« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
THE VALUE OF OPEN SPACE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
4 Open spaces and sports facilities enrich our quality of life and our environments. Access to good quality open spaces and facilities which encourage people to play sports and to walk, run, cycle or ride horses are an essential component in the drive to get more of the population physically active 1 and can contribute to The Scottish Government's objective of a Healthier Scotland. Physical activity can improve mental health and well-being and the presence of tranquil green spaces close to where people live and work can encourage relaxation.
5 Providing play space and other opportunities for children and young people to play freely, explore, discover and initiate their own activities can support their wellbeing and development. Open space can also provide a rich and accessible resource for education.
6 Rural areas support outdoor recreation in a wide range of settings including hills, forests, coasts and inland water. These places enable people to enjoy Scotland's natural heritage at first hand, and can provide rich experiences which greatly enhance quality of life. Outdoor recreation is often of considerable importance to the rural economy. Rural communities also require accessible path networks, open space and facilities for sport and recreation. Regional and country parks and some local nature reserves provide important destinations for various types of recreation close to larger centres of population.
7 Areas for horticulture, such as gardens and allotments, can be of great value to the local community and offer benefits for the environment. They create an opportunity for local food production, encourage physical activity and healthy eating, offer a place to relax and to learn, and contribute to local biodiversity.
8 Civic open spaces, whether providing pleasant places to meet or through enhancing the streetscene, can help to create well designed places for people. An environment which contains good quality, well-maintained open space is more attractive to investors, helping create a Wealthier and Fairer Scotland. Improving the open spaces within a community can help reverse patterns of decline, generate civic pride and help to establish cultural identity, all contributing towards a Safer and Stronger Scotland.
9 Open space can help create a Greener Scotland. Open space can provide habitats for wildlife, and linking them in a green network is of particular importance to biodiversity objectives. Open space can also help counteract climate change 2. Areas of green open space have the potential to provide carbon sinks and can offer areas of shade and shelter. They can incorporate sustainable drainage systems and some can have a role in flood management. Networks of quality open space can encourage more sustainable forms of transport such as walking and cycling.
« Previous | Contents | Next »