John Best talks waterways and wellbeing at our waterside conference.

1. Waterways and Wellbeing
Water as a place-tonic
Presentation at CCBE,
University of Northampton
Claiming the Waterside
7th July 2014

3. A little about me
Placemaking, by any means
The dynamic
The complexity
The politics
The importance

4. Waterways can define places (but often do not)
How can people ignore the water beside them?
How do we ensure the place works well?
A quick typology . . . .

5. At least the water is an edge.
Some places ignore even that

6. If it is at least seen, it becomes
a setting, a canvas to describe
the place

7. If the water is incorporated, it becomes
a lever for the place-maker, for
enclosed water space, dramatic
crossings, etc. The place defines
itself around water.

8. Beyond those, we can see the water
as a stage, where activity floats on,
celebrates and animates water and
neighbourhood.

9. SE Waterways challenge:
20 local authorities
40 towns and
130 town and parish councils . . .
. . . Do you embrace or ignore ?

10. Historical context -
Our waterside places have all been
made before, 200 years ago.
Characters, script and audience
changed, so . . .
Reinterpret for 21st century

11. Romans Fosdyke from Lincoln to the Trent
1425 River Lee navigation
1635 Locks and weirs on the Thames
by 1760 Every town within 15 miles of a
navigable river or the sea
1760-1830 Golden Age of UK canals

12. Economic imperative:
Competitive frenzy
Drove the world`s first industrial revolution
Heralded widespread urbanisation
Underpinned GB dominance for 150 years
Significant social costs

13. The Golden Age of canals
1760-1830

14. Three phases of canals

15. Economic imperative

16. Heroic Engineering

17. 5000 km of
navigable
waterways
Broad beam
Narrow beam
River navigation
Restoration
New canals

18. what`s near us?

19. Arms of the Grand Union Canal
• Wendover Arm 1797
(restoration)
• Aylesbury Arm 1815
(local adoption)
• Buckingham Arm 1800 (restoration)
• Northampton Arm 1815 (adoption)
• Daventry Arm (new canal)
• Bedford-MK Waterway (new canal)

20. Northampton Arm
From Gayton Junction
On Grand Union to the
River Nene at Northampton.
17 Locks

21. Northampton Arm History
- Leicestershire and Northamptonshire Canal
- Royal warrant in 1793
- Surveyed by James Barnes in 1796
- Costs overran from £18,785 to £36,000
- Started August 1813, complete May 1815

22. Chronology
Golden Age 1760 – 1830
The Railways 1830 – 1960
Decline 1830 – 1950
Nationalisation 1948
British Waterways 1962 -2012
Canal & River Trust 2012

23. 1962 less than 10,000 boats on network
Waterways closing down all over
2012 over 36,000 boats on network
(more than at industrial peak)

24. National Treasure
3100km of waterways
72 Reservoirs
338 Aqueducts
3000 Bridges
1600 Locks
1900 Culverts
48 Pumping stations
55 Tunnels

25. National Treasure
C&RT are responsible for
50 Scheduled Monuments
2,705 listed buildings and structures
305 conservation areas
and waterways run through
5 World Heritage Sites
9 Historic Battlefields
61 Historic Parks and Gardens
3 National Parks

26. and. . . modern heroic place icons

27. Waterways and wellness
From economic nexus, with social cost . . .
. . . to social nexus with economic benefit
. . . and cultural nexus with health benefit
Waterways press many policy buttons . . .

28. Definition of Well Being
Slide courtesy of Natural England

29. Health targets
Green space and impact
50% within 5 miles
12m pa to the network
20m visits by cyclists
4m visits by canoeists
£500m pa value of public benefits

30. Health targets (and evidence)
tackling OBESITY and inactive lifestyles
improving MENTAL HEALTH
Study of two Scottish canals 2011:
3.9m kms travelled £6.4m pa
road safety benefits £220k pa
reduced absenteeism £77k pa
reduced air pollution exposure

31. Obesity
1.UK rates have tripled in 20 years.
2.By 2050 60% of population and 1 in 4
under 16 year olds will be obese.
3.Total cost of obesity to society will be
£45 billion by 2020.
4. NI 55/56: Obesity in primary school age
children in Reception and year 6**.
Slide courtesy of Natural England

32. Obesity and Green Space
New research from US
• Children in poor areas were less
obese and put on less weight in
areas of accessible Green Space
compared to those in less green
areas.
• This equates to less weight gain of
approximately 1.6kg for girls aged
4 years (2kg for boys) and 5.1kg for
girls aged 16yrs (5.9kg for boys).
Slide courtesy of Natural England

33. Impact at individual level

34. Impact at community level

35. Volunteering
C&RT 10 year ambition :
“to be regarded as an established
and trusted volunteering charity,
capable of attracting and retaining
over 10,000 regular volunteers.”

36. Stress as a Public Health problem
(Natural England)
Physical
inactivity and
Obesity
Diabetes
Reduced access
to Greenspace
Chronic Stress
Anxiety and
Depression
Raised
Inflammatory
Markers
Social Inequalities leading to
environmental injustice
Cardiovascular
Disease
Lung
Cancer Disease
Social
Isolation
Slide courtesy of Natural England

37. Natural England`s health and
wellbeing policy
Slide courtesy of Natural England

38. “Five Ways to
Wellbeing - New
applications, new
ways of thinking”
Report produced
by NHS
Confederation and
new economics
foundation (nef)
Definition of Well Being
Slide courtesy of Natural England

39. So lets . . .
Adoptions
Devise places whose relationship
to water moves up the hierarchy
from edge, through setting, to
lever, to stage

40. • Creating spaces that engage individuals and
communities, and enable physical and social
activity, will produce happier populations
• Spaces that draw communities together, where
people give, will create social capital and a
more sustainable society
• Water cannot be marginal

41. • The social, political and economic importance
of Britain`s waterways has radically changed
from the times that produced them
• Place-making must address the breadth of
issues – an obligation, even – and not just
make pretty waterside places

42. Waterways and Wellbeing
Let water be your place-tonic
Thank you
jvmbest@aol.com
07710 553862

45. Health & Wellbeing Boards
9no. Regional Health & Wellbeing Boards:
North West - 23no. H&W Boards
North East - 12no. H&W Boards
Yorkshire & Humber - 15no. H&W Boards
East Midlands - 10no. H&W Boards
West Midlands - 14no. H&W Boards
East - 11no. H&W Boards
South West -15no. H&W Boards
South East - 18no. H&W Boards
London - 33no. H&W Boards

46. Waterways & Health
Health Indicators
• Infant death
• People diagnosed with
diabetes
• Deprivation
• Children in poverty
• Homeless
• Teenage pregnancy & smoking
during pregnancy
• Obese children
• Physically active children &
adults