Citizens increasingly demand the government to provide a healthy living environment. In both, health sector and spatial planning, attention for the interaction between health and environment is gaining attention. Despite a broad scientific and policy interest, translating theorie into practice remains a major challenge. In this project called ‘Kerngezond’, the faculties of Health Sciences and Design Sciences and the Province of Antwerp, aim to investigate how spatial planning strategies that counteract urban sprawl can integrate health knowledge.

We adopt a broad view on health, which means health is more than a physic, mental or social dimension. Health is also about quality of life, wellbeing or meaning. So, focus shifts from the disorder to the person, his resilience and what makes his life meaningful. From various health sectors, attention has been given to this broad view, f. e. goal-oriented care, positive health, etc. 1  Hereby, it is important to take in consideration how the environment can contribute to individuals to manage their own health.

In this projects, we will involve local care providers in a planning process. The goals are twofold; a health sector that makes better use of the natural environment and to increase the natural capital in the village centers in a context of core reinforcement in terms of health. This project will result in design and process guidelines for spatial planners who are working on healthy core reinforcements. Subsequently, the project is considered as a learning process towards transdisciplinary cooperation between the two sectors at the level of policy, research and practice.

1.      Huber M, van Vliet M, Giezenberg M, et al. Towards a ‘patient-centred’ operationalisation of the new dynamic concept of health: a mixed methods study. 2016. BMJ Open 5:e010091.

 

Researcher(s): Laura Lauwers, Jasmien Smets, Maarten Van Acker, Hans Keune, Geert De Blust, Dirk Avonts, Hilde Bastiaens
Period: 2019 - 20121
Partner(s): Provincie Antwerpen



Het positieve gezondheidsmodel geeft een brede kijk op gezondheid
bron: IPH 
 



Het onderzoeksgebied: de Antwerpse Merode
 



De nota ruimte van de Provincie Antwerpen wordt gebruikt als kader in het onderzoek
bron: Provincie Antwerpen + eigen verwerking 
 



Sporten in de natuur