Evaluating the health and well-being effects of increasing biodiversity within multiple small parks in Edinburgh, UK: A protocol for a mixed-methods, longitudinal, pre-post natural experiment

Introduction: Recent legislation in the United Kingdom regarding requirements for new developments to increase biodiversity may have significant implications for the environment and population health. Despite this, relatively little is known regarding the health and social benefits of increasing biodiversity in densely populated urban areas.
Methods and analysis: This Protocol outlines plans for a mixed-method, longitudinal, natural experiment study which will evaluate the planned, biodiversity-focused redevelopment of six small urban parks in Edinburgh, Scotland (UK). Using systematic observation (at baseline, 1-month post-intervention, and one year post-baseline) and a longitudinal household survey (at baseline and one year post-baseline), the primary outcomes of personal wellbeing, and secondary outcomes of nature connectedness and park usage behaviours, will be assessed, respectively. Consent for data linkage of respondent’s health records will also be sought. Process evaluation will employ semi-structured, qualitative interviews with stakeholders, and walk-along interviews with local residents in order to understand implementation processes. Space-related wellbeing will also be assessed using citizen science approaches.
Ethics and Dissemination: This study was approved by the University of Edinburgh’s School of Health in Social Sciences ethics committee. This study will provide further evidence for policymakers, the public and researchers of the health and social wellbeing effects of urban biodiversity interventions. Study findings will be disseminated via public forums such as community workshops and through publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentation at scientific conferences.
Strengths and limitations of this study
• Linking Leith’s Parks will be one of the first evaluations of a biodiversity-focused park regeneration in the UK context
• Longitudinal data collection coupled with a mixed methods design will allow for the measurement of causal effects and the triangulation of different methodologies to strengthen causal inferences
• Consent for data linkage will allow long-term health effects to be assessed
• Robust process evaluation will provide context to impact evaluation findings
• Lack of appropriate control sites may introduce bias associated with uncontrolled studies