The term ‘Glasgow Effect’ has been coined in recent years to describe the high levels of mortality and poor health experienced in Glasgow.

Even if various theories have been formulated, no single factor appears to explain why Scotland, and Glasgow in particular, have different mortality patterns than other UK and European cities with similar deprivation patterns (like Manchester and Liverpool).

Although socio-economic and cultural factors are undoubtedly major contributors to this phenomenon, environmental aspects definitely play a key role in Glaswegians’ life quality and expectancy.
The radical urban planning decisions from the 1950s onwards had made not just the physical but the mental health of Glasgow’s population more vulnerable to the consequences of deindustrialisation and poverty.

Analyzing the environmental quality of spaces in Glasgow and linking it to health and wellbeing of its residents, It becomes clear how quality of life and environmental deprivation are deeply connected.
It’s not a coincidence that the most deprived areas contain the highest number of vacant and derelict land and, in general, have the lowest quality of spaces.

Key Themes: Land-use, Well-being