Built environment restructuring can improve public health through increased opportunity for healthy behaviors. Behavioral science targets individual health behaviors within place, suggesting the potential to integrate these approaches. This scoping review was one of the first to summarise the impact built environment restructuring has on health outcomes and behaviors and integrate these findings with the Capability-Opportunity-Motivation-Behavior model and Theoretical Domains Framework of behavior change. Potential studies were identified from 12 academic databases in urban design, psychology and public health. Search parameters involved 50 environment types, for example green space or healthy cities, combined with both an intervention (e.g. green infrastructure, active transport) and a measurable health outcome (e.g. exercise, wellbeing). Searches were limited to North America, Europe, or Australia/New Zealand. Of 536 potential studies reviewed against defined inclusion/exclusion criteria, 23 contributed to the findings. Evidence supported the positive influence of restructuring on varied health outcomes, many of which were drivers and domains of health behavior. Most studies indicated a clear contribution to increased physical activity. Recommendations include the need for explicit communication of theories guiding restructuring project design, consideration of health outcomes beyond physical activity, and better investigation of unanticipated barriers to health behaviors arising from built environment restructuring projects.

Exercise in natural environments positively impacts physical, social and mental well-being. However, most research has focused on green exercise, with less investigation of blue exercise (i.e. exercise in natural water). The study explored how blue exercise impacted well-being and whether its benefits were unique from other types of physical activity. Qualitative interviews (N = 8) were conducted with adults who participated in kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, surfing and open-water swimming. Semi-structured interviews focused on blue exercise type, feelings during/after, and non-blue exercise participation. Transcripts were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Benefits from blue exercise included being in nature, seeing land from a different perspective, and escaping daily responsibilities. Health benefits included improved physical health, particularly for persons with physical conditions, relaxation/mindfulness, and managing mental health through non-medicinal methods. Participants emphasised social aspects compared with other exercises; particularly through supporting others in skill development. They highlighted respect for water and feelings of achievement by overcoming their fear of it. The findings supported social, mental and physical benefits of exercising in nature liked to restorative environments and basic psychological need fulfilment, with several unique benefits specific to blue exercise. Encouraging blue exercise may have public health potential, but research should explore barriers to engaging with it and how it differs from another nature-based exercise.

In this study, the use of Twitter as a potential method to capture unsolicited views of urban green spaces was explored. Tweets were content analysed using attention restoration theory (ART) as the framework. Tweets about three city-centre urban green spaces in northern England were analysed for four attention restoration characteristics: being away, fascination, compatibility, and extent. Of 5,624 Tweets matching search parameters, approximately 10% were suitable for analysis after re-Tweets, advertising, and event-related matches were eliminated. Tweets most often referred to fascination or compatibility. Fewer than 5% of Tweets referred to being away and none referred to extent. Tweets associated with more biodiverse locations suggested they were also more fascinating. The thematic content in unsolicited Tweets about urban green space was consistent with characteristics central to attention restoration theory, reinforcing the positive potential of urban green spaces for attention restoration and Twitter as a potential data source.