During stressful times, individuals tend to seek out nature more frequently. Unfortunately, the rapid increase of urbanisation is decreasing the amount of open green spaces on our islands. This is negatively impacting people’s mental well-being, which is often a precursor of other chronic conditions and physical health outcomes.
A good portion of the Maltese population may find urban life quite exciting because it is easier to socialise, easier to do shopping and there’s easier access to many amenities, nightlife and it could also be close to the workplace. On the other hand, small apartments, overcrowded places with noise and air pollution and a lot of traffic jams could lead to stressful situations which are apt to affect one’s mental well-being.
Several studies have shown that people living in areas which lack green space are more vulnerable to the negative impacts of stressful life events than those who have easier access to green living areas.
Green spaces like public areas and parks have been found to improve people’s quality of life by supporting physical activity, improving socialisation and providing restoration from stress and mental fatigue.
The Oxford University defined a green space as “an area of grass, trees or other vegetation set apart for recreational or aesthetic purposes in an otherwise urban environment”.
Researchers also found that mental health conditions such as anxiety/mood disorders, PTSD and anger management rated higher among those living within urban environments.
A study conducted by Nutsford et al. (2013) showed that in an urban environment, anxiety and mood disorders incidence were less in people who had a short distance to usable green areas near their home, than in those who need to travel more to reach them.
McCormick (2017) proves that exposure to green spaces is beneficial to a child’s mental well-being, overall health and cognitive development. Natural settings in schools and in neighbourhoods were found to be effective in increasing attention and reduce hyperactivity in children diagnosed with ADHD. Additionally, children were found to do better in memory and attention tasks after a walk amid nature compared to a walk in an urban environment. This evidence was supported by Markevych et al. (2014) where they found that children with poor access to urban green space had a higher incidence of behavioural problems.
Local situation
Findings by the National Statistics Office (2020) revealed that the population growth in 2019 was the highest among the European countries with a 4.17 per cent increase, amounting to an increase in net migration of 20,343 persons, over the previous year. Therefore, the overall population totalled 514,564 by the end of 2019.
Anxiety soared in people residing near construction sites, as they did not feel safe inside their own homes
This resulted in a manic race to build new apartments and other abodes to accommodate the population growth and to widen several major road arteries to adjust to the increased traffic flow. This has taken the toll on our environment and on our mental well-being.
Our environment is affected in several ways. Several tumoli of agriculture land have been expropriated to make way for wider roads. Century-old trees were cut down to make way for new road signs and concrete pavements, increasing air pollution and heat index as shady areas provided by trees is becoming rarer.
Village aesthetics are being disturbed by demolishing townhouses and instead building multi-storey apartments. This is disturbing the village skylines and uglifying areas of the neighbourhoods. According to the last national census conducted in 2011, it resulted that there were 41,000 empty houses around the Maltese islands, but fields are still being converted into concrete blocks.
The uncontrolled development and the diminishing greenery around the island are causing an increase in the incidence of mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. During the last couple of years, there were several accidents in which houses collapsed on their tenants while development was under way in the neighbourhood, leaving them homeless or lifeless. The Maltese population voiced their anger towards these accidents, while anxiety soared in people residing near construction sites, as they did not feel safe inside their own homes.
Recommendations
The introduction of more endemic trees along roadsides is essential to increase the tree population of the Maltese islands. This would help provide better air quality and reduce the greenhouse gas effect, besides adding greenery.
When it is not possible to plant trees due to health and safety reasons, for example when trees could be dangerous to drivers or could cause damage to structures, well-maintained green walls could be assembled to give a greener aesthetic.
Architects should be encouraged to design green facades when working on new building projects and incentives should be in place to encourage new buildings to be environmentally friendly.
On the other hand, the Planning Authority should scrutinise well new permit applications, while continuing to protect ODZ land.
Also, more rigorous protocols regarding health and safety during development should be in place to protect neighbourhoods from any fatalities. Large fines and suspension of licences should be imposed if any breaches are found.
The government should invest more money in green spaces that are easily accessible to everyone and change its approach towards development to a more sustainable one. Additionally, the Ministry of Health should promote the importance of using available green spaces (within the public health guidelines due to the pandemic) in a bid to release stress and reduce the risk of depression.
No local studies related to this issue came up during a quick search on the internet. There were only a few newspaper articles which skimmed on the subject. Local studies should be to carried out to research the impact of urbanisation on mental health, or the benefits of green areas and mental well-being.
Pandemic or not, living in an urban environment surrounded by building blocks does not help with everyday struggles. Residents should find the time to get outside and spend some time in accessible green spaces in the vicinity.
Melissa Magro has recently finished reading her BSc (Hons) in mental health nursing. She is currently working as a senior staff nurse with children and adolescents within the Mental Health Services.