The Research Journey
Over 15 years, researchers at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) and partners have built one of the UK’s most comprehensive evidence bases on urban green infrastructure and population health.
The programme began as a natural experiment, evaluating the Greenway’s health and social impacts before, during, and after construction.
It has since expanded to include economic analyses, systems modelling, and community research.
- 2007–2010: Design and community planning
- 2011–2017: Construction and implementation
- 2013–2020: Natural experiment and evaluation
- 2020–Present: Long-term legacy research through GroundsWell
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Theme |
Description |
Methods Used |
Key Outputs |
|
Health and Wellbeing |
Physical activity, mental wellbeing, quality of life, general health |
Repeat cross-sectional household surveys, accelerometer data, administrative medication prescription data |
|
|
Social and Community Impacts |
Social cohesion, perceptions of safety, civic pride |
Focus groups, interviews, participatory methods |
|
|
Economic Evaluation |
SROI, cost-effectiveness |
Economic modelling |
|
|
Environmental Change |
Green infrastructure, biodiversity, flooding |
GIS mapping, ecological monitoring |
|
|
Inequalities and Systems Change |
Who benefits most, multi-level systems modelling |
Systems mapping, simulation |
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