Evaluating the effect of green, blue, and gray measures for climate change adaptation on children’s well-being in schoolyards in Barcelona
Combining green, blue, and grey solutions to address climate change impacts on school play areas yields positive student health and well-being outcomes
In 2020, the city of Barcelona, Spain adapted the outdoor play areas of eleven primary urban schools to mitigate the effects of climate change. The adaptations – which were designed specifically to reduce heat in the schoolyards – included the addition of green (vegetation), blue (water), and grey (human constructed) elements. The study used both qualitative and quantitative measures to evaluate the effects of these transformations on students’ health and its social determinants.
All of the sixth-grade students (age 11-12) in the eleven schools participated in the study as the intervention group (IG). Students from ten other schools with similar characteristics, but without the adapted areas, participated as the control group (CG). A total of 792 students (407 in the IG and 385 in the CG) completed both a pre-intervention and post-intervention questionnaire. Due to COVID-related school closures, the pre-intervention questionnaire was administered retrospectively. The post-intervention questionnaire was administered nine months after the transformations. The questionnaires assessed (a) perceptions of the schoolyard environment, (b) play and social behavior, and (c) health and well-being. Additional data were collected by way of photovoice-based sessions with small groups of students from the IG and interviews with seven teachers from the IG. The photovoice sessions gave students the opportunity to discuss ways in which the interventions had changed their use of the space, social interactions, and feelings about the schoolyard. During the interviews, teachers shared their perceptions of the impact the transformations had on students’ (a) comfort and well-being and (b) on play and behavior during recess. The teachers were also invited to discuss their overall satisfaction with the transformations and any other thoughts they would like to share.
Results showed that both students and teachers had more positive perceptions of the schoolyard after intervention due, in part, to improved thermal conditions, attractiveness, and naturalization of the environment. Noted positive benefits to students include reduced conflict behavior, enhanced well-being, increased play opportunities, and social inclusion. Students also reported increased feelings of relaxation, safety, and physical comfort. Some of the effects seemed to be gender related. Suggestions for further improvement related to safety, water waste, students’ autonomy and heat reduction.
This research adds to the literature by investigating how combining green, blue, and grey solutions to climate change affect children’s thermal comfort, playability, social behavior, physical health, and mental well-being. The findings “highlight the importance of designing schoolyards that incorporate a greater variety of areas and elements (e.g., shade, seats, greenery) in contrast to traditional spaces (consisting mainly of a large sports field). This design approach creates more opportunities for play and fosters inclusivity.”
Citation
Sanz-Mas, M., Continente, X., Brugueras, S., Marí-Dell’Olmo, M., Oliveras, L., Lopez, M. J., (2025). Evaluating the effect of green, blue, and gray measures for climate change adaptation on children’s well-being in schoolyards in Barcelona. Landscape and Urban Planning, 253
