The nexus between air pollution, green infrastructure and human health

Authors

Prashant Kumar, University of Surrey
Angela Druckman, University of Surrey
John Gallagher, Trinity College Dublin
Birgitta Gatersleben, University of Surrey
Sarah Allison, University of Surrey
Theodore Eisenman, University of Massachusetts
Uy Hoang, University of Surrey
Sarkawt Hama, University of Surrey
Arvind Tiwari, University of Surrey
Ashish Sharma, University of Surrey
K Abhijith, University of Surrey
Deepti Adlakha, Queen's University
Aonghus McNabola, University of Surrey
Thomas E. Astell-Burt, University of WollongongFollow
Xiaoqi Feng, University of WollongongFollow
Anne Skeldon, University of Surrey
Simon de lusignan, University of Massachusetts
Lidia Morawska, Queensland University of Technology

RIS ID

139737

Publication Details

Kumar, P., Druckman, A., Gallagher, J., Gatersleben, B., Allison, S., Eisenman, T. S., Hoang, U., Hama, S., Tiwari, A., Sharma, A., Abhijith, K. V., Adlakha, D., McNabola, A., Astell-Burt, T., Feng, X., Skeldon, A. C., de Lusignan, S. & Morawska, L. (2019). The nexus between air pollution, green infrastructure and human health. Environment International, 133 (A), 105181-1-105181-14.

Abstract

Cities are constantly evolving and so are the living conditions within and between them. Rapid urbanization and the ever-growing need for housing have turned large areas of many cities into concrete landscapes that lack greenery. Green infrastructure can support human health, provide socio-economic and environmental benefits, and bring color to an otherwise grey urban landscape. Sometimes, benefits come with downsides in relation to its impact on air quality and human health, requiring suitable data and guidelines to implement effective greening strategies. Air pollution and human health, as well as green infrastructure and human health, are often studied together. Linking green infrastructure with air quality and human health together is a unique aspect of this article. A holistic understanding of these links is key to enabling policymakers and urban planners to make informed decisions. By critically evaluating the link between green infrastructure and human health via air pollution mitigation, we also discuss if our existing understanding of such interventions is sufficient to inform their uptake in practice. Natural science and epidemiology approach the topic of green infrastructure and human health very differently. The pathways linking health benefits to pollution reduction by urban vegetation remain unclear and the mode of green infrastructure deployment is critical to avoid unintended consequences. Strategic deployment of green infrastructure may reduce downwind pollution exposure. However, the development of bespoke design guidelines is vital to promote and optimize greening benefits, and measuring green infrastructure's socio-economic and health benefits are key for their uptake. Greening cities to mitigate pollution effects is on the rise and these need to be matched by scientific evidence and appropriate guidelines. We conclude that urban vegetation can facilitate broad health benefits, but there is little empirical evidence linking these benefits to air pollution reduction by urban vegetation, and appreciable efforts are needed to establish the underlying policies, design and engineering guidelines governing its deployment.