From Evidence to Design Solution—On How to Handle Evidence in the Design Process of Sustainable, Accessible and Health-Promoting Landscapes

This study explores how landscape architects can use research and evidence to design outdoor spaces that improve health and are accessible to everyone, especially people with mobility disabilities. The authors present a four-step design model—called the Evidence-Based Health Design in Landscape Architecture (EBHDL)—which includes collecting evidence, programming (turning evidence into design goals), designing, and evaluating. They apply this model to a real-world project: the “Move Green Nature Trail” in Denmark. The trail is being developed to promote mental, physical, and social well-being for people with disabilities and to demonstrate how green spaces can support health while aligning with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Using insights from interviews, field studies, workshops, and scientific literature, the team created a detailed plan for designing the trail. The plan included wide, smooth paths, resting areas with views of water, and nature features that feel safe and calming. The process showed how good design can be both inclusive and health-promoting, helping people feel less isolated and more connected to nature. The authors also stress the importance of future evaluations to see how well the design works in practice and whether it can be improved.

Gramkow, M.C., Sidenius, U., Zhang, G., & Stigsdotter, U.K. (2021). From evidence to design solution—on how to handle evidence in the design process of sustainable, accessible and health- promoting landscapes. Sustainability, 13(6), 3249.