Increased appreciation for green infrastructure following bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from Canberra, Australia

Green infrastructure (GI) of various forms provides a range of benefits. Prior studies suggest a positive association between GI access and the quality of life of urban residents, but lack a focus on mid-sized cities, where residents have relatively ready access to peri-urban nature; and do not examine how this association changes during a population-wide shock. This study explores the association between GI access and wellbeing in Canberra, Australia, a planned mid-sized city, and whether this changed in response to two shock events: the 2019–20 bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis of survey responses from 3349 adult Canberrans identified that access to GI was associated with improved wellbeing, but only when accessing natural GI (e.g. reserves) rather than more constructed forms (e.g. parks and ovals), and when they could spend the “right” amount of time outdoors – neither more or less than they wished. Analysis of 119 responses to a survey of a subsampled population suggested that use of all GI decreased during the bushfires, but the use of nearby parks and ovals was high during the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents appreciated GI more as a result of both shock events, but also expected better management of GI-associated fire risks. These results reaffirm the value of GI to urban residents’ wellbeing, even in mid-sized cities, though some findings may be specific to Canberra. These results suggest the need to understand how various shock events, expected to become more common, may affect the association between access to different forms of GI and wellbeing.