The presence, access, quality, and distribution of green spaces result into health outcomes such as life expectancy, reduction in mortality and morbidity, improvement of mental health; and psychological restoration as medicine, education, urban planning, philosophy and ecology highlight and provide evidence. Moreover, the presence of green spaces in work and educational environments is related to better learning and cognitive development, the generation of scientific knowledge, environmental education and ecological awareness, improvement of social interaction cohesion and collective well-being. University campuses are the ideal places to test both sustainability opportunities and education challenges and make them a communal experience to study and promote sustainable well-being. This project addresses the relationship between health, well-being and green spaces from an interdisciplinary perspective. Together with the KLI fellow Laura Menatti, and Ibone Ametzaga-Arregi, I have designed a mixed method study to evaluate the perception of green spaces in the 4 Campuses of the University of the Basque Country to analyze the well-being outcomes and the ecological aspects (ecosystem services).

This proposal is relevant as it is situated in the intersection of ecology, philosophy and sustainability sciences, by following an interdisciplinary methodology both which integrates qualitative and quantitative analysis. It is conceived at a local scale and has a clear societal relevance to redound positively in the university community. The results of the study will be published in an international peer-review journal, they will be discussed with the University office responsible for sustainability measures at the University of the Basque Country. The data collected will be translated into guidelines and advices and integrated into sustainability design decisions.

The study is in the pilot phase, and the related results and the explanation proposed are aimed at bridging the gap between ecological science and humanities in analyzing greens spaces and ecosystem services in a University Campus. It relies on quantitative and qualitative methods and it is based on an online survey for the whole University community and designed considering the literature and the contemporary accounts in environmental philosophy, environmental psychology and ecology.

This project is the third chapter of my PhD dissertation and it will be finalized in a paper to be written with the KLI fellow Laura Menatti and submitted by October 2023. My visiting at KLI is also aimed at widening the theoretical framework to sustain the introduction and the conclusion of my dissertation. I plan to accomplish the preliminary data-analyses during my visiting at KLI and to discuss them with Laura Menatti. I will also have the possibility to widen my knowledge in sustainability sciences, philosophy of science and biology by attending seminars and reading groups at KLI and interact with the KLI fellows, which definitely enrich the main output planned while at the KLI is to advance in the writing of the chapter of my dissertation dedicated to this project and also to acquire a theoretical framework for Introduction and Discussion of my thesis.