Greening our cities on behalf of our health with Tim Geyer
This week on Podparks, Alice interviews Tim Geyer, Deputy Chair of World Urban Parks.
Tim is an experienced Parks and Recreation Manager and has worked in parks and horticulture for over 40 years. His passion for creating green spaces for his communities is evident as he highlights the relationship between parks and health and wellbeing.
He emphasizes the importance of scientific research to explore these connections and shares his work in the Aging, Wellbeing and Parks committee at WUP, where he has found that older adults are often underrepresented in park design and policy. Tim discusses some of the policy suggestions the committee has made to promote safe and accessible parks for all.
Access to parks is essential for everyone, and ensuring equitable access to parks is a great investment for governments in both the health and social systems. Tim shares WUP’s work in collaboration with the World Health Organization to map the relationships between park distribution and mortality as part of a wider effort to create systemic policies surrounding parks and health.
Alice and Tim also talk about some of the common issues faced by park managers worldwide, and Tim shares his insights into how global networking spaces can help bridge the knowledge gap between parks professionals.
And finally, Tim and Alice discuss trees. Trees are known for their positive impact on environmental health and wellbeing, but as Tim suggests, newer research indicates a positive relationship between canopy cover and mental health, prenatal health, cardiovascular disease prevention, among other benefits. Tune in to the podcast to learn how we can create greener cities.
You can find Tim Geyer’s work at www.worldurbanparks.org
This podcast is only one of the many resources available inside the WUP member platform. Discover more resources and connect with park professionals around the world at www.worldurbanparks.org
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Additional or complementary information about the topics discussed:
- Tree Care Tips Guide by Arbor Day Foundation
- Tree Catalog/ Catálogo de árboles
- A Framework for Recreation in Canada 2015: Pathways to Wellbeing
- Integral Wellness through the Parks