Greening for meaning: Sense of place in green citizen initiatives in the Netherlands
Increased global urbanisation has progressively disconnected humans and nature, resulting in public health challenges. Green citizen initiatives (e.g. food forests or community gardens) have the potential to reconnect people with nature and provide a source of meaning in life. This mixed methods stu...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Wellbeing, Space and Society |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666558125000065 |
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| author | Mellany N.C. van Bommel Marthe L. Derkzen Lenneke Vaandrager |
| author_facet | Mellany N.C. van Bommel Marthe L. Derkzen Lenneke Vaandrager |
| author_sort | Mellany N.C. van Bommel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Increased global urbanisation has progressively disconnected humans and nature, resulting in public health challenges. Green citizen initiatives (e.g. food forests or community gardens) have the potential to reconnect people with nature and provide a source of meaning in life. This mixed methods study aimed to understand the meanings attributed to green citizen initiatives by using the concept of sense of place and to investigate which factors predict this sense of place. Surveys (n = 130) were used alongside interviews with 38 participants of ten green citizen initiatives in the Netherlands. Findings demonstrate a strong sense of place among participants in the green citizen initiatives, which was significantly predicted by meaningful experiences, sense of safety within the initiative and length of involvement. Participation in green citizen initiatives appears to create meaning across and beyond the three dimensions of sense of place – place attachment, place identity and place dependence – and, additionally, a broader societal meaning of place. Findings imply that green citizen initiatives are valuable assets for health and wellbeing. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-81f46f732689419fb2cb1ae0e067ec66 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2666-5581 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Wellbeing, Space and Society |
| spelling | doaj-art-81f46f732689419fb2cb1ae0e067ec662025-01-24T04:45:46ZengElsevierWellbeing, Space and Society2666-55812025-06-018100240Greening for meaning: Sense of place in green citizen initiatives in the NetherlandsMellany N.C. van Bommel0Marthe L. Derkzen1Lenneke Vaandrager2Corresponding author at: Hollandseweg 1, 6706 KN, Wageningen, The Netherlands.; Health and Society, Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, Hollandseweg 1, 6706 KN, Wageningen, The NetherlandsHealth and Society, Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, Hollandseweg 1, 6706 KN, Wageningen, The NetherlandsHealth and Society, Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, Hollandseweg 1, 6706 KN, Wageningen, The NetherlandsIncreased global urbanisation has progressively disconnected humans and nature, resulting in public health challenges. Green citizen initiatives (e.g. food forests or community gardens) have the potential to reconnect people with nature and provide a source of meaning in life. This mixed methods study aimed to understand the meanings attributed to green citizen initiatives by using the concept of sense of place and to investigate which factors predict this sense of place. Surveys (n = 130) were used alongside interviews with 38 participants of ten green citizen initiatives in the Netherlands. Findings demonstrate a strong sense of place among participants in the green citizen initiatives, which was significantly predicted by meaningful experiences, sense of safety within the initiative and length of involvement. Participation in green citizen initiatives appears to create meaning across and beyond the three dimensions of sense of place – place attachment, place identity and place dependence – and, additionally, a broader societal meaning of place. Findings imply that green citizen initiatives are valuable assets for health and wellbeing.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666558125000065Sense of placeCommunity gardeningParticipationUrban agricultureHealth promotion |
| spellingShingle | Mellany N.C. van Bommel Marthe L. Derkzen Lenneke Vaandrager Greening for meaning: Sense of place in green citizen initiatives in the Netherlands Wellbeing, Space and Society Sense of place Community gardening Participation Urban agriculture Health promotion |
| title | Greening for meaning: Sense of place in green citizen initiatives in the Netherlands |
| title_full | Greening for meaning: Sense of place in green citizen initiatives in the Netherlands |
| title_fullStr | Greening for meaning: Sense of place in green citizen initiatives in the Netherlands |
| title_full_unstemmed | Greening for meaning: Sense of place in green citizen initiatives in the Netherlands |
| title_short | Greening for meaning: Sense of place in green citizen initiatives in the Netherlands |
| title_sort | greening for meaning sense of place in green citizen initiatives in the netherlands |
| topic | Sense of place Community gardening Participation Urban agriculture Health promotion |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666558125000065 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mellanyncvanbommel greeningformeaningsenseofplaceingreencitizeninitiativesinthenetherlands AT marthelderkzen greeningformeaningsenseofplaceingreencitizeninitiativesinthenetherlands AT lennekevaandrager greeningformeaningsenseofplaceingreencitizeninitiativesinthenetherlands |