| 1. |
- Bengtsson, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Methods, models, and guidelines for practitioners to deliver health-promoting green space
- 2024
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Ingår i: Green and healthy Nordic cities : How to plan, design, and manage health-promoting urban green space. - 9789180010887 ; :2024:1, s. 106-133
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This chapter summarises the main methods, models, and guidelines— hereafter named as NORD tools—included in each component of the NORD framework (NUMBERING, OBSERVING, REGULATING, DESIGNING). The chapter provides further details on how to use these tools as well as how practitioners can combine them to deliver health-promoting green spaces.
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| 2. |
- Nordh, Helena
(författare)
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Adapting to 'one-size-fits-all': constructing appropriate Islamic burial spaces in Northwestern Europe
- 2023
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Ingår i: New Perspectives on Urban Deathscapes: Continuity, Change and Contestation. - : Edward Elgar Publishing. - 9781802202380 ; , s. 124-143
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this chapter, we use a comparative approach to explore the nuanced experiences of disposition in various Muslim communities in diverse social, cultural, and policy contexts. Through a sample of cases from different countries in Northwest Europe (Ireland, Scotland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Sweden and Norway), we see how Muslim communities negotiate burial space in countries where Islamic burial is framed as a ‘minority’ practice. We first outline Islamic deathscapes in this region and locate this within literature on burial practices, identity, and belonging. We then explore three specific issues within this: the choice of whether migrant Muslims are buried in their country of origin or the town they are living in; the physical segregation and experience of Islamic burial spaces; and Islamic memorial and grave aesthetics. This reveals that current Islamic burial in Northwest Europe is not simply a blending of minority and majority norms, but a much more complex, fluid, and responsive field.
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| 3. |
- Nordh, Helena, et al.
(författare)
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Assessing restorative components of small urban parks using conjoint methodology
- 2011
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Ingår i: Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. - : Elsevier BV. - 1618-8667 .- 1610-8167. ; 10:2, s. 95-103
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Many studies have supported the proposition that natural environments contribute positively to psychological restoration. Less attention has been given to the relative importance of the physical environmental components that contribute to the restorative potential of such environments. The aim of the current study was to investigate the relative importance of environmental components, in small urban parks, for people looking for somewhere to sit down and rest. To address this aim, we used choice-based conjoint analysis, coupled with hierarchical Bayes estimation, to assess the utilities assigned to grass, bushes, trees, flower beds, water features, and the number of other people in the park. Via a web-based questionnaire, adult residents of Oslo, Norway (N=154) were presented with text describing successive pairs of park alternatives. Each alternative was comprised of a set of environmental components at different levels. The respondents were to choose the preferred alternative in each pair, given that they were fatigued and looking for a place to rest for a little while. The amounts of grass, trees and other people had the most influence on their choices among park alternatives. Responses across groups defined by age, gender and earlier experience with parks and nature were relatively homogenous. From a planning perspective, the findings indicate the importance of focusing on structural components such as grass and trees rather than decorative components such as flowers and water features.
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| 4. |
- Nordh, Helena, et al.
(författare)
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Co-creating and Co-producing Multicultural Cemeteries in Norway and Sweden: A Comparative Study with Insights from Drammen, Eskilstuna and Umeå
- 2023
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Ingår i: Mobilities in Life and Death : Negotiating Room for Migrants and Minorities in European Cemeteries. - 9783031282836 ; , s. 169-190
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study aims to broaden the scope of attention paid to multicultural societies in existing migration and mobilities literature, through expanding on the topic of spatial design, planning and management of contemporary cemeteries in light of increasing multiculturalism. The chapter explores how national judicial acts and practices facilitate or hinder inclusion of minorities’ needs and the existing local level measures in three Scandinavian towns to safeguard the needs of minorities in cemeteries and crematoria. The empirical data consists of analysis of legislative acts and qualitative interviews with 28 stakeholders in three medium/large-sized towns. As will be shown, Swedish and Norwegian burial acts share many similarities – for example, both acknowledge the need to meet particular burial and cremation needs for people not belonging to the Christian church. Differences mainly relate to how religion and belief communities are involved in the development of cemeteries. Through the interviews, we extract a nuanced picture of how individual towns work with ‘multiculturalism’ by elaborating on the following components that emerged from the analysis: presence of diversity, accommodation of various needs, cooperation with minorities, and reflections over special grave areas or cemetery sections for minorities. This study’s comparative outlook informs current debates on migration and mobilities and further sheds light on the specific inputs for forming policies and practices aiming at facilitating a multicultural approach when designing, planning and managing cemeteries and crematoria.
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| 5. |
- Nordh, Helena, et al.
(författare)
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Components of small urban parks that predict the possibility for restoration
- 2009
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Ingår i: Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. - : Elsevier BV. - 1618-8667 .- 1610-8167. ; 8:4, s. 225-235
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In densifying cities, small green spaces such as pocket parks are likely to become more important as settings for restoration. Well-designed small parks may serve restoration well, but earlier research on restorative environments does not provide detailed information about the specific components of the physical environment that support restoration. In this study we assessed the extent to which hardscape, grass, lower ground vegetation, flowering plants, bushes, trees, water, and size predicted the judged possibility for restoration in small urban green spaces. We took individual parks as the units of analysis. The parks were sampled from Scandinavian cities, and each park was represented by a single photo. Each photo was quantified in terms of the different objective park components and also rated on psychological variables related to restoration. The ratings on the psychological variables being away, fascination, likelihood of restoration, and preference were provided by groups of people familiar with such parks. The variables most predictive of the likelihood of restoration were the percentage of ground surface covered by grass, the amount of trees and bushes visible from the given viewing point, and apparent park size. Formal mediation analyses indicated distinctive patterns of full and partial mediation of the relations between environmental components and restoration likelihood by being away and fascination. Our results provide guidance for the design of small yet restorative urban parks.
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| 6. |
- Nordh, Helena
(författare)
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Developing a place-sensitive tool for park-safety management experiences from green-space managers and female park users in Oslo
- 2021
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Ingår i: Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. - : Elsevier BV. - 1618-8667 .- 1610-8167. ; 60
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Fear of crime may restrict people’s use of urban green spaces and thus decrease those spaces’ potential public health benefits. Managerial measures in public green spaces that enhance perceived safety are therefore necessary. However, park managemnet in the Nordic countries seems to lack the knowledge and practice of assessing park users’ perceptions of safety. The objective of this paper was to develop a place-sensitive tool for park safety–management practice that combined park manager and user perspectives adapted to the Nordic context. Two empirical studies were conducted in Oslo to achieve this objective. Phase 1 included a focus-group interview with a team of municipal green-space managers to investigate challenges in their safety-related work. In phase 2 a multi-method field study was conducted in an urban park to assess female user's perceptions of safety in a place-sensitive manner and test methods to be included in a tool for managers. First, safety walks and interviews with ten female residents provided on-site information on how their local park was perceived in terms of safety. The walks also resulted in identification of problematic places. These places were then systematically assessed by twenty female non-residents using questionnaires exploring the relation between perceived environmental attributes and perceived safety. Based on the green-space managers’ experiences and addressed needs, as well as experinces from the field study, a place-sensitive method and accompanying tool—called SAFE—for assessing perceived safety in urban parks for managerial purposes is presented.
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| 7. |
- Nordh, Helena, et al.
(författare)
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Disrespectful or socially acceptable?-A nordic case study of cemeteries as recreational landscapes
- 2023
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Ingår i: Landscape and Urban Planning. - : Elsevier BV. - 0169-2046 .- 1872-6062. ; 231
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Across Scandinavia, we witness an increased interest in making provisions for urban cemeteries to evolve as recreational landscapes. However, this development comes with its own set of challenges when uniting its pri-mary function as a place for disposal of human remains with active and passive urban recreation. In this paper, we explore varying perspectives on recreational use of cemeteries to give a nuanced picture of the possibilities and limitations for recreation at cemeteries in a multicultural society, most often positioned within a context of densifying urban areas. The empirical data consists of interviews with cemetery users (N = 24) from various faiths and belief systems in three towns in Norway and Sweden. Findings reveal that passive recreational ac-tivities like strolling, having a cup of coffee on a bench in the cemetery etc. are in general perceived as acceptable behaviour. However, opinions differ on 'active' undertakings like running, biking and walking a dog. How people perceive or use cemeteries is partly dependent on beliefs and cultural traditions, but other factors such as the purpose of using the cemetery for recreation and the type or character of the cemetery also impact the extent to which activities are perceived as appropriate or not. Respect and intensity are two key aspects that emerged in our analysis. The study concludes that the existing peaceful atmosphere at cemeteries should be preserved and nurtured. With correct design and zoning, some recreational activities can be integrated at cemeteries, benefiting both mourners and recreational visitors.
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| 8. |
- Nordh, Helena
(författare)
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Greater perceived access to green spaces near homes: Safer and more satisfied residents
- 2024
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Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Psychology. - 0272-4944 .- 1522-9610. ; 96
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Safe and green living environments are highly appreciated by people and, as stated by the United Nations, are a key priority for sustainable urban development. The current study explores whether perceived and objective indicators of access to green spaces in the living environment, as well as individual socio-demographic characteristics, affects perceived safety as well as municipal satisfaction. It also examined whether perceived safety moderates the relationship between perceived access to green spaces and municipal satisfaction. Five indicators of access to green spaces were used: Four were objectively derived using Geographical Information Systems (GIS), while one indicator was based on survey data on inhabitants' perceived access to green spaces. The same survey also revealed the variables of perceived safety and municipal satisfaction. Correlation, regression, and moderation analyses were applied. The results showed that objective and perceived indicators did not correlate. Furthermore, strong and positive associations were revealed between perceived access to green spaces and municipal satisfaction B=0.45 (95% CI = 0.41, 0.50) and perceived safety (B = 0.39; 95% CI = 0.32, 0.46). The more satisfied people were with their access to green spaces and safety outdoors in the evenings and nights, the more satisfied they were with their living environments. These associations were evident even after controlling for socio-demographic variables. These results provide evidence of the importance of green spaces and support planners' arguments for preserving current or developing new green spaces. The study also shows the importance of not only relying on objective indicators of access to green spaces and encourages planners and researchers to explore perceived indicators.
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| 9. |
- Nordh, Helena, et al.
(författare)
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‘It is the greenness, the nature, it looks as if someone has taken care of the place very well’ : Experiences from St Eskil cemetery in Sweden
- 2023
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Ingår i: Approaching religion. - : Approaching Religion. - 1799-3121. ; 13, s. 105-122
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article is about experiences of a cemetery landscape: a physical space that was chosen as a depository for human remains, and where different memorial and disposal practices have developed behavioural patterns that together form a cemetery culture. Through qualitative research at St Eskil’s, Eskilstuna, Sweden, encompassing field observations and interviews (N=14) with stakeholders and people from the general public, we aim to describe and discuss the cemetery as a place and environment experienced from a perspective of people of diverse backgrounds. The study reveals important characteristics that facilitate designing, caretaking, developing and using cemeteries more generally. Findings show that most interviewees, independent for example of cultural or religious adherence, describe the cemetery as a beautiful natural or garden-like place. The well-maintained landscape is emphasized as a self-evident or impressive quality. The cemetery is experienced as ‘typically Swedish’ and described in terms of order and sense of care. Diversity in both design and multi-cultural and individual expressions are observed, acknowledged and welcomed. We conclude that nature (including a garden approach), care and diversity are key concepts that should be considered in design and development of future cemeteries.
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| 10. |
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