well-being of their residents by enhancing the environment in terms of air purification and noise filtering. Studies on the advantages of urban parks for stress reduction and mental health have been proven. (Hartig et al., 1991) Several studies have found that being exposed to green areas can improve psychological and physiological well-being; it can boost mental health, lower blood pressure, stress levels, and encourage physical exercise (Humpel et al., 2002; Richardson et al., 2013). Natural settings offer healing properties that can help people cope with stress, anxiety and tiredness. Greenery has several advantages for humans. Parks and gardens' ability to boost worker productivity and hospital recovery rates are just two examples of “costeffective” health benefits derived from nature. The natural environment acts as a platform for health promotion and prevention of mental health problems. Long-term sustainability can be addressed and supported by improvements in the carbon reduction, energy resource efficiency, water conservation, and green urbanism.

Figure 6. Green and Blue natural space. Greenock. (Author's own)

3.2. GREEN SPACES & MENTAL HEALTH People in heavily populated neighbourhoods or cities with no access to any green space or area have a higher risk of mental illness in comparison to people with good access to green spaces (Chaturvedi et. al, 2021). By 2050, it is estimated that 66% of humanity would live in cities, with the majority of people living in metropolitan areas even in less developed countries. Creating a healthy urban environment should be a top priority for all governments. (Dye 2008; World Health Organization 2014). The Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in the run-up to the Paris Climate Conference in December 2015. Governments concluded to reduce carbon emissions. The United Nations Global Compact advances the overarching goal of sustainable development. However, in addition to carbon reduction and pollution control, cities' sustainability and liveability should involve initiatives to boost the amount and quality of urban vegetation. The following are some of the essential and environmentally friendly Sustainable Development Goals: 1. Take a stand against climate change. 2. Ensure that people of all ages enjoy healthy lives and encourage wellbeing. 3. Manage woods in a sustainable manner. 4. Make cities more inclusive, secure, resilient, and long-lasting. (World Health Organization 2014) In both developed and developing countries, green urbanism is critical for sustainable and liveable cities. Trees enhance air quality, reduce cooling and heating energy usage, and make the urban environment more aesthetically pleasing. (Smardon, 1988; Nowak et al., 2014; Akbari et al., 2001). Parks captivate and inspire people, allowing them to get a new perspective on life. Green spaces in cities serve

Figure 7. UN Sustainable Development Goals (Source: UN, 2019)

an essential role in allowing tourists to escape from congested streets and buildings momentarily. A park visit revitalises city inhabitants and gives a sense of tranquilly. (Ulrich 1981; Kaplan 1983). Parks are not "amenities" but "necessities," offering relaxation, inspiration, and a necessary break from the city's blare and bustle. Modern parks like Central Park in New York City, Hyde Park in London, and the Singapore Botanic Gardens soften and make the surrounding high-density urban environment more livable. Outdoor common areas with trees and grass encourage the formation of social relationships, and it helps to foster a feeling of community (Kuo et al., 1998). Natural assets (such as parks and forest green belts) provide significance to human existence, and the experience of nature provides good sensations that contribute to a higher quality of life. (Chiesura, 2004).

Green urbanism is a critical component of city sustainability and a beneficial municipal planning strategy. Both municipalities and people may profit economically from urban nature. For example, air filtration by trees can lower the costs of atmospheric pollution on people's health. Furthermore, many urban parks' aesthetic, historical, and recreational elements enhance the city's appeal and boost the tourism sector, creating jobs and Figure 8. More pedestrianize income. streets. (Author's own) According to a study conducted in Sweden, a densely populated area is connected with an elevated risk of depression in both men and women. (Sundquist et al. 2004). Individuals and societies benefit from contact with nature in terms of both physical and mental health. A study identified a link between having more trees per kilometre of the street and having 1.18 fewer depression prescriptions per thousand people (Taylor et al., 2015). There is now a greater emphasis on the benefits of nature near people's homes and workplaces, such as gardens or parks in cities. As mentioned throughout the Thesis, other advantages of green places include their ability to reduce stress (Grahn and Stigsdotter, 2003), enhanced social and cognitive functioning, a decrease in depression, including dementia-related mood disorders, and a decrease in violence (Dannenberg et al. 2003).

3.3. FUNCTIONS – DIFFERENT SPACES Understanding the mental health and well-being advantages of blue-green areas and related ecosystem services can aid in making better public health decisions, especially in light of rapid urbanisation and the potential for pandemics as a result of global change. Each country had their own measures to tackle Covid-19. However, some of them were common in all countries, such as school and border closures, social distancing, encouraging teleworking and restrictions on mobility. How strict those

regulations depend on the country; from extreme lockdowns, in which people were not permitted to leave their houses except for vital tasks (e.g., China, Italy, or Spain), to mobility restrictions that were more like recommendations than regulations (e.g., Scandinavian countries). Many studies have been done on the effectiveness of the different vaccines. Also, how this pandemic has impacted the economy, environment and people’s mental health. There is a shred of firm evidence indicating that our mental health can be damaged by isolating from others (Leigh-Hunt et al., 2017; Brooks et al., 2020; Smith and Victor, 2019). Anxiety and depression increased during the early stages of lockdown because of the insecurity and the unknown feeling. Even so, the negative effect of social isolation on people’s mental health can be mitigated by having contact with nature. The processes that relate nature exposure to health benefits have been grouped into three domains: (i) mitigation, such as lowering air pollution exposure; (ii) restoration, such as stress recovery; and (iii) instauration, such as physical activity encouragement (Markevych et al., 2017; White et al., 2020). Nature can be explored in three ways: incidental contact (e.g. passing through a park when going somewhere else), indirect contact (e.g. views from a window) and direct contact (e.g. visiting a park with a purpose, such as recreation) (Keniger et al., 2013). According to a research done in the United Kingdom involving over 20,000 people, people may need to spend at least two hours each week in blue-green areas to reap significant health advantages (White et al., 2019). Even when socioeconomic considerations are taken into account, having a window view of nature, particularly blue spaces, has been proven to be positively related to better mental health. Those who live in greener areas report fewer mental and physical symptoms of illness during and after a stressful event. While ‘home' is typically considered a restorative setting in psychological literature, school closures and increased remote work may have jeopardised its restorative capacity during the COVID-19 crisis.

Individuals may be more prone to display signs of poor mental health in nations severely affected by the pandemic, with weaker health systems, or countries where public opinion of political and public management of the crisis was more critical. Because new developing disorders are likely to emerge in the near future, we need to understand better the particular elements that contributed to mental health during lockdown so that policies and initiatives may be properly devised.

Figure 9. Glasgow's River Clyde (Author's own)

Blue therapy is linked to a variety of mental and physical health outcomes. From better social connections to higher vitamin D levels. An environmental psychologist and senior lecturer at the University of Exeter, Dr Mathew White said: “Many of the processes are exactly the same as with green space – with some added benefits”. The presence of water is positively associated with happiness, well-being, and health via three pathways. There will be less pollution in the air and more sunlight. Those who live near water are more likely to be physically active (walking, cycling, jogging) Water has a calming influence on people's minds. It has been demonstrated to be more effective than green environments in reducing lousy mood and stress. It doe not have to be a large volume of water; even a small fountain can produce the desired impression. The associated sounds and the quality of light on water, according to researchers, may be enough to have a healing impact. (Benitez, E., 2020)

3.4. GREEN THERAPY (CASE STUDY) Nature therapy or ecotherapy are other terms for green therapy. The connection to the earth and its systems is at the heart of green therapy. Ecopsychology is based on the theoretical framework and allows people to explore their relationship with the natural world. According to a study conducted by Terry Hartig, a 40-minute walk in the woods is more effective at reducing anger than walking around the city, listening to music, or reading a magazine. It can also help to alleviate depression by nearly 71%. (Hartig

et al. 1991) Green therapy

incorporates all aspects of nature, including smells, sounds, and even tastes. All of these can be beneficial to one's mental health. Even if you do not have a view of nature, you can benefit from green therapy. Ecotherapy has been shown to be effective in students with ADHD in studies (Attention-deficit hyperactivity). They show fewer symptoms when they spend time in nature. Students who live in buildings with access to green space may be better at paying attention, delaying gratification, and resisting impulses. (Hartig et al. 1991) Plants and flowers have a positive effect on productivity and creativity. Singapore has grown into a major international port on the key maritime route between Europe and China. Before Singapore became part of the British colony in 1819, natural forests covered the entire island. The island was designated as a tropical crop-testing location during British administration, and huge forested sections were removed for crop-testing. Rubber, pepper, and gambier plantations grew as a result of deforestation. (Turnbull, 1996) The Singapore Botanical Gardens were established as a botanical research experimental laboratory. All asylums used to be away from the city. The population of Singapore has increased during the previous century. The modernization of Singapore began in 1963, and the Prime Minister of the time asked to plant 10,000 trees a year. During the early 1960s, there was an effort to add more greenery where possible because of the rapid industrialisation. These change in greenery growth was made to have a cleaner environment in order to improve the quality of life of people. Around 1968, within the Public Works Department's old Roads Branch, the Parks and Trees Division (which

Figure 10. Singapore. (Source: Tuul & Bruno Morandi / Getty Images)

eventually became the Parks and Recreation Department) was created. Green urbanism cannot possibly succeed without political will. Singapore’s land area covers around 718.3 km2 and has a high-density population of 5.61million (Department of Statistics, Singapore, 2016). Because of this, the urban planning authority took a really important role in the master planning. Around 9% of the land in Singapore has been assigned for nature reserves and parks, making it 24 designed nature areas. One of the aims by 2030 is to have more than 85% of the residents within 400m of a park. These green spaces provide enough possibilities for city inhabitants to exercise and interact, in addition to enjoying the blossoming plants, trees, and lakes.

From a ‘Garden City’ to a ‘City in a Garden’ is the shift Singapore wants to do by implementing the master plan for a clean, green and sustainable city. These changes also encourage people to practice a more healthy lifestyle because of the availability of spaces to be active. The government should build technologies to be able to have a green city and also capabilities to accomplish sustainable development. A new growing interest is urban agriculture. It advocates the use of composting facilities to recycle organic waste in the home and, it provides low-cost fresh food for local supermarkets. Likewise, a biophilic city encourages natural processes in building landscaping, as increasing vegetation improves building energy efficiency. This ‘Garden City’ implemented has shown that effective water management and conservation are required for green urbanisation to thrive and develop resistance to unfavourable climate conditions. Nowadays, Singapore has about 72ha of greenery on the rooftops, about 100 football fields. The National Parks Board has had a fierce engagement since 2015 to improve public health by optimising recreational parkland. All people have easy access to any urban park in Singapore; due to this, all parks are made as a costeffective resource that promotes the health of the community. This preventative programme aims to encourage active ageing while also improving mental health, offering an enjoyable experience to the older generations, and potentially encourage them to join activities like gardening. This little changes in their lifestyle can help them improve their physical activities levels and also will help improve their overall health.

CHAPTER 4 RESEARCH METHODS

4.1. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY For the purpose of this research thesis, a quantitative and qualitative analysis has been held. Qualitative research has helped support the findings of the quantitative research. In order to satisfy the objective of the thesis, online questionnaires were used. Due to COVID-19 and restrictions in place, it was not possible to carry out interviews face-to-face. Also, because of the pandemic, most of the students went home instead of staying in Glasgow during the second lockdown. So, the best way to get as many responses as possible was through social platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. For this study, a questionnaire has been used because it is a reliable and quick method to collect data from a large number of people in a short amount of time, and the questions are targeted to a particular sample of people. When working on projects when time is a big constraint, this is extremely critical. This study was no different, and questionnaires were a quick and effective way to reach a large number of people in a short amount of time. The questionnaires' predetermined and rigid style, on the other hand, excludes more indepth or abstract observation. Many parts of the study were left investigated, despite the surveys producing linear and straightforward results. All data (see Appendix B for the questionnaire answers) has been stored and analysed only for the purpose of this research, and the questionnaire is no longer available to the public. Most questions had an extra space for comments to develop the answers further if the respondents thought it was needed. The participants in this study were chosen because they have a special connection to the phenomenon under investigation. They were asked at the beginning of the questionnaire if they stayed in a student accommodation so the data can be precise. All the questions were generated, so any respondent was able to answer even if many factors between them are not similar (i.e. lifestyle, the economic situation) The questionnaire results were presented in the form of tables and graphs. In the following chapter, the Thesis’s significant findings will be discussed in depth. The questionnaire was available from 1st June till 13th July, and a total of 81 students answered it. In the study, the sample selected was narrowed to students

living in a private student accommodation or student halls during lockdown 2020 or 2021. The questionnaire was constructed, and the questions were really detailed to allow a straightforward answer. On the questionnaire (see Appendix A), all the questions were related to mental health and the use of green spaces. None of the questions were too personal, and respondents were able to skip questions if they felt uncomfortable answering them. There were some ethical concerns with the current study. As mentioned before, none of the questions targeted a mental issue, and it was advised at the end of the questionnaire if any of the participants experienced any mental issues during the length of the questionnaire or any other time, to contact the University well-being helpline for support. All questions were straightforward and easy to answer. In addition, participants were fully informed about the study's goals, and they were assured that their responses would be kept private and used only for academic purposes and the research at hand. Their identities, as well as any other information, have been kept strictly confidential, in accordance with the University's code of ethics. Neither physically nor psychologically, participants were harmed or abused during the research. The thesis study had some limitations, as per any other research. Firstly, the size of the participants (81 students) is relatively small compared to the number of students currently in Glasgow. The data gathered and conclusions reached cannot be extended to a larger scale due to the small sample. The advertisement of the questionnaire could have been better. For example, it could have been advertised inside the student accommodations so people would encounter the advert; hence, the advertisement was targeted, and it was done on the Facebook pages of the different student accommodations and student halls in Glasgow. A larger sample size would almost certainly have improved the research's reliability. Secondly, some participants did not answer some questions. As mentioned before, none of the questions were compulsory, so respondents could skip them if they felt uncomfortable answering them. But, having some questions unanswered could affect the percentages of the people that concluded the questionnaire. Finally, the topic is recent, and there were not many articles or books written. This made the

qualitative research more restrictive. Nevertheless, the quantitative research has helped attain the results that were anticipated at the beginning of the study. The research methodology that has been put into action in this thesis has been outlined and justified in this chapter. A qualitative and quantitative strategy was chosen due to the nature of the study. A questionnaire was one of the most significant research tools, reinforced by a case study and quantitative research such as other surveys and articles. The results from the questionnaires were manually analysed because of the sample size of the participants. The following chapters discuss the research thesis findings and conclusions.

CHAPTER 5 RESEARCH

5.1. RESEARCH OUTCOME The questionnaire had 32 questions (See Appendix A Questionnaire). The data from the 81 participants (See Appendix B Questionnaire Answers) has been analysed and compared in this chapter. More detailed data answers can be looked at in Appendix B. Most of the participants answered all the questions; just a few of them skipped some of them. The data collected has been useful for the study, and as mentioned at the beginning of the thesis, the research focuses on the impact of green spaces on the mental health of the students living in halls of residents or private accommodations in Glasgow during COVID-19 lockdown.

Graph 1. Q1 - Age of the Participants

In reference to Graph 1, during the length of the study, most of the participants were between the ages 21-13, making it 40% of the study. The other responses were 28.75% from the age 24-26, 25% from the group of students aged 18-20 years old and 6.25% from 26-30 years old. None of the respondents were 30+. The following graphs show different aspects that have been taken into consideration. According to the survey answers (Graph 2), around 80% of the people aged 21 to 23 did not use to go for walks before COVID-19 happened and also around 65% of people aged 18 to 20 did not go for walks either. On the contrary, people aged between 24 to 26 and 26 to 30 used to go for walks before the current COVID-19 Pandemic happened; making it 50% and 80% of people respectively. This shows how older students go for walks more often than younger students. At the same time, students were asked who they attended the park with (Graph 3), and the overall answers were analysed

later on in the thesis. Regarding the age, most students between 26-30 went to green spaces by themselves (80%) meanwhile all the other age groups preferred going with their flatmates (between 45% and 55% depending on the age group). It stands out how students aged 26-30 did not go to the park with their ‘household bubble’.

Graph 2. Q9 - Before COVID-19, did you use to

Graph 3. Q32 - Who did you attend the park

go for walks? (Different age groups)

with? (Different age groups)

The gender of the participants was asked on question 2 and shown in Graph 4. A bit more than half of the respondents were females (56.25%), 41% males, and 2% preferred not to say. Moreover, all participants confirmed to be living in a student private accommodation or university hall during Covid-19 lockdown (2020 or 2021).

Graph 4. Q2 - Gender of the participants

Regarding gender (Graph 4) and according to the data collected during this survey, there is a difference between female students and male students. The following Graph 5 shows the frequency with which the male and female students of the city of Glasgow used the green spaces. It is observed that men used these spaces more frequently than women, 50% versus 35% respectively. As for the

people who did not use these areas, it can be seen that women are at the head of this survey, with almost 70% of those surveyed. This leads to the conclusion that men before the pandemic used these spaces more. As a result of this difference, the following question was asked to get the relevant data: What makes a green space important to you? (Shown in Graph 6). The respondents have been asked this question in order to know the reason why these spaces are important to them. As for men, it is appreciated that they see the proximity of the area as the most important, with more than 70% of the male participants, while only half of the women gave importance to proximity. In relation to aesthetics, women think it is more important; with more than 35% compared to 17% of men. Respondents were also asked if the factors related to health (social, mental or physical) is one of the reasons why they use these spaces. In the case of women, they exceed 10% of those surveyed, while for men, this has no relative importance, as they answered how they use the green space for the simple fact of doing so; these two justifications have 5% as well as other possible reasons.

Graph 5. Q9 - Before COVID-19, did you use to

Graph 6. Q21 - What makes a green space

go for walks (Male vs Female)

important to you? (Male vs Female)

These same respondents were asked this question: Who did you attend the park with? (Shown in Graph 7). In relation to going alone to these green spaces, men used it more frequently with 39% compared to 32% in the case of women. As for going together with flatmates, women use this ratio more frequently with more than 50% compared to men who only 41%. Finally, indicate that almost 20% of men

were accompanied by the household bubble, while only 12% of the women surveyed go with these people.

Graph 7. Q32 - Who did you attend the park with? (Male vs Female)

The following map (Figure 11) shows the accommodations mentioned by the respondents (Table 2) and Figure 12 shows the main green spaces in Glasgow. Most of the respondents were living in student accommodations located in the city centre. Around one-third of the answers are from people living in ‘Student Roost Glasgow – Dobbie’s Point’ (G4 0PY), making it 32,05% of the responses. When looking at both maps, it can be seen the distance between green spaces and student accommodations. We can discuss how there are green spaces on the outside of Glasgow’s city centre, but lots of the student accommodations do not have green spaces near to go.

Table 1. Q4 - Where in Glasgow did students stay.

Figure 11. Student Accommodations in Glasgow based on the answers. (Author’s own)

Figure 12. Green Spaces in Glasgow based on the answers. (Author’s own)

Around Glasgow City, there are a few distinct green spaces (Figure 12). Firstly, Glasgow Green is probably the most known park for students living in Glasgow City centre, located next to the River Clyde. This park is one of the oldest in the city, and the area is about 136 acres. It is close to Strathclyde University and Glasgow City College. Secondly, Kelvingrove Park is located in the West End, close to the University of Glasgow. Finally, Glasgow Necropolis and Alexandra Parade, located more towards the East end of Glasgow City Centre. According to studies, Edinburgh and Glasgow have more green spaces than any of the UK's other ten most populated cities. (BBC, 2017) Most of the students do not live close enough to a green space. Most of the main green spaces mentioned are around a thirty minute walk from the student accommodations, not making it easily accessible for students. There are also some smaller green spaces near some of the accommodations, which helps as a visual aspect, but some of the activities respondents have mentioned in the follow-up questions, cannot be done in those smaller spaces. During the lockdown established in Glasgow during the month of December 2020, many people were not able to go home for Christmas or holidays. So, many students have had to adapt to the circumstances of the Pandemic, so they have been forced to carry out their lives in the city of Glasgow. Not being able to go see family was the main issue students wrote in question 5 when asked: ‘When did you experience lockdown in this place? (please add any notes)’. In addition to this, many students were really busy with university workload, making this time of the year even more stressful. Winter and Autumn has been described as the worst seasons because of the amount of daylight during the day. This was an impediment for people to go out for walks later in the day, making it more difficult to visit green spaces, and at the same time, students spent more hours indoors. It is proven how the amount of daylight can affect a person’s mental health, so there should be closer green spaces so when the days are shorter, anyone is able to access these spaces in just a few minutes and no need to walk in the dark, causing anxiety on a lot of the population. Nonetheless, Summer and Spring has provoked the opposite, according to the questionnaire. The main comment made was ‘more sunlight’, unlike winter and autumn. During spring in the first Lockdown, everything was new and exciting

for many people, but in the second spring lockdown, some of the answers were about boredom and ‘it was sunny ‘but nothing to do’’.

Table 2. Q5 - When did the students experience lockdown?

As mentioned, students spent most of their time indoors during lockdowns, and unlike other countries in Europe, in the United Kingdom, people were able to go outside for walks. According to the study made, students spent an average of 18h indoors (Question 7 – During Lockdown, how many hours did you stay indoors every day?). At the same time, on average, people spent 12h studying and/or working. This indicates that students spent around half of the day busy with their schedules, having around 4 hours of leisure and any other activities such as cooking, cleaning, talk to the family abroad) 78.21% of the students who answered the survey shared a flat with more people and 5% created a ‘bubble’ with another household. This makes 21% of the students did not have any flatmates or a ‘support bubble’, causing them to them isolated completely. According to the study, before COVID-19, the students who took part in the survey did not go for walks as often. The only times they used to walk was to commit to University or go shopping, for example, but since it was restricted to go out, many of the students decided to spend their time outside instead of inside. As mentioned at the beginning of the thesis, during COVID-19 lockdown, people spent all the time indoors, making it the place where they worked, exercised and performed any other activity. These made going out for a walk more enjoyable because it was a change of environment and at the same time it was a great way to exercise. According to the questionnaire executed, more than half of the students which answered did not go for walks before COVID-19 and 38.46% did go between 4 and 8 times a month. Nevertheless, during Lockdown, they went for a walk often. This data collected shows how students decided to enjoy time outdoors instead of spending it indoors.

Students were asked about their walks. This data has helped analyse how far the respondents have gone for their daily walks and if their walks involved green spaces. To be able to understand this, some of the respondents’ answers have been analysed individually. For example, respondent #76 lives in Student Roost Glasgow – Dobbie’s Point (G4 0PY) with other three flatmates. This person did not go for walks before lockdown started, but since a<ll the restrictions were in place, went for walks often. According to the responses, the walks were around one hour and mostly in Glasgow Green. Even though this person is living with three other flatmates, his/her walks were alone. Looking at question 15, this person considered their mental health ‘good’ before the lockdown’, and while the restrictions were in place, his/her mental health was described as ‘less than good’. However, in the following question, ‘How do you consider your mental health after lockdown?’ the answer was: ‘better than during COVID-19 lockdown but worse than before lockdown’. This is an expected outcome because COVID-19 has had a negative effect on people’s mental health, but it also proves how the use of the green space has had a positive impact on the student. As explained during this thesis, green spaces have a positive effect on mental health and most of the respondents have agreed on this statement on question 18. According to the questionnaire, the times of the day people visited green spaces was during the afternoon (75%), followed by morning (39.47%), evening or night (28.95%) and noon (19.74%). During winter and autumn, as mentioned before, there is less daylight so most of the people do not go outside as much. Weather is one of the main factors respondents have said it makes a green space unpleasant. On question 20, students were asked to state what they would do in the different weather scenarios. The majority of the respondents said they would take pictures if it was snowing, and they would stay home if it was raining. This is the opposite of what they said they would do if it is sunny. Nearly 90% of the students said they would go for a walk if the weather was sunny, and the other 11% said they would go to take pictures, sunbathe or exercise. These answers show how the weather has an impact on people’s daily activities and how students prefer using a green space when the weather is better. At the same time, the weather is a factor in the

improvement of mental health. So, do people use the green spaces because of the weather and therefore, the green space they are using helps improve their mental health? Or, does the green space have the same impact even though the weather is not good? According to the data, many respondents used the green spaces even though it was raining or cold, and they did perceive a decrease in the amounts of stress and had better mental health after using it. We need to consider how the weather in Glasgow is not always sunny and warm, so the use of the green space cannot be dependent on the weather all year round. Does living alone or with other people affect student’s mental health? Isolation is one of the main issues people have been affected by. Restrictions have limited people to meet others, but there were exceptions with people living alone. These could create a ‘house bubble’ with another household to prevent isolation. Many of the students have done the same thing. If they lived alone, they would create a bubble with their friends. Has the mental health of the people living alone been worst? Have the green spaces helped these people? The answer to both questions is yes. People living alone have been more isolated, and even though they are able to meet their ‘house bubble’, most people have not, or they did once in a while. Green spaces have helped these individuals because it was a place to socialise and meet others. At the same time, it helped people leave their homes and not stay in the same place all day long. When we are talking about student accommodations and the relationship between green spaces and mental health, we need to have a discussion about views. Not all accommodations have views to a green space or a green feature such as a tree, most of the accommodation in the city centre have not got that. In the study, 55.26% did have a view to a green space or green feature from their flat or room, while the rest did not. Nearly half of the respondents had a view of an urban setting. So the question is, should all the student accommodations have a view to a green feature or space? The answer is yes. Some of the accommodations have a courtyard with some type of green features, but the accommodations that do not need to have those features incorporated, especially if in the future lockdowns are more common and strict as there were in Spain and Italy, for example. If students

are not able to leave their flat or even room and just for essential reasons like shopping, having a view of a green feature would be beneficial for the mental health. COVID-19 has had an impact on students mental health, as declared throughout this study. Students were asked to rate their mental health before, during and after the lockdown. The majority of the students reported to have ‘good’ mental health before COVID-19, meanwhile, others reported ‘excellent’ and a few ‘really poor’. Mostly all the respondents agreed on having worst mental health during the lockdown. The people that did not rate it worse agreed to be hopeful on having more free time to spend on leisure. The data also shows how after lockdown, people’s mental health has improved, even though, according to studies, social anxiety has increased (Healthline, 2021). On question 18 of the questionnaire (See Appendix A), students were asked if green spaces have helped with their mental health. The average response was ‘somehow’, and after analysing the data, the respondents that visited a green space during lockdown often did have an improvement in the mental health and a decrease in stress levels. The improvement in mental health could be due to the possibility of people being able to do other things disassociated with work and or university. Nevertheless, green spaces have helped students socialize with others outside their ‘house bubble’. 40% of the students agree with this statement. Some of the comments on how they have developed more social connections are: ‘got to know my flatmates by spending time with them’, ‘Met some people at the park, used to meet them for walks’, ‘Talked to my friends, only people I saw and had face-to-face conversations’, ‘Made some new friendships and connections while working out in the park’, amongst others. Another essential component of green spaces is that they foster social connection and social cohesion for people of all ages, which may be one of the primary mechanisms for achieving mental health advantages. The use of green spaces has helped with the students’ mental health because of the contact with nature, and also because there is a social aspect related to the spaces. It is crucial to remember that green areas can have detrimental consequences on people's mental health and social cohesiveness. For example, students may feel nervous and avoid visiting a park frequented by drug dealers if

the setting looks to be hazardous to their safety. Achieving a balance between natural access and safety for optimal mental health is a crucial goal in urban planning. In the following graph (Graph 8) it is illustrated the different times of the day male and female students visited green spaces. It has been already mentioned students who took part in the survey preferred going to green spaces in the afternoon (75%), followed by morning (39.47%), evening or night (28.95%) and noon (19.74%). Nonetheless, there are some differences between male and female students. Female and male students do prefer going to a green space in the afternoon, meanwhile, the second time of the day for male students is in the evening or night and for the male students is morning. As mentioned before, green spaces need to feel safe in order to help improve mental health. Female students may use green spaces more in the morning than male students because of the safety reason, but this Thesis has not gone into more detail regarding this. Male students thirdmost preferred time of the day is morning, followed by noon, and for female students is night or evening and finally noon.

Graph 8. Q13 - During what times of the day did you visit these spaces? (male vs female)

On question 31, students were asked what they did in the green spaces. Walking was the most common one; 42% of the students did so. Followed by chilling (39.34%), read (9.84%), run (8.20%), exercise (6.56%), enjoy nature (4.92%) and finally, talk with others (4.92%). As shown in the data, there are many activities that can be done in the green spaces. 49.33% did these activities with their flatmates, 34.67% alone and 16% with their household bubble. Likewise, 89% of the students

agreed to have an improvement in the level of wellbeing after using the spaces due to the company and or the activities done. Alongside, 90% have agreed on an improvement in the physical and mental health (i.e. better breathing, healthier feel, more motivation, higher energy levels) and 83% agreed it is due to the use of the green spaces. This is because the users of those green spaces, according to the responses, had ‘less stress’, a ‘better mental state’, ‘time to relax’, ‘time to think, ‘time for myself’, ‘able to disconnect from the internet and social media’. Green places encourage and facilitate physical activity, which can have significant mental health advantages. (McCay, L., et al. 2017) Is there a reason why students can not realise these activities in their own homes or flats? The answer is probably no, students are able to realise these activities in the place they live, but as specified before, all activities related to University or work were carried out inside, so there was no separation between working and leisure. This is why going outside has helped student’s mental health. Not just because of the benefits green spaces have, but also because it creates a partition between working and free time. Rachel and Stephen Kaplan proposed the attention restoration theory (Ulrich, 1983). According to Kaplans' theory, nature environments benefit people by reducing "attention fatigue" by removing people from tasks that require prolonged attention and instead allowing them to use attention without having to concentrate. (McCay, L., et al. 2017) Further, exercise has been shown to be fairly useful in lowering stress and anxiety symptoms. Regular exercise has also been shown in studies to help alleviate depression symptoms and can be just as helpful as antidepressants in the treatment of mild to moderate depression.

Graph 9. Q1 - Age (Enhancement in the level of wellbeing vs no enhancement)

Graph 10. Q2 - Gender (Enhancement in the level of wellbeing vs no enhancement)

One of the most important factors has been ‘social connections’. An important opportunity for design in the built environment is to strike a balance between privacy and social interaction. During the last year, society has lack social connections with other human beings; some students had the opportunity to live with other students, but others have been isolated. In question 27, we asked the respondents if they noticed an enhancement in their level of well-being after using green spaces. 89.47% affirmed they had noticed an improvement, 5.26% disagree, and 5.26% neither disagreed nor agreed. ‘Helps me fall asleep faster’ is one of the comments received. Most students agreed they had an enhancement in their wellbeing, but is it the same with different age ranges, gender, or does going to a green space affect this improvement on their wellbeing? This is analysed in the graphs above. Firstly, in Graph 9, the different age ranges are shown. Clearly, more people aged 21-23 years old felt they had an enhancement, followed by 24-26 years old. At the same time, 18-20 years old answers were fairly even, and most 26-30 years old agreed there was no improvement in their well-being. In relation to gender (Graph 10), male respondents mostly agree there is no enhancement on their wellbeing (around 80%) versus only 25% of female respondents think so. In Table 3 it is shown the number of hours spent indoors. The first row on the table shows the mean for people agreeing on noticing an enhancement in their wellbeing and is lower than the respondents that do not. This means the respondents that spent more hours indoors did not notice an enhancement; hence the amount of time spent outdoors helps create an enhancement in the well-being of the students.

Table 3. Q7 - During Lockdown, how many hours did you stay indoors every day? (Enhancement in the level of wellbeing vs no enhancement)

In relation to social connections, students that did not develop any social connections while using the green spaces (seen in Graph 11) agreed on not improving their welfare as much as people that develop social connections. Even though people who agreed on an enhancement, around 60% of them did not develop a connection, so this tells us how social connections are not related to the state of wellbeing in the use of green spaces. In Graph 12, it is shown how most of the respondents who did not feel an improvement in their well-being went to the green spaces by themselves in comparison with the ones that felt an improvement went mainly with their flatmates (around 55%), by themselves (30%) and with their household bubble. This data suggests the improvement is greater when going with someone else, the reasons are not specified in this graph, but along the Thesis, it has been discussed how the use of green spaces and the social aspect of it has a big influence on the well-being of the students. The data shows how having a view to a green space or a green feature is an important factor in the improvement of students mental health. This is shown in Graph 13. Around 60% of the students that agreed on an improvement in well-being did have a view to a green space or a green features versus a 40% that didn’t have a view but still agreed on an improvement. On the contrary, the students with no improvement are fairly equal between having a view or not. Finally, in Graph 14, it is clearly shown how going to a green space have had an impact on the improvement of the mental health and well-being of the students that took part in this study. A bit more than 90% of the students who responded yes to question 27 (‘Have you noticed an enhancement in the level of well-being after using a green space?’) also went to green spaces. There is a clear correlation between these two. This graph confirms the hypothesis of the relation between green spaces and the improvement of mental health and well-being. Still,

around 65% of the respondents that did not go to green spaces still had an improvement. Nevertheless, according to the data collected from question 28, there was a decrease in the amount of stress after the use of green spaces, with an average of 65 (0 = no decrease and 100 = high decrease).

Graph 11. Q29 - Have you developed more

Graph 12. Q23 - Who did you attend the

social connections while using this green

park with (Enhancement in the level of

spaces? (Enhancement in the level of

wellbeing vs no enhancement)

Graph 13. Q14 - Do you have a view of

Graph 14. Q12 - Did you go to green spaces

green spaces or green features from your

during the lockdown? (Enhancement in the

flat/room? (Enhancement in the level of

level of wellbeing vs no enhancement)

wellbeing vs no enhancement)

When a green space is used more than others, there needs to be some factors that causes this. The average answer stating the quality of the green spaces used has been 66/100 (0 = poor quality; 100 = high quality), meaning there is a need for improvement of those spaces. Nevertheless, rating the quality of the green space

is subjective and relates to the user’s preferences. For example, if a person likes to play football, the green spaces with space to play will be rated higher than the green spaces with no space at all. This can be used for any activity the respondents realise in the spaces. On the other hand, on question 22 and question 23, respondents were asked what makes the green spaces pleasant and unpleasant, respectively. The most common unpleasant factor stated by the participants is ‘weather’,; followed by ‘noise’, and some have written more specific answers such as: ‘noise of kids shouting or cars’, ’people noise’, ‘any loud noises’… Noise is defined as an “unwanted, uncontrollable, and unpredictable” sound, and it has the potential to negatively impact people's mental health. Nocturnal noise is a particularly essential element of noise since sleep is so vital to people's mental health and well-being, and interrupted sleep can exacerbate many mental health issues. Noise can also affect task performance and exacerbate anxiety and rage feelings. (McCay, L. et al., 2017) On the contrary, the factors stated to make a green space pleasant are: ‘clean and silent’, ‘weather’, ‘nature’, ‘people’ and ‘dogs’. As declared, ‘weather’ could be a pleasant and unpleasant factor for the use of green spaces. On question 19, the respondents were asked if weather affect the use of the green space; 97.37% (74 answers) of people agreed and 2.63% (2 answers) disagreed. Without any doubt, respondents agree weather affects the use of the space, and as declared in previous information, students do not go to a park, for example, if it is cold or rainy as much as they would do when it is sunny and warm.

Graph 15. Q21 - What makes a green space important to you?

Graph 16. Q21 - What makes a green space important to you? (Different Age groups)

At the same time, according to the data collected from question 21 (Graph 15), proximity (57.89%) is the main determinant of what makes a green space important for the user, followed by Aesthetics (28.95%), Social/ mental/ physical health (10.53%), ‘I simply use it’ (1.32%) and finally a 1.32% specified to use it because ‘signs of live and passage of time’. Can age be a factor to take into consideration when using a green spaces and the effect on the mental health of the students? The following graphs analyses this. Graph 16 shows the different aspects students take into consideration before going to a green space, what makes it important to them depending on the age. As shown, people age between 26-30 prefer proximity than people age 18-20, which prefers aesthetics. Nevertheless, proximity is preferred by all the other age groups (21-23 and 24-26). As mentioned, aesthetic is an important factor for 18-20 year olds, making it around 65% of the responses on this age range, but also the groups of people aged 21 to 23 and 24 to 26 is the second most important factor, making it 30% and 20% respectively. Finally, as mentioned before, social, mental or physical health is the least important, nevertheless, nearly 20% of the people aged between 24 and 26 have agreed it is an important factor for them. We can conclude different age ranges find different factors more important than others. As Graph 15 shows, proximity is the main factor that makes a green space important. We have discussed along with the thesis how green spaces should be accessible to all, and we should also consider the proximity of

these

green

spaces

students

accommodations.

Should

student

accommodations be moved outside the most urbanised spaces, or should we implement more green spaces around the student accommodation? The answer is both. Student accommodations tend to be as close as possible to the Universities or Colleges as well as urbanised areas. During the designing stage, architects and planners should take into consideration adding green spaces into the design. And even though Glasgow has more green spaces than any of the UK's other to most populated cities (BBC, 2017), we still need to consider where is the best location to build student accommodations or halls for students. Finally, did the students who took part in the survey go to a green space before COVID-19 lockdown started? or did these students started going after the

lockdown measures were in place? According to Graph 17, 61.54% of the students did not go to green spaces before COVID-19 happened, and only 38.46% did go. Contrary to this, while all the restrictions were in place and going out for walks was nearly the only thing to do except for essential shopping, 87% of the respondents did go to green spaces. As shown, there is more than a 25% increase in the use of green spaces. Due to COVID-19 and the data shown in the following graphs, students in Glasgow used more green spaces than before.

Graph 17. Q9 - Before COVID-19, Did you use

Graph 18. Q12 - Did you go to green spaces

to go for walks?

during the lockdown?

5.2. IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH There are several ways to improve mental health in Glasgow. The following are related to how can we improve different spaces and aspects to help provide a better mental health setting. According to The Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health, we need to take in consideration four key opportunities themes for improved mental health, compiled by Green places, Active places, Pro-social places & Safe places (GAPS). These themes are not meant to be definitive; rather, they are meant to serve as a framework for urban planners, designers, and developers to find different ways to promote and support good mental health in every project. The following are some of the themes:

Green Spaces

Active Spaces

Pro-social Spaces

Safe Spaces

Figure 13. GAPS. Acronyms

Green Spaces. As mentioned throughout the thesis, there is a correlation between mental health and green spaces. As a result, there is a requirement to access natural environments in the neighbourhoods and adding these spaces into student’s routines appears to aid in the improvement and maintenance of mental health and well-being. Active Spaces. Mental health and physical health are connected. Regular physical activity enhances mood, happiness, and a variety of mental health outcomes. There are practically endless possibilities for cities to be designed in such a way that physical activity is integrated into daily life. From supporting accessible, quick, and safe active transportation to building outdoor gyms, actions can be taken to help students integrate exercise, social interactions, and a sense of self into their daily routines to support excellent mental health.

Pro-social Spaces. People should be able to connect in pleasant, safe, and natural ways, and a sense of community, integration,

and

belonging

should

promoted by urban design. Public places that are attractive, flexible, and accessible are essential, and citizens should be included in the design and development process at every stage.

Figure 14. Social spaces. (Author’s own)

Safe spaces. As stated earlier in the thesis, people's mental health and wellbeing are dependent on a sense of safety and security. Traffic, being lost, pollution and risks provided by other people are all examples of urban concerns. Important urban design interventions include appropriate street lighting and security cameras, distinctive landmarks that assist students in navigating around their communities. However, a balanced approach is required: whilst the secure environment can promote accessibility and comfort, risk-averse city design might constrain people's freedom to respond and overall sense of identity and choice. People benefit from feeling safe and secure in their surroundings, and urban design plays a significant role in this.

CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSION

Throughout the Thesis, many aspects regarding mental health and students have been analysed, and we can conclude the following. Limited access for students to green spaces is one of the challenges in Glasgow. Urbanisation speed is quicker than we ever imagined, making it difficult to understand how the urban environment is affecting our mental health. A crucial area with the potential to improve mental health in the city is urban planning. Architects, city planners, transport specialists, engineers and politicians have the power to make a change in people’s mental health. The addition of green spaces will help improve health because it promotes physical activity. Alongside the creation of good green spaces with cycle paths, sidewalks and training facilities is what cities must focus on creating different spaces for students to use all year round. These should be spaces where students can socialise with others, enjoy nature and at the same time feel safe and confident and safe while using it. “There is a need to identify the psychologically harmful elements of urban life in the hope that cities can be made happier and healthier places in which to live” (Lewis and Booth, 1994).

Figure 15. A busy Tokyo street prioritises pedestrians and green space, with seating areas that encourage relaxation and social interaction. (Photograph by Layla McCay)

As mentioned before, an important goal is to strike the right balance between natural access and safety for excellent mental health. Seeing green space on a regular basis can be beneficial to one's mental well-being. According to Hartig (2008), both the quantity and quality of urban greenery are linked to mental health. Green spaces, and in particular parks, provides opportunities for physical activity.

Moreover, socialising is an important aspect in these green spaces and brings lots of benefits for student. When adding green spaces, the location is really important. The distance between a student's halls of residence and a green area should be minimal as it is a strong predictor of stress, especially during winter and autumn since there is no a high amount of daylight hours. New green spaces should be added because it has been proven that Students' mental health decreases when they relocate from a green to a less green neighbourhood (Alcock et al., 2014), and Glasgow could do better by adding greener spaces near student accommodations. Throughout the research, it has been argued how green spaces have helped students’ well-being regardless of age or gender, and they all appear to be less anxious and stressed when they spend more time in outdoor green places. Additionally, the access to a physical green space and the availability of green features when indoors has been justified as it appears to be helpful. However, the best location, quality, and length of access to parks and other green spaces with the specific aim of improving mental health are still unknown. The access to green spaces allows exploration of landscaping and vegetation choices, and at the same time is beneficial for the students’ mental health. Urban parks and walkaways should be included into the urban design and the building design of student accommodations in the future. Green spaces represent an essential potential in urban planning to promote well-being, good mental health, and there are a number of fascinating projects underway in this area around the world but we need to apply them into Glasgow’s student lifestyle Parks are one of the most successful interventions in terms of improving mental health. Planting trees and flowers has become one of the most popular ways to bring nature into urban areas. Green areas are great places to gather people during times like COVID-19, as the air is cleaner than indoors or urbanised areas. Also, these are great spaces for students to socialise while taking park in different activities, either physical activities or any other, fostering sentiments of social

integration and belonging while also allowing people to participate in activities. Moreover, it provides a place to relax and disconnect from the busy schedules. Small changes such as street-based trees can become an accessible and abundant feature of urban nature. Though design can be complex, there is a lot that can be done within student accommodations or halls to accommodate the demands of students. Green spaces can help people get closer to nature while also encouraging social interaction between them. However, caution should be taken in the design and management of these green areas to avoid them becoming targets for crime, intimidation, or abuse, which would limit their use and, in turn, have negative consequences for people's mental health. To conclude, Green Spaces have had an impact on student’s mental health. Most students have used these spaces more often, and indeed, they will keep using them in the future. The amount of stress students have all year round is high, so they have a higher need for accessible Green Spaces during a Pandemic. As mentioned, a few things can be improved, such as having more green spaces implemented on the design of the student accommodations, mainly if these are located in a dense area. Mental health should be treated like physical health. During the COVID-19 lockdown, people could go for walks as a form of physical exercise, but mental health should also be an essential factor to consider. This can be done by creating better, safer and more aesthetic Green Spaces. Glasgow has more Green Spaces than many other cities in the United Kingdom, but we need to focus more on quality and not quantity regarding Mental Health. Instead of taking over existing green spaces, such as forests, we should take care of them to use them. At the same time, Pandemics such as COVID-19 would not exist, and mental health would not be a concern. We need to treat mental health as we treat physical health as both are correlated

Figure 16. Closer green spaces. Around

and important for the well-being of students.

15min walking distance. (Author's own)

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APPENDIX A QUESTIONNAIRE

APPENDIX B QUESTIONNAIRE ANSWERS

Q1 – AGE

Q2 – GENDER

Q3 – DID YOU STAY IN A STUDENT ACCOMMODATION/HALLS DURING LOCKDOWN (2020 OR 2021)?

Q4 – WHERE IN GLASGOW DID YOU STAY? (SPECIFY POSTCODE IF POSSIBLE)

Q5 – WHEN DID YOU EXPERIENCE LOCKDOWN IN THIS PLACE? (PLEASE ADD ANY NOTES ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE DURING THE SEASON – I.E LESS DAYLIGHT, WAS NOT ABLE TO GO HOME FOR HOLIDAYS, UNIVERSITY WORKLOAD…)

Q6 – IN THE ACCOMMODATION, DID YOU SHARE A FLAT WITH MORE PEOPLE?

Q7- DURING LOCKDOWN, HOW MANY HOURS DID YOU STAY INDOORS EVERYDAY?

Q8 – DURING LOCKDOWN, HOW MANY HOURS DID YOU WORK/STUDY?

Q9 – BEFORE COVID-19, DID YOU USE TO GO FOR WALKS?

Q10 – DURING COVID-19 LOCKDOWN, HOW OFTEN DID YOU GO FOR A WALK PER WEEK?

Q11 - ABOUT YOUR WALKS,

100

101

Q12 – DID YOU GO TO GREEN SPACES DURING LOCKDOWN?

102

Q13 – DURING WHAT TIMES OF THE DAY DID YOU VISIT THESE SPACES?

Q14 – DO YOU HAVE A VIEW OF GREEN SPACES OR GREEN FEATURES (SUCH AS GRASS, TREES, FLOWERS) FROM YOUR FLAT OR ROOM?

Q15 – HOW DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR MENTAL HEALTH BEFORE LOCKDOWN?

103

104

Q16 – HOW DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR MENTAL HEALTH DURING LOCKDOWN?

105

106

Q17 – HOW DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR MENTAL HEALTH AFTEER LOCKDOWN?

107

108

Q18 – DO YOU THINK GREEN SPACES HAVE HELPED WITH YOUR MENTAL HEALTH?

109

110

Q19 – DOES WEATHER AFFECT THE USE OF GREEN SPACES?

Q20 – PLEASE STATE WHAT WOULD YOU DO IN A GREEN SPACE ON THE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS:

111

112

113

Q21 – WHAT MAKES A GREEN SPACE IMPORTANT TO YOU?

Q22 – WHAT FACTORS MAKE THE EXPERIENCE PLEASANT?

114

115

Q23 – WHAT FACTORS MAKE THE EXPERIENCE UNPLEASANT?

116

Q24 – HOW WOULD YOU RATE THE QUALITY OF THE GREEN SPACE YOU USED?

117

118

Q25 – DO YOU PERCEIVE YOURSELF TO BE IN BETTER HEALTH THAN WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED USING THE GREEN SPACES?

119

120

Q26 – AFTER VISITING GREEN SPACES, ARE THERE CHANGES TO YOUR MENTAL OR PHYSICAL HEALTH?

Q27 – HAVE YOU NOTICED AN ENHANCEMENT IN THE LEVEL OF WELL-BEING AFTER USING GREEN SPACES? WELL-BEING IS DEFINED AS THE STATE OF HAPPINESS

Q28 – DO YOU FEEL DRECREASED AMOUNTS OF STRESS AFTER THE USE OF GREEN SPACES?

121

122

Q29 – HAVE YOU DEVELOPED MORE SOCIAL CONNECTIONS WHILE USING THIS GREEN SPACES? SOCIAL CONNECTIONS MEANING RELATIONSHIPS OF SOME KIND.

123

Q30 – HOW HAVE YOU DEVELOPED THESE? (THROUGH GOING WITH FRIENDS TO THE PARK, BEING NATUALLY A PEOPLE’S PERSON)

124

Q31 – WHAT DID YOU DO IN THE GREEN SPACE?

125

Q32 – WHO DID YOU ATTEND THE PARK WITH?

126

127

What Is The Impact Of Green Spaces On The Mental Health Of Students In Halls Of Residence During Covid-19 Lockdown? Author: Elena Benítez Espino 22900 Masters Thesis March Advanced Architectural Design Department of Architecture University of Strathclyde ©2021 128