Coping with Extreme Circumstances …
59
gathering are displayed in the landscape setting, which provide the unique characteristics of the place. In other cases, the green infrastructure is used as productive
lands to farm and grow trees. Other infrastructures might reserve spaces for flower
gardens. The random appropriation of residual green spaces has been occurring for
the last thirty years showing important signs of nature preservation, environmental
agency and activism from the communities. However, since these initiatives have
emerged from a personal initiative towards nature preservation, they have evolved
spontaneously over time rarely receiving external financial support.
Results of this study have shown that the LNIP purpose is twofolded. When
communities become conscious of the environment they live in—i.e. extremely
violent, and convoluted environments—they search for the most adequate coping
alternatives that provide them with a greater degree of control over their lives. This
is often manifested in the intervention of the built or natural environment. When
the interventions are in the natural environment, the community uses the natural
landscape with the purpose of finding financial alternatives provided by farming.
These lands are used as a safe place for family and community members where they
would gather to experience outdoor nature, and to generate a sense of wellbeingness
provided by the connection to the natural environment.
Findings also showed that communities participating in LNIP develop a greater
sense of ownership towards the natural landscape, which occurs over time and is
reinforced by the interventions created to take care and preserve the environment.
This unfolds an additional social and political dynamic in the role of the communities, which is manifested in the forms of stewardship, leadership and community
cooperation. In other words, those engaged in nature-related projects become the
stewards of the natural environment and the leaders in the neighbourhood, and in
some cases the local nature interventions are turned into learning platforms for children and residents interested in urban farming—as had been found in the Values Hill
in Villatina (Fig. 1). The sense of altruism enacted throughout the process of creating
and keeping LNIP provides unfolding feelings of self-worth and sense of belonging
towards the territory, which could substantially help in improving the sense of health
and wellbeing of the communities.
Feelings of emotional stability and wellbeing were also found to be strong in
people that constantly interact in these spaces. During the lockdown period caused by
the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020, a series of phone interviews were conducted
with residents. The residents taking care of the LNIP manifested to have spent most
of their time in nature performing gardening or farming activities (Figs. 2 and 3). The
responses showed that people engaged in such activities expressed feelings of “time
flying” or being “unaware of the critical situation”. An opposing situation was found
for those that did not engage in outdoor nature activities, expressing feelings of being
overwhelmed, anxious and stressed. When the communities are faced with extreme
circumstances, the results suggest that LNIP could have positive impacts on their
mental health and wellbeing to help them overcome the situation. However, it is not
yet clear whether the sense of wellbeing created by the LNIP has any relationship with
the bottom-up nature of these initiatives and sense of ownership that is manifested
towards the landscape.
59
gathering are displayed in the landscape setting, which provide the unique characteristics of the place. In other cases, the green infrastructure is used as productive
lands to farm and grow trees. Other infrastructures might reserve spaces for flower
gardens. The random appropriation of residual green spaces has been occurring for
the last thirty years showing important signs of nature preservation, environmental
agency and activism from the communities. However, since these initiatives have
emerged from a personal initiative towards nature preservation, they have evolved
spontaneously over time rarely receiving external financial support.
Results of this study have shown that the LNIP purpose is twofolded. When
communities become conscious of the environment they live in—i.e. extremely
violent, and convoluted environments—they search for the most adequate coping
alternatives that provide them with a greater degree of control over their lives. This
is often manifested in the intervention of the built or natural environment. When
the interventions are in the natural environment, the community uses the natural
landscape with the purpose of finding financial alternatives provided by farming.
These lands are used as a safe place for family and community members where they
would gather to experience outdoor nature, and to generate a sense of wellbeingness
provided by the connection to the natural environment.
Findings also showed that communities participating in LNIP develop a greater
sense of ownership towards the natural landscape, which occurs over time and is
reinforced by the interventions created to take care and preserve the environment.
This unfolds an additional social and political dynamic in the role of the communities, which is manifested in the forms of stewardship, leadership and community
cooperation. In other words, those engaged in nature-related projects become the
stewards of the natural environment and the leaders in the neighbourhood, and in
some cases the local nature interventions are turned into learning platforms for children and residents interested in urban farming—as had been found in the Values Hill
in Villatina (Fig. 1). The sense of altruism enacted throughout the process of creating
and keeping LNIP provides unfolding feelings of self-worth and sense of belonging
towards the territory, which could substantially help in improving the sense of health
and wellbeing of the communities.
Feelings of emotional stability and wellbeing were also found to be strong in
people that constantly interact in these spaces. During the lockdown period caused by
the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020, a series of phone interviews were conducted
with residents. The residents taking care of the LNIP manifested to have spent most
of their time in nature performing gardening or farming activities (Figs. 2 and 3). The
responses showed that people engaged in such activities expressed feelings of “time
flying” or being “unaware of the critical situation”. An opposing situation was found
for those that did not engage in outdoor nature activities, expressing feelings of being
overwhelmed, anxious and stressed. When the communities are faced with extreme
circumstances, the results suggest that LNIP could have positive impacts on their
mental health and wellbeing to help them overcome the situation. However, it is not
yet clear whether the sense of wellbeing created by the LNIP has any relationship with
the bottom-up nature of these initiatives and sense of ownership that is manifested
towards the landscape.