waterside conference - john best
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Waterways and Wellbeing
Presentation at CCBE, University of Northampton
Claiming the Waterside
7th July 2014
Water as a place-tonic
A little about me
Placemaking, by any means
The dynamic The complexityThe politicsThe importance
Waterways can define places (but often do
not)
How can people ignore the water beside
them?
How do we ensure the place works well?
A quick typology . . . .
At least the water is an edge. Some places ignore
even that
If it is at least seen, it becomes a setting, a canvas to
describe the place
If the water is incorporated, it becomes a lever for the
place-maker, for enclosed water space, dramatic crossings, etc.
The place defines itself around water.
Beyond those, we can see the water
as a stage, where activity floats on, celebrates and
animates water and neighbourhood.
SE Waterways challenge:
20 local authorities40 towns and 130 town and parish councils . . .
. . . Do you embrace or ignore ?
Historical context - Our waterside places have all been made before, 200 years ago.Characters, script and audience changed, so . . .Reinterpret for 21st century
Romans Fosdyke from Lincoln to the Trent1425 River Lee navigation1635 Locks and weirs on the Thamesby 1760 Every town within 15 miles of a
navigable river or the sea1760-1830 Golden Age of UK canals
Economic imperative:Competitive frenzyDrove the world`s first industrial
revolutionHeralded widespread urbanisationUnderpinned GB dominance for 150
yearsSignificant social costs
The Golden Age of canals 1760-1830
Three phases of canals
Economic imperative
Heroic Engineering
5000 km of navigable waterways
Broad beam
Narrow beam
River navigation
Restoration
New canals
what`s near us?
• Wendover Arm 1797 (restoration)• Aylesbury Arm 1815 (local adoption)
• Buckingham Arm 1800 (restoration)• Northampton Arm 1815 (adoption)• Daventry Arm (new canal)• Bedford-MK Waterway (new canal)
Arms of the Grand Union Canal
Northampton Arm
From Gayton Junction On Grand Union to the River Nene at Northampton. 17 Locks
- Leicestershire and Northamptonshire Canal- Royal warrant in 1793 - Surveyed by James Barnes in 1796 - Costs overran from £18,785 to £36,000- Started August 1813, complete May 1815
Northampton Arm History
Golden Age 1760 – 1830The Railways 1830 – 1960Decline 1830 – 1950Nationalisation 1948British Waterways 1962 -2012Canal & River Trust 2012
Chronology
1962 less than 10,000 boats on network
Waterways closing down all over
2012 over 36,000 boats on network(more than at industrial peak)
3100km of waterways 72 Reservoirs 338 Aqueducts 3000 Bridges
1600 Locks 1900 Culverts 48 Pumping stations
55 Tunnels
National Treasure
National Treasure
C&RT are responsible for
50 Scheduled Monuments 2,705 listed buildings and structures
305 conservation areas
and waterways run through
5 World Heritage Sites9 Historic Battlefields
61 Historic Parks and Gardens3 National Parks
and. . . modern heroic place icons
Waterways and wellness
From economic nexus, with social cost . . .
. . . to social nexus with economic benefit
. . . and cultural nexus with health benefit
Waterways press many policy buttons . . .
Definition of Well Being
Slide courtesy of Natural England
Green space and impact
50% within 5 miles12m pa to the network20m visits by cyclists4m visits by canoeists
£500m pa value of public benefits
Health targets
tackling OBESITY and inactive lifestylesimproving MENTAL HEALTH
Study of two Scottish canals 2011:
3.9m kms travelled £6.4m paroad safety benefits £220k pareduced absenteeism £77k pareduced air pollution exposure
Health targets (and evidence)
Obesity
1.UK rates have tripled in 20 years.
2.By 2050 60% of population and 1 in 4 under 16 year olds will be obese.
3.Total cost of obesity to society will be £45 billion by 2020.
4.NI 55/56: Obesity in primary school age children in Reception and year 6**.
Slide courtesy of Natural England
Obesity and Green Space
New research from US• Children in poor areas were less
obese and put on less weight in areas of accessible Green Space compared to those in less green areas.
• This equates to less weight gain of approximately 1.6kg for girls aged 4 years (2kg for boys) and 5.1kg for girls aged 16yrs (5.9kg for boys).
Slide courtesy of Natural England
Impact at individual level
Impact at community level
C&RT 10 year ambition :
“to be regarded as an established and trusted volunteering charity, capable of attracting and retaining over 10,000 regular volunteers.”
Volunteering
Stress as a Public Health problem(Natural England)
Diabetes
Physical inactivity and Obesity
Chronic Stress
Anxiety and Depression
Raised Inflammatory Markers
Cardiovascular Disease
Lung DiseaseCancer
Reduced access to Greenspace
Social Inequalities leading to environmental injustice
Social Isolation
Slide courtesy of Natural England
Natural England`s health and wellbeing policy
Slide courtesy of Natural England
“Five Ways to Wellbeing - New applications, new ways of thinking”
Report produced by NHS Confederation and new economics foundation (nef)
Definition of Well Being
Slide courtesy of Natural England
So lets . . .
Devise places whose relationship to water moves up the hierarchy from edge, through setting, to lever, to stage
Adoptions
• Creating spaces that engage individuals and communities, and enable physical and social activity, will produce happier populations
• Spaces that draw communities together, where people give, will create social capital and a more sustainable society
• Water cannot be marginal
• The social, political and economic importance of Britain`s waterways has radically changed from the times that produced them
• Place-making must address the breadth of issues – an obligation, even – and not just make pretty waterside places
Waterways and Wellbeing
Thank youjvmbest@aol.com
07710 553862
Let water be your place-tonic
Health & Wellbeing Boards
9no. Regional Health & Wellbeing Boards:
North West - 23no. H&W Boards
North East - 12no. H&W Boards
Yorkshire & Humber - 15no. H&W Boards
East Midlands - 10no. H&W Boards
West Midlands - 14no. H&W Boards
East - 11no. H&W Boards
South West -15no. H&W Boards
South East - 18no. H&W Boards
London - 33no. H&W Boards
Waterways & Health
• Infant death• People diagnosed with
diabetes• Deprivation• Children in poverty • Homeless • Teenage pregnancy &
smoking during pregnancy
• Obese children • Physically active
children & adults
Health Indicators
STRATEGIC WATERWAY PLAN
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