– We see that people who live 100 meters or closer to rivers, lakes and the fjord consistently earn more than those who live 500 meters away from water, explains NINA researcher Zander Venter.
Those who live close to so-called blue areas in this way earn on average well over NOK 200,000 more a year than those who live further away, according to Venter and his colleagues.
Researchers at NINA also note that the higher the average income in the neighbourhood, the better the access to green areas, such as gardens and parks, in the immediate area where one lives.
– Systematic connection
The researchers arrived at this by comparing the availability of blue-green areas in all of Oslo’s 98 districts, with the annual incomes of those who live in the same areas (Each of Oslo’s 15 districts is divided into between four and eight districts).
– The study shows that there is a systematic connection between income and access to urban nature, says NINA researcher Helene Figari.
– On the East Kanten, in areas where many people with an immigrant background live, incomes are generally lower than on the West Kanten, and on the East Kanten they generally have less access to blue-green areas, points out her colleague Zander Venter.
– There is a clear distinction when it comes to access to the most attractive – water. Many people with low incomes live in Groruddalen and are surrounded by Marka, but there the children cannot dip their toes in the water as easily as the children on Bygdøy, says Helene Figari.
– There are probably many people who think that access to Marka means a more equal access to nature in Oslo, but it turns out that most people do not have the capacity or time to travel far to get to nature in everyday life. The most important thing is that nature, such as trees and gardens, is close, says Venter.
At the same time, it is the case that the air pollution in the areas with the lowest incomes is above the levels recommended by both the World Health Organization (WHO) and Oslo municipality, according to the NINA researchers.
– It is because of the car traffic on the roads, including through Groruddalen, explains Venter.
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Affects health
Poor air quality takes its toll on health, and results in both respiratory diseases and cardiovascular diseases that can lead to earlier death.
Not having easy access to urban nature can also have unfortunate consequences. This is shown, among other things, by an international study discussed by NTB at the beginning of February.
– The study shows that there is an increased risk of giving birth to small children (with low birth weight, journal note) when the mother lives some distance from green areas. This was most pronounced in the Nordic region, which may indicate that access to nature plays an important role for well-being and health among those who live in cities, data manager Johanna Nader at the Institute of Public Health told NTB then.
This study includes nearly 70,000 mothers in eleven European countries, including around 9,000 Norwegian mothers.
– Previous studies show that there is cleaner air, more physical activity and less stress among residents in areas with more green areas than in areas with less, Johanna Nader could also state.
Another survey, discussed by The Lancet in 2021, shows that Oslo’s population is actually in a rather poor position when it comes to access to nature in their immediate areas.
– It shows that well over half, and perhaps as much as three quarters of Oslo’s population, live in areas with less vegetation than the WHO World Health Organization recommends, says NINA researcher Zander Venter.
[ Klima, plast, natur og hav: Kan avtalene redde verden? ]
– Trees are not enough
At the same time, the construction of housing and other types of buildings continues in full swing in Oslo.
– The densification of the city is now happening where people are relatively least able to afford it, such as in Løren and Økern, in areas where there is already little green space, says NINA researcher Helene Figari.
– Norway is among the countries in Europe that are most concerned with compact urban development, and Oslo is perhaps the city that pursues this most aggressively. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with protecting private gardens, as in the single-family house plan of Oslo municipality, but it creates social inequalities if there are not enough good green areas in the areas where densification is done, continues Figari.
– Solving this by planting trees is nice, but not enough. There must be bigger and more parks in these areas, in order to have a good quality of life for those who will live there.
Figari’s colleague, Zander Venter, also points out that more parks in areas with few blue-green lungs can be of great importance to those who will live there.
– Perhaps this should be better regulated by setting aside more space for green areas when an area is to be developed, and by reducing the number of people who can live there, he says.
The study by the NINA researchers was recently published in an article in the journal “Science of the Total Environment”.
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