Re-imagining Environments for Connection and Engagement: Testing Actions for Social Prescribing in Natural Spaces

Funding programme: 
H2020
Project ID: 
PR-H2020-61
Acronym: 
RECETAS
Description: 

Re-imagining Environments for Connection and Engagement: Testing Actions for Social Prescribing in Natural Spaces (RECETAS) will address loneliness, a modifiable health condition that is known to shorten one´s lifespan and may be as dangerous to one’s health as smoking or obesity. In Europe alone, and before COVID-19 pandemic, over 75 million European adults reported meeting with family and friends at most once per month and 30 million European adults frequently felt lonely. Loneliness knows no geographic, economic, cultural, and social boundaries and affects all age groups.

For urban dwellers, nearby nature, with social structures, can improve health and mental well-being and reduce loneliness. Even under the extraordinary circumstances of COVID-19, people need time in nature for its healing benefits and its role in allowing people to interact in nature. Investments in nature-based solutions (NbS) and green infrastructure (GI) that address rapid urbanization and its adverse consequences on environmental systems in our cities, can be harnessed for health and well-being even in times of health emergencies.

RECETAS explores loneliness through a transdisciplinary lens, integrating social, behavioral, health, and natural sciences, and is grounded in participatory principles. It will use randomized controlled trials (RCT) and other epidemiologic, anthropological and health economic methods to test socially- and culturally-innovative nature-based social prescribing (NBSP) in six cities in Europe, Latin America, and Australia. The approach aims to improve upon real-world policy and practice to reduce loneliness by connecting people experiencing loneliness with helping professionals and extensive investments in NbS and GI, while alleviating pressures on stressed health care systems. If successful, it will systematically reduce loneliness, promote and sustain vibrant, socially-connected communities, and reduce health inequalities by connecting to nature in meaningful ways. “RECETAS” is part of the European Cluster on Urban Health.

Lead entity: 
FUNDACION PRIVADA INSTITUTO DE SALUD GLOBAL BARCELONA
Lead Country: 
Spain
Partners: 
AKETH INVESTMENTS NETWORK SERVICESSL;HELSINGIN YLIOPISTO;GIP AGENCE FRANCAISE POUR DES VILLES ET TERRITOIRES MEDITERRANEENS DURABLES;UNIVERSIDAD DE CUENCA;ROYAL MELBOURNE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY*RMIT UNIVERSITY;VISIBLE NETWORK LABS INC;UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST OF ENGLAND; BRISTOL;UNIVERZITA KARLOVA;CENTRE HOSPITALIER REGIONAL DE MARSEILLE ASSISTANCE PUBLIQUE-HOPITAUX MARSEILLE;FUNDACIO SALUT I ENVELLIMENT;UMIT- PRIVATE UNIVERSITAT FUR GESUNDHEITSWISSENSCHAFTEN; MEDIZINISCHEINFORMATIK UND TECHNIK GMBH;DEPARTAMENT DE SALUT - GENERALITAT DE CATALUNYA
Partners countries: 
Spain, Finland, France, Ecuador, Australia, United States, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Austria
Start/end date: 
Monday, 1 March 2021 to Saturday, 28 February 2026
Time frame: 
2021 - 2026
NBS type: 
Type 3
Societal challenges: 
Climate Resilience
Natural and Climate Hazards
Approach: 
Green Infrastructure
Environment: 
Urban Ecosystems