Our research

Our research focuses on how environmental factors, urban planning and infrastructures affect our health on a populational level. We want to know how different factors in our surroundings might improve or worsen our health. With health, we consider both physical and psychological aspects. Our research sheds light on how to increase active commuting in society.

Some of our studies focus specifically on vulnerable subgroups, such as children, elderly and chronically ill individuals. For example, we investigate how closeness to green areas of varying quality might ease and enable the elderly populations to go for walks and keep themselves physically active. This may delay the need for home care services. Another example is how the possibility of being active outdoors at preschool yards affects children’s physical activity levels.

Aims

• To increase the knowledge of how and to what extent environmental factors and urban planning/infrastructure can be used to improve our physical activity and general health.

Impact

Our research focuses on how environmental factors and urban planning might affect us physically and psychologically. Increased knowledge of this could be used to enable and increase individuals’ physical activity. This may improve general health for the population in general but also for specific subgroups.

How our research contributes to CoPARLU

Our research contributes with an environmental and urban planning approach to how these factors could empower, or hinder, individuals from being physically active in their everyday life.