ACCESS TO THE OUTDOORS

Who has access to the outdoors? Are we all outside as we leave our front doors?

The outdoors is the natural world, the places outside where people can enjoy nature (Merriam Webster, 2021). Our knowledge of the outdoors has continued to expand as we reach new peaks and discover new connections with nature. Previously we've assumed the outdoors was an experience which you needed to travel for, however the definition of the outdoors has expanded to beginning as soon as you step outside of your front door (Salpini, 2021)...

From small rural towns to densely packed cities, the outdoors plays a crucial role into both the social and environmental health of a place.

Biophilia hypothesis, is the idea that humans have a natural instinct to seek connections with nature and other forms of life (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2019). The term was used by American biologist Edward O. Wilson in his work ‘Biophilia’ in 1984, which proposed that humans’ tendency to affiliate with nature and other forms of life is in part genetically based (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2019). Richard Louv, an American non-fiction author and journalist, wrote an article in 2019, “Outdoors for All: Access to Nature is a Human Right”, calling for recognition of nature as a basic human right for all people, and for recognition of the rights of nature. Louv (2019) credits multiple experts, educators, researchers and health practitioners, who make up the global movement that insists that universal and equal access to nature is fundamental to our humanity as well as the future of the planet. The movement is attributed to Wilson’s biophilia hypothesis and anchored in ideals of social justice and equality. Louv (2019) strongly states that, “If Wilson is right, and if the research is correct, nature connection is more than a nice pursuit, a pastime, or a privilege. It is a necessity.”

"A public space is a place that is open and accessible to the general public. Roads (including the pavement), public squares, parks, and libraries are typically considered public space." (Law Insider, 2023). National parks, forests and beaches are also examples of protected public land. Public spaces are both necessary in ensuring the longevity and prosperity of the outdoors as well as ensuring community growth and development on a social level. Public spaces are created for the population. Research continues to grow in relation to health, well-being and social benefits which the outdoors offers to communities, as well as public spaces for people to openly interact and maintain healthy human contact and connections.

Eric M. Klinenberg is an American sociologist and a scholar of urban studies, culture, and media. In the podcast, How to Talk to People: The Infrastructure of Community (The Atlantic, 2023), he discussed his research and publishings on how he believes that the future of democratic societies rests not simply on shared values but on shared spaces: the libraries, childcare centers, churches, and parks where crucial connections are formed. Interweaving his own research with examples from around the world, Klinenberg shows how “social infrastructure” is helping to solve some of our most pressing societal challenges. In This podcast episode the host Julie Beck and producer Rebecca Rashid speak with Klinenberg of how efficiency culture holds us back from connecting in public, whether social spaces create a culture of interaction, and what it takes to actively participate in a community. From the discussion they also mentioned the visible and measurable downsides which communities face who lack public places, most commonly previously disadvantaged communities and areas, showing the still ongoing price paid for past actions.

Research linking the benefits of nature to human health is rapidly growing. Recent global health issues have shown the reliance which individuals have on outdoor public spaces to disconnect from stress and reconnect with oneself and others. These recent years have also made clear that not everybody has equal access to public spaces, and that not all public spaces are equal in their offerings. Factors such as transportation, income levels, and safety all contribute alongside many other physical, social and economic reasons for accessibility issues. Klinenberg, Beck and Rashid also discuss on the podcast episode (The Atlantic, 2023) how public spaces offer refuge to those most vulnerable in our societies. They use the example of public spaces such as libraries being seen as "homeless shelters" due to our societies doing so little to help and protect the homeless from the consequences of capitalism and unequal societies that they take refuge in public spaces, and rather than addressing core problems in society, solutions found are to develop private spaces, further growing inequalities within these society (The Atlantic, 2023).

Going outside into nature orients us with the natural world, offering solitude and contemplation (OIA, 2017:3). Going outside into public places and being able to interact with other people offers us much needed human connection (The Atlantic, 2023).

The concept of public parks and libraries as a human right may sound radical in a world filled with war, hunger and disease, however the experience of healthy and safe spaces should not be a privilege available only to the elite. Everyone deserves to have access beyond their front door.

*Edited extract from personal Master Thesis: Measuring Sustainable Innovation and Future Orientation of Leading Outdoor Retailers

PODCAST: - The Atlantic. 2023. How to Talk to People: The Infrastructure of Community. [online] Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2sySKIIKiInGJLQHz5phP4?si=MHAnpU9mR-WZ-5hScFBK0g&context=spotify%3Acollection%3Apodcasts%3Aepisodes&nd=1 (Accessed: 13 June 2023)

Bibliography:

- Merriam-Webster. 2021. The outdoors. [online] Available at: https://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/the%20outdoors. (Accessed: 13 October 2021)

- Salpini, C. 2021. The outdoors boom spared many retailers from the harshest impacts of COVID. [online] Available at: https://www.retaildive.com/news/the-outdoors-boom-spared-many-retailers152from-the-harshest-impacts-of-covid/594900/ (Accessed: 27 September 2021)

- Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2019. Biophilia Hypothesis. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/science/biophilia-hypothesis (Accessed: 4 January 2022)

- Louv, R. 2019. Outdoors for All: Access to Nature is a Human Right. [online] Available at: https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2019-3-mayjune/feature/outdoors-for-all-nature-is-a-human-right (Accessed: 4 January 2022)

- Law Insider. 2023. Public Places Definition. [online] Available at: https://www.lawinsider.com/dictionary/public-places (Accessed: 13 June 2023)

- The Atlantic. 2023. How to Talk to People: The Infrastructure of Community. [online] Available at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2sySKIIKiInGJLQHz5phP4?si=MHAnpU9mR-WZ-5hScFBK0g&context=spotify%3Acollection%3Apodcasts%3Aepisodes&nd=1 (Accessed: 13 June 2023)