International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Article A Transdisciplinary Approach to Recovering Natural and Cultural Landscape and Place Identification: A Case Study of Can Moritz Spring (Rubí, Spain) Marina Cervera 1 , Simon Bell 2,3 , Francesc Muñoz 4 , Himansu S. Mishra 2 , Lora E. Fleming 5 , James Grellier 5,6 , Glòria Carrasco-Turigas 7,8,9 , Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen 7,8,9 , Cristina Vert 7,8,9 and Mireia Gascon 7,8,9, * 1 Departament d’Urbanisme i Ordenació del Territori (DUOT), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya- Barcelona Tech (UPC), 08028 Barcelona, Spain; mcerveraalonsodemedina@gmail.com 2 Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, 51014 Tartu, Estonia; Simon.Bell@emu.ee (S.B.); HimansuSekhar.Mishra@emu.ee (H.S.M.) 3 Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH1 1JZ, UK 4 Departament de Geografia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; franc.munoz@uab.es 5 European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School,  Truro TR1 3HD, UK; L.E.Fleming@exeter.ac.uk (L.E.F.); J.Grellier@exeter.ac.uk (J.G.)  6 Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, 31-007 Krakow, Poland 7 ISGlobal, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; gloria.carrasco@isglobal.org (G.C.-T.).; Citation: Cervera, M.; Bell, S.; mark.nieuwenhuijsen@isglobal.org (M.J.N.); cristina.vert@isglobal.org (C.V.) Muñoz, F.; Mishra, H.S.; 8 Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08193 Barcelona, Spain Fleming, L.E.; Grellier, J.; 9 CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain Carrasco-Turigas, G.; * Correspondence: mireia.gascon@isglobal.org; Tel.: +34-93-214-7363 Nieuwenhuijsen, M.J.; Vert, C.; Gascon, M. A Transdisciplinary Abstract: The perception of the quality of green and blue spaces can be key in the relationship between a Approach to Recovering Natural and community and its local landscape (i.e., place identification). The lack of transdisciplinary training and Cultural Landscape and Place social-specific education of landscape architects regarding the complexity of landscape as a participative Identification: A Case Study of Can cultural artefact limits reaching the general population. Bridging this gap of landscape and place Moritz Spring (Rubí, Spain). Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, identification and evaluation by a local community was the main objective of the present case study 1709. https://doi.org/10.3390/ conducted at an abandoned spring and seasonal stream area in Rubí (Spain). The “Steinitz method” ijerph18041709 of landscape evaluation was used as a participatory method to activate community members to learn about and express their visual preferences regarding this neglected landscape. Bottom-up interventions Academic Editors: Pierre Horwitz applying an “urban acupuncture” approach in the area identified as the least attractive by the residents and Paul B. Tchounwou were co-designed and combined with a top-down restoration of a nearby, existing but derelict and Received: 24 December 2020 hidden, spring. In addition, before and after planning and implementing the intervention, we conducted Accepted: 5 February 2021 surveys about the community perception, sense of belonging and use of the space. We observed that Published: 10 February 2021 the lack of awareness of the inhabitants about this spring was an obstacle preventing the community from embracing the potential for health and wellbeing presented by the spring and adjacent landscape. Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral Following the work, the landscape saw increasing use, and the historic spring was brought back to life as with regard to jurisdictional claims in a resource to help people to improve their health and wellbeing. published maps and institutional affil- iations. Keywords: natural environments; landscape architecture; heritage; social participation; community engagement; health and wellbeing Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. 1. Introduction This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and Extensive literature from the last decade has provided increasing evidence of the conditions of the Creative Commons health benefits of being exposed to natural environments, including nature in urban Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// areas. Research results are remarkably consistent in demonstrating an association between creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ green spaces (trees, grass, forests and parks) and blue spaces (rivers, lakes, springs and 4.0/). the coast) and better mental health and wellbeing [1–4]. Two recent systematic reviews Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 1709. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18041709 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 1709 2 of 18 showed a reduction in mortality associated with increasing exposure to green spaces close to residential areas [2,5]. Stress reduction, the promotion of physical activity and an increase in social interactions are some of the suggested mechanisms behind such health and wellbeing benefits. Such spaces also attenuate the adverse health effects of noise, air pollution and increased temperatures [6,7], which are mainly an issue in urban areas that are developing and densifying [8]. While existing studies show that quantity factors (e.g., the proportion of residential green space, distance from the coast or time spent in these spaces) are significant factors affecting health impacts, a limited number of studies have also indicated that the actual and perceived quality of green and blue spaces is essential for obtaining a range of positive health and wellbeing outcomes; this includes the perception of signs of pollution (e.g., foam on water), signs of a lack of stewardship (e.g., litter and vandalism), algal blooms, or low levels of biodiversity and wildlife [9–13]. In this sense, the concept “therapeutic landscape” was coined in 1992 to explore why specific environments seem to contribute to a healing sense of place [14,15]. Besides, access to nature is an even more critical factor [16–19]. Bearing this in mind and considering that a recent study observed that there is an exponential relationship between the residential distance to green and blue spaces and visits to these sites [20], it is crucial to conduct interventions co-created with affected individuals and communities in order to ensure the availability of good-quality nearby green and blue spaces. Moreover, such interventions can reduce the inequality of access to such environments and, in turn, reduce health and environmental inequalities, as we have shown in recent intervention studies [17,21]. Since the European Landscape Convention (ELC) [22] was adopted in 2000, a renewed concept of landscape spread throughout the continent. The ELC defines landscape as “an area, as perceived by people, whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and/or human factors”. This notion has been widely accepted by scientific literature [23] and has boosted the Convention as the most widely adopted (now ratified by 40 out of 47 CoE members). It is also a globally influential approach to the subject (through its amendment opening the text to countries outside Europe [24]). Through its Article 5, the ELC recognizes landscapes to be an essential component of people’s surroundings and a foundation of their identity because they are an expression of the diversity and shared cultural and natural heritage of a specific community [25]. All the signatories to the Convention commit, in Article 5c, “to establish procedures for the participation of the general public, local and regional authorities, and other parties with interest in the definition and implementation of the landscape policies mentioned in paragraph b above”. This section secures the basis for collaborative design and the community’s empowerment to reflect and intervene in their landscapes. The notion of the Right to Landscape [26] evolved from the ELC principles and the shared social responsibilities to the environment, emphasising the importance of governance beyond the definition of landscape, extending the specific awareness-raising measures integrated into Article 6 of the ELC. The importance of landscape perception and public participation is thus only fostered in European-level policy, whilst a broader range of objectives on health and wellbeing and the importance of life on land are recognized in the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, specifically through sustainable development goals 3 and 15 [27]. Even though scientific literature has identified the strong links between landscape and health [8,14,19], the importance of landscape regarding community health and community building seems to have been disregarded in international recommendations and sustainability agendas, which explains the focus on the ELC as the main reference for this research. Understanding that not all communities are cohesive and not all individuals have the same levels of awareness towards their landscapes, the ELC promotes a new culture of participatory and collaborative landscape analysis, management, and design, focusing on ordinary landscapes as opposed to previous concerns over highly valued or protected landscapes. The recognition of the importance of the ordinary urban landscape can be traced back to the 1990s [28] and is still integrated into environmentalist mainstream thinking, Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 1709 3 of 18 entrenching equity of access to the landscape as a right. The notion of preserving natural landscape as heritage can be traced back to 1872, when Yellowstone was protected as the first U.S. national park, becoming an area of exceptional natural landscape protection and a touchstone of the emerging environmental culture. The time needed for the academic contribution on ordinary or every day landscapes to reach public acceptance and the integration of ordinary landscape as a collective right is tackled in the ELC text through an emphasis on education [29]. The ELC encourages interdisciplinary training programmes in politics, nature conservation and landscape management aimed at professionals in the private and public sectors, and specific training in schools and universities. However, the lack of awareness towards landscape complexity as a cultural artefact among the general public is an obstacle. While the landscape and the ELC are rightly considered important, discussing the local landscape or environment with communities reveals that landscape as a concept is better replaced with the notion of “place”. Depending on the authors, places are a combination of the physical environment, the activities people do there, and the perceptions they hold [30]. When researchers—trained as landscape architects—try to interview the residents of a particular locality about their landscape, they often find it frustrating that the interviewees’ responses wander away from the specific physical environment to talk about living there, jobs, services and other things (which are indivisible from the place, its identity and the attachment people have for it). The limited social- and participation-specific education in landscape architecture curricula [31–33] and lack of transdisciplinary training is challenged by the collaborative and multidisciplinary case-study approach embraced by authors from different backgrounds. Thus, while it is important to consider landscape as a subject field, practically speaking, it can be a closed book to local people unless they can be given the means to understand it, such as through public participation and co-design processes. The tripartite model of Scannel and Gifford is a well-known approach for understanding place and has been widely used in local participation processes [34,35]. Bridging this gap of landscape and place identification and evaluation by local resi- dents was the main objective of the present case study conducted in the municipality of Rubí (Barcelona, Spain). The case study was the result of interdisciplinary and trans-sectoral work involving environmental epidemiologists and landscape architects within the E.U. Horizon 2020-funded BlueHealth project, together with landscape architect practitioners and academics in the area of Barcelona, students of the Master in Landscape Intervention and Heritage Management (LIHM, at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona—UAB) course, a local non-governmental organisation (NGO) (Rubí d’Arrel) with expertise in nature and heritage protection and recovery, the local public administration (City Council of Rubí), and, most importantly, local citizens. The specific objectives of the case study, as a joint research and practice project, were (i) to renovate the spring of Can Moritz (Rubí) and its surroundings; (ii) to co-design the renovation intervention by engaging the residents in a comprehensive participatory process integrating the analysis, design and partial construction of the particular place; (iii) to empower and inform citizens regarding their responsibilities and rights over their everyday landscapes; and iv) to evaluate the use and perception of the place before and after the intervention. 2. Materials and Methods The BlueHealth project (https://bluehealth2020.eu), which ran from January 2016 to December 2020, aimed to understand the relationships between exposure to blue space and health and wellbeing, to map and quantify the public health and wellbeing impacts of changes to natural and artificial blue spaces and associated urban infrastructure in Europe, and to provide evidence-based information to policymakers on how to maximise the health benefits associated with interventions in and around aquatic environments [36]. Following the latter objective, eleven small-scale experimental interventions were conducted and evaluated in different European regions (https://bluehealth2020.eu/research/). One of these interventions took place in the municipality of Rubí (Barcelona, Spain), an industrial December 2020, aimed to understand the relationships between exposure to blue space 150 and health and wellbeing, to map and quantify the public health and wellbeing impacts 151 of changes to natural and artificial blue spaces and associated urban infrastructure in Eu- 152 rope, and to provide evidence-based information to policymakers on how to maximise 153 the1709 Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, health benefits associated with interventions in and around aquatic environments [36]. 4 of 18 154 Following the latter objective, eleven small-scale experimental interventions were con- 155 ducted and evaluated in different European regions (https://bluehealth2020.eu/research/). 156 One of these interventions took place in the municipality of Rubí (Barcelona, Spain), an 157 city of 77,500 industrial cityinhabitants located 20 km of 77,500 inhabitants from20 located Barcelona, km from and with practically Barcelona, and with 50% of its practically 158 land classified as nondevelopable (i.e., protected from being built on). Rubí is 50% of its land classified as nondevelopable (i.e., protected from being built on). Rubí is characterised 159 by a combination characterised by aofcombination a dense cityofcentre, a dense industrial parks, city centre, and a parks, industrial significant and aexpanse of significant 160 low-density residential areas (dispersed) mixed with nondevelopable land. expanse of low-density residential areas (dispersed) mixed with nondevelopable land. The BlueHealth 161 intervention The BlueHealth aimed to recover and intervention renovate, aimed in collaboration to recover and renovate, withinresidents, an abandoned collaboration with resi- 162 historical site, the spring of Can Moritz, together with some adjacent derelict dents, an abandoned historical site, the spring of Can Moritz, together with some adjacent public land 163 along a small seasonal stream fed by the spring, in a valley next to one of the derelict public land along a small seasonal stream fed by the spring, in a valley next to onecommunities 164 in ofthis the low-density communitiesresidential area (the valley in this low-density of “Les residential Martines”), area (the valleylocated of “LesaMartines”), 20 min drive lo- 165 from the city centre (Figure 1). cated a 20 min drive from the city centre (Figure 1). 166 167 Figure1.1. Location where Figure where the thestudy studysite sitewas wasconducted (valley conducted of “Les (valley Martines” of “Les in Rubí Martines” (Catalonia, in Rubí Spain); (Catalonia, source: Spain); Land- source: 168 scape Intervention and Heritage Management (LIHM) students). Yellow indicates the initiation of the stream; Landscape Intervention and Heritage Management (LIHM) students). Yellow indicates the initiation of the stream; red red indicates 169 the area the indicates of study. area of study. 170 2.1. The Study Site: The History of the Can Moritz Spring and Its Surroundings 171 2.1. The Study Site: According to The localHistory mediaofand the records Can Moritz Spring from and Council the City Its Surroundings of Rubí, in the mid-19th 172 According century, Louis toMoritz, local media and records the founder from of the the City Council well-known MoritzofBrewery Rubí, in the mid-19th in Barcelona, 173 century, Louis Moritz, the founder of the well-known Moritz Brewery in bought the property of “Can Matarí” (“Can” in Catalan means “the house of”) in the Barcelona, bought “Les 174 the property of “Can Matarí” (“Can” in Catalan means “the house of”) in the Martines” valley, Rubí, as a summer house. The “Vallès” region, where the municipality “Les Martines” 175 valley, of RubíRubí, as a summer is located, house. The and specifically, the“Vallès” lush andregion, shadywhere valleythe municipality of “Les Martines”,of was Rubítar- is 176 located, geted atand thatspecifically, the lush destination” time as a “nature and shady valley of “Les offering Martines”, better was targeted health conditions at that during the 177 time as a “nature hot summer destination” periods offering better health for the upper-middle-class conditions citizens during the of Barcelona. Thehot summer urban living 178 periods for the conditions upper-middle-class in Barcelona’s citizenscentral dense medieval of Barcelona. The urban city, walled until living conditions 1854, rendered in basic 179 Barcelona’s dense medieval central city, walled until 1854, rendered basic hygiene hygiene features (fresh water, clean air and contact with nature) a privilege to be sought features 180 (fresh in thewater, clean air countryside. neighbouring and contact with The nature) a privilege “Can Matarí” to be sought farmhouse in the was thus neighbouring part of a cultural 181 countryside. The “Can Matarí” farmhouse was thus part of a cultural landscape that featured bourgeois summer houses on the “Vallès” hillsides and connectedlandscape that 182 featured bourgeois summer houses on the “Vallès” hillsides and connected the main roads to the land around these houses, traditionally comprising the main house, the surrounding gardens, its productive lands (linked to the original farmhouse) and private springs. These springs offered fresh water and an opportunity to sit within a humid enclosure to feel the cooling effect. After the death of Louis Moritz, in 1922, the family built a modernist-style house next to the existing farmhouse (“Can Matarí”) and designed a similarly styled enclosure around the natural water spring initially used by the landowners for their water supply, which is currently named after Moritz (Can Moritz). This spring comprised an oval or “bathtub”- shaped brick-lined tank set into the ground, at the base of which the spring water was fed vate springs. These springs offered fresh water and an opportunity to sit within a humid 185 enclosure to feel the cooling effect. 186 After the death of Louis Moritz, in 1922, the family built a modernist-style house next 187 to the existing farmhouse (“Can Matarí”) and designed a similarly styled enclosure 188 around the natural water spring initially used by the landowners for their water supply, 189 Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 1709 5 of 18 which is currently named after Moritz (Can Moritz). This spring comprised an oval or 190 “bathtub”-shaped brick-lined tank set into the ground, at the base of which the spring 191 water was fed into channels. Around the edges were located several brick benches resem- 192 bling sofas upon into channels. whichthe Around people edgescould wererecline, located relax severaland feelbenches brick cooler inresembling the shady sofas and moist upon 193 atmosphere. which people could recline, relax and feel cooler in the shady and moist atmosphere. 194 Around Around the the mid-1950s, mid-1950s, the the family family sold sold the the property, property, andand the the land land was was parcelled parcelled out, out, 195 which which resulted resultedininthethehouse houseofof CanCanMoritz Moritzremaining remaining in private in privateownership, ownership,currently cat- currently 196 alogued catalogued as the archaeological as the archaeological heritage of Rubí. heritage By contrast, of Rubí. the surrounding By contrast, the surroundingplots plots were 197 sold and developed as a low-density garden city or suburban housing. were sold and developed as a low-density garden city or suburban housing. The spring The spring belong- 198 ing to Can Moritz belonging to Canended Moritzupendedin public land, up in as it land, public was located as it wasnext to a seasonal located next tostream. The a seasonal 199 stream stream.basin was integrated The stream basin wasinto the state integrated hydrological into water protection the state hydrological area and thus water protection area 200 remained cut off from and thus remained cut the summer off from house system. the summer ScarcelyScarcely house system. noticed noticed by localbypeople, it was local people, 201 it wasabandoned soon soon abandoned and gradually and gradually infilled infilled and overgrown, and overgrown, that it wasthatutterly it waslost. utterly lost. In In Decem- 202 December ber 2014, 2014, after after a massive a massive heavy storm,heavythestorm, spring theand spring and its modernist its modernist recreationalrecreational structure 203 structure were rediscovered by residents. In 2016 a local NGO, were rediscovered by residents. In 2016 a local NGO, Rubí d’Arrel, instigated the first Rubí d’Arrel, instigated 204 the first restoration restoration intervention intervention with volunteers with volunteers by removing by removing the vegetation, the vegetation, and and cleaning cleaning the 205 the spring spring and and the surroundings, the surroundings, unveiling unveiling the 1922 the 1922 designdesign for recreational for recreational uses uses aroundaround Can 206 Can Moritz’s Moritz’s springspring (Figure(Figure 2). Simultaneously, 2). Simultaneously, the area the area across across the the stream stream waswas identified identified as 207 as needing needing some some environmental environmental improvements—inpart, improvements—in part,sosothat thataafootbridge footbridgecould could bebe laid 208 to improve to improve access access to to the the spring spring (which (which was was atat the the base base of of aa steep steep slope), slope), and and to to revitalise revitalise 209 and restore the landscape. and restore the landscape. 210 211 Figure 2. The spring of Can Moritz when first cleared of vegetation in 2014, during reconstruction in 2016 and after the 212 restoration was completed restoration was completed in in 2019 2019 (pictures (pictures from from Jordi Jordi Simó Simó and and Jordi Jordi Muntan). Muntan). 213 2.2. The Approach 214 2.2. The Approach In In 2016, 2016, aa collaboration collaboration between between the the BlueHealth BlueHealth project, project, the the local local NGO NGO RubíRubí d’Arrel, d’Arrel, 215 professors professors andand students students of ofthe theMaster Masterprogramme programmeininLandscape Landscape Intervention Intervention andand Herit- Heritage 216 age Management (LIHM), and the City Council was established Management (LIHM), and the City Council was established to conduct an extensive to conduct an extensive 217 intervention intervention to to renovate renovate thethespring springand andits itssurroundings surroundingswhile while involving involving thethe neighbours neighbours of 218 of the Can Moritz spring. While the City Council assumed the costs the Can Moritz spring. While the City Council assumed the costs of renovating the spring of renovating the 219 spring itself asitself as a heritage a heritage architectural architectural structure structure (the most (the most expensive expensive part part of the of the interven- intervention, 220 tion, ≈ EUR ≈ EUR 80,000), 80,000), the BlueHealth the BlueHealth project project spent spent a modest a modest amount amount (EUR (EUR 10,000) 10,000) to con- to conduct 221 duct what is known as an “urban acupuncture” (i.e., a small-scale what is known as an “urban acupuncture” (i.e., a small-scale intervention to transformintervention to trans- the 222 form the broader urban context around the spring and its nearby stream). broader urban context around the spring and its nearby stream). An integrative project An integrative 223 project for the for the study whole wholearea study area would would never benever be practical practical in budgetary in budgetary terms. terms. However, However, urban 224 urban acupuncture builds on the progressive institutionalization of grassroots acupuncture builds on the progressive institutionalization of grassroots initiatives to shape initiatives 225 to theshape thetactical city, as city, asurbanism tactical urbanism means relational means relational processesprocesses in space in space testing testing [37,38]. [37,38]. 226 The full project took place between 2016 and 2020 (Figure 3). In 2017, we engaged and recruited neighbours for our preintervention evaluation to obtain information on the use and perception of the study site, and conducted workshops that enabled the students of the Master in LIHM programme to design the intervention, which was conducted between 2018 and 2019, together with the restoration of the spring. In 2020, we conducted the postin- tervention evaluation (see Figure 3). We carried out a multimethod study comprising a questionnaire survey and two public participation landscape/place evaluation workshops. The survey was carried out pre- and postintervention implementation. and recruited neighbours for our preintervention evaluation to obtain information on the 228 use and perception of the study site, and conducted workshops that enabled the students 229 of the Master in LIHM programme to design the intervention, which was conducted be- 230 tween 2018 and 2019, together with the restoration of the spring. In 2020, we conducted 231 the postintervention evaluation (see Figure 3). We carried out a multimethod study com- 232 Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 1709 6 of 18 prising a questionnaire survey and two public participation landscape/place evaluation 233 workshops. The survey was carried out pre- and postintervention implementation. 234 235 Figure 3. Figure 3. Calendar Calendar of of the the project project (intervention (intervention and and its its evaluation). evaluation). 236 2.3. Design 2.3. Design of of the the Intervention Intervention 237 The students The students of of the the Master Master in in LIHM LIHM programme programme conducted conducted two two workshops. workshops. In In the the 238 first, the first, the focus focus was was on on aa landscape landscape analysis analysis of of the the site site of of Can Can Matarí Matarí (“Les (“Les Martines”), Martines”), 239 including the including the valley valley and and hillsides hillsides along along the the Can Can Matarí Matarí stream stream where where the the house house andand the the 240 spring are situated. The students were mentored to learn spring are situated. The students were mentored to learn about the site’s topographical, about the site’s topographical, 241 natural and natural andhistorical historicalcharacteristics, characteristics, interweaving interweaving thethe objectives objectives andand subjective subjective frame- framework 242 work of of cultural cultural landscapes landscapes [39,40].[39,40]. The analysis The analysis followedfollowed the classic the classic method method of theof the “layer “layer cake 243 cake model” model” for thefor sitethe site developed developed and published and published by Ian McHarg by Ian McHarg during theduring 1980sthe 1980s [41], [41], building 244 building upon upon foundations foundations laid by Sauer,laid where by Sauer, the where landscape the islandscape understood is understood as being built as up beingin 245 built up layers in layers from from thesoils, the geology, geology, soils, hydrology hydrology ecology and ecology culturalandprocesses. cultural processes. This methodThis 246 method contributed contributed to building to ecologically building ecologically based landbased land usewhich use planning, planning, should which should as be regarded be 247 aregarded fundamental as a fundamental theory for guidingtheory future for guiding future developments developments on a specificon a specific site. site. This This workshop 248 workshop was held with wasthe held with the collaboration collaboration of the City of the City Council. Council. 249 The The second secondworkshop workshop(Figure (Figure 4)4) consisted consisted of aofparticipatory a participatory workshop workshop where students where stu- 250 were dentscommissioned were commissioned to trigger landscape/place to trigger landscape/place awareness amongamong awareness the localthecommunity local commu- in 251 the nity“Les in the Martines” “Les Martines”valley. In this case, valley. In this wecase, adapted the visual we adapted thepreference methodology visual preference method- of 252 Steinitz ology of[42,43], Steinitzoriginally meant formeant [42,43], originally evaluating natural environments, for evaluating to evaluatetourban natural environments, evaluateen- 253 vironments. This methodology was finetuned to map local urban environments. This methodology was finetuned to map local inhabitants’ visual inhabitants’ visual preferences 254 and thus detect, preferences through and thus a visual detect, through preference a visual heat map, where preference heat map,landscape where improvement landscape im- 255 and, thus, design provement intervention and, thus, were seen aswere design intervention being most seen as necessary. being mostSteinitz’s necessary. overall aim Steinitz’s 256 of reconciling overall the potentially aim of reconciling conflicting conflicting the potentially aspects of aspects places that are both of places that highly are both visually highly 257 preferred and identified visually preferred as havingas and identified high ecological having integrity was high ecological adapted integrity was toadapted foster landscape to foster 258 awareness-raising and achieve a sustainable landscape landscape awareness-raising and achieve a sustainable landscape through governance through governance rather than ra- 259 planning. The elaboration ther than planning. of visual preference The elaboration of visual mapping preference (VPM) mappingwas the (VPM) main focus was theofmain the 260 second focus ofworkshop, the second which was challenging, workshop, which was given the characteristics challenging, given theofcharacteristics the community ofand the 261 its local landscape. community The character and its local landscape. ofThe the character urban settlement of the urbanstructure along structure settlement the long street along 262 running parallel to the stream was the primary condition determining the community’s use and behaviour around the “Les Martines” valley. In addition, the low-density urban sprawl carried low numbers of residents in direct relation to the spring and the nearby green spaces, and determined their dispersion. The workshop was thus targeted at a widely spread community with little interaction with each other, minimal knowledge of the immediate local environment as a result of most people’s commuter lifestyles, and little identification with their local landscape. the long street running parallel to the stream was the primary condition determining the 263 community’s use and behaviour around the “Les Martines” valley. In addition, the low- 264 density urban sprawl carried low numbers of residents in direct relation to the spring and 265 the nearby green spaces, and determined their dispersion. The workshop was thus tar- 266 Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021,geted 18, 1709at a widely spread community with little interaction with each other, minimal 7 of 18 267 knowledge of the immediate local environment as a result of most people’s commuter 268 lifestyles, and little identification with their local landscape. 269 270 Figure 4. Figure 4. Participatory workshop with Participatory workshop with the the neighbours neighbours (September (September 2017). 2017). 271 We summarize the steps that that were were taken taken between between 2017 2017 and and 2018: 2018: 272 (1) The first contact with the neighbours was the the joint joint analysis analysis of of their their built built environ- environ- 273 ment through through the thevisual visualmapping mappingworkshop workshopactivities. activities.After Afterseveral severalweeks weeksof research of research on 274 on the the social, social, environmental environmental and and landscape landscape conditions, conditions, the master the master students students prepared prepared a face-a 275 face-to-face to-face session. session. This focused This focused on the on the evaluation evaluation of sample of a large a large ofsample of pictures pictures repre- representative 276 sentative of the nearbyof the nearby urban urban landscapes. landscapes. This assessment This assessment was based wasonbased both theon both the method Steinitz Steinitz 277 method (see above) and the methodological guidelines for landscape (see above) and the methodological guidelines for landscape studies used previously studies used previ- in 278 ously in the Valencia Orchard project to foster green infrastructure planning the Valencia Orchard project to foster green infrastructure planning at different scale lev- at different 279 scale els levels The [44,45]. [44,45]. The degree degree of preference of preference of the of the community community in thein“Les the “Les Martines” Martines” valley valley for 280 for those those images images representing representing the ordinary the ordinary landscapes landscapes was compared was compared with with the the expert expert evalu- 281 evaluation ation of theof the same same scenesscenes according according to a hypothesis to a hypothesis suggested suggested by the byteam the team of teachers of teachers and 282 and students formulated according to landscape perception principles students formulated according to landscape perception principles developed since the developed since the 283 1970s by Kaplan and [46,47]. Recreational activities were offered along 1970s by Kaplan and [46,47]. Recreational activities were offered along with the workshop with the workshop 284 with with semistructured interviews with semistructured interviews with some some neighbours, neighbours, which which waswas helpful helpful for for the the later later 285 participatory stages. participatory stages. 286 (2) Once (2) Once the the first first session session results results had had been been compiled compiled and and analysed analysed by applying aa linear by applying linear 287 regression model between the grading of each picture as evaluated regression model between the grading of each picture as evaluated by the community and by the community 288 and expert the the expertteam team according according to Kaplan’s to Kaplan’s hypothesis,the hypothesis, theresulting resultingvisual visual preference preference was was 289 mapped. The heat map of visual preference (low to high) as rated by the neighbours was mapped. The heat map of visual preference (low to high) as rated by the neighbours was 290 analysed and analysed and used used for for feedback feedback andand strategic strategic work. Throughout the work. Throughout the different different sessions, sessions, aa 291 draft global landscape management and intervention project were used, with the final draft global landscape management and intervention project were used, with the final aim aim 292 of producing and invigorating the public space identified as the most of producing and invigorating the public space identified as the most preferred location preferred location 293 next to the old rediscovered spring of Can Moritz. An overall masterplan was co-designed, next to the old rediscovered spring of Can Moritz. An overall masterplan was co-de- 294 following the City Council administration’s inputs, with academics serving as advisers, signed, following the City Council administration’s inputs, with academics serving as ad- 295 local residents, Rubí d’Arrel (NGO), and other associations. Finally, a set of actions and visers, local residents, Rubí d’Arrel (NGO), and other associations. Finally, a set of actions 296 interventions applying the vocabulary of the urban acupuncture and tactical urbanism [48] and interventions applying the vocabulary of the urban acupuncture and tactical urban- 297 used by grassroots movements was articulated into an action plan that would enhance the ism [48] used by grassroots movements was articulated into an action plan that would 298 design vision while triggering the direct participation of the community. The overall aim enhance the design vision while triggering the direct participation of the community. The 299 was to design a landscape infrastructure that connected the existing fragmented urban sites overall aim was to design a landscape infrastructure that connected the existing frag- 300 and heritage elements to the natural features (blue–green infrastructure), adding value mented urban sites and heritage elements to the natural features (blue–green infrastruc- 301 to the low-density residential area, revealing previously hidden cultural landscapes and ture), adding value to the low-density residential area, revealing previously hidden cul- 302 improving the landscape image. tural (3) landscapes and improving All the stakeholders the landscape organized the final image. and main participatory session to produce 303 the public space as agreed at the masterplan level. At this stage, the urban acupuncture and tactical urbanism actions were put into place, by a varied set of synchronous and parallel activities to be realised (hands on) by the residents with input from the volunteers of Rubí d’Arrel and the overall guidance of the masterplan coordinators. The actions were intentionally designed to take place during the same weekend, which required a lot of coordination and time and people management. This part of the project was funded by the BlueHealth project and included inputs by two landscape architects, who coordinated the Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 1709 8 of 18 overall urban acupuncture part of the research and held the research budget to pay for the construction and planting. 2.4. The Pre-/Postintervention Survey We conducted a questionnaire survey in Catalan and Spanish, based on the BlueHealth Community Level Survey (BCLS) [36], and included questions on personal characteristics (gender, age, education level, work status and general health), the frequency of visits to natural environments (in the last 12 months), whether they knew the Can Moritz spring and if they had visited it in the last six months and in the last four weeks, their opinions about the quality of the site, the activity conducted there, time spent, etc. The same questions were asked before and after the intervention. We recruited participants (≥16 years of age) through different strategies: (i) online, using a Twitter account specifically created for the project (@FontCanMoritz); (ii) adver- tising the study in local media; (iii) leaflets handed out during the local festival in Rubí (many people are in the street at that time); and (iv) leaflets distributed to the mailboxes of the residents closest to the Can Moritz spring. The participants could answer the survey online or fill in a paper version and send it back via regular mail. 3. Results Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021,3.1. 18, xVisual Preference FOR PEER REVIEW Mapping (VPM) and the Intervention 9 of 18 In total, 17 local people participated in the workshop for the VPM. The results can be seen in Figure 5. In summary, the VPM revealed potential hotspots of conflict and neglect (in red) blue sowhile revealingathe as to produce potential visual of the green–blue connection corridor’s across the site; linetrees planting along thebushes; and stream and (in 355 green) as being the highest adding furniture (Figure 7). visually preferred feature. 356 357 Figure Figure5.5. The visual preference The visual preference mapping mappinggenerated generatedduring duringthe theworkshop workshopwith withthe the locals locals (colour (colour 358 gradient gradientfrom fromleast leasttotomost mostpreferred preferredareas: areas:red redindicates indicatesareas areasofofimprovement, improvement,and andgreen greenindicates indi- 359 areas cates with areaspotential). with potential). 360 In addition, some of the VPM revealed the influence of senses beyond the visual in the mapping results, uncovering the potential of the stream in which the spring is located. For instance, the main road’s reddish colour may be considered a contradictory finding, as this high-level, winding road offers the most scenic views over the valley but was poorly rated by the inhabitants. This might be related to its character as busy, noisy and dangerous for pedestrians since it features no walkway on the riverside, where the slope is abrupt. blueso blue soas asto toproduce produceaavisual visualconnection connectionacross acrossthe thesite; site;planting plantingtrees treesand andbushes; bushes;and and 355 355 addingfurniture adding furniture(Figure (Figure7). 7). 356 356 Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 1709 9 of 18 These findings led the masterplan development to establish a continuous path along the river, integrating the Can Moritz spring as the main recreation site in the valley. The main challenge was to tackle the sizeable negative hotspot around a car parking area, which the community perceived as the least preferred (most disliked). The pictures and the semistructured interviews identified illegal activities and night-time vandalism taking place there, leading to the accumulation of litter and pollution of the stream. The lack of care and stewardship in the flat area around and within the parking area was also perceived as an obstacle to the desired path route following the stream basin. The masterplan formalized a series of hands-on actions to define the desired line for the path along the stream as passing through the most fragile section across the parking area and its immediate surroundings (Figure 6). The purpose of these small-scale tactical interventions was to claim back the area perceived as the least attractive by mobilizing the site potential and future care by the local community. The collaborative activity included 357 357 painting Figure5.5.blue circles Thevisual on the carmapping visualpreference preference park surface; arranging generated cut duringthe logs into awith theworkshop workshop pattern, also painted thelocals locals (colour 358 Figure The mapping generated during with the (colour 358 blue so as gradientfrom to produce fromleast a leasttotomostvisual connection mostpreferred preferredareas: areas:redacross the redindicates site; indicatesareas planting trees areasofofimprovement, and improvement,and bushes; andgreen and greenindi- indi- 359 gradient 359 adding furniture catesareas cates areaswith (Figure withpotential). potential).7). 360 360 361 361 Figure6.6.6.Masterplan Figure Figure Masterplan Masterplan ofofof the the the interventions interventions interventions inthe ininthethe spring’s spring’s spring’s surroundings surroundings surroundings following following following theconclusion thethe conclusion conclusion ofof of the 362 362 thevisual the visualpreference preferencemapping mapping(VPM)(VPM)analysis analysis(P (Pindicates indicatesparking parkinglotlotarea). area).The Thebubbles bubblesare areblue blue 363 363 visual preference mapping (VPM) analysis (P indicates parking lot area). The bubbles are blue circles circlespainted circles paintedontoontothe thesurface surfaceofofthe thecar carpark, park,and andthe theother othercircles circlesare arethe thepositions positionsofofthe the 364 364 painted onto the surface of the car park, and the other circles are the positions of the painted logs. paintedlogs. painted logs. 365 365 366 366 Figure7.7.7.Intervention Figure Figure Intervention Interventionininin the the the surroundings surroundings surroundings ofthe ofof thethe spring, spring, spring, with with with the thethe participation participation participation ofofthe of the thelocals locals locals (clear- (clear- (clearance 367 367 ance ance of ofofrubbish, rubbish,rubbish, painting painting painting ofofcircles of circles circles on theonon the carthe carsurface, car park parksurface, park surface, and and and tree and tree tree andshrub and shrub shrubplanting). planting). planting). 368 368 3.2. The Survey 369 369 In total, 86 inhabitants of Rubí (not necessarily living near the study site) participated in the survey before the intervention. After the intervention, we obtained answers from 43 of these participants. Their characteristics are shown in Table 1. In summary, before the intervention, the participants were between 21 and 77 years of age (average, 46.8), 45.4% were female, and 46.7% had higher education (university degrees). Ninety-four Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 1709 10 of 18 percent reported having access to a garden at home (either a community or private garden). Sixty-four percent knew of the Can Moritz spring, but 34.6% had not visited it in the last six months, and among those who had, only 14 (38.9%) had visited it in the last four weeks. Table 1. Descriptive table of the survey participants. Preintervention (Only Including Preintervention (All Postintervention Those Also with Postintervention Participants, N = 86) (N = 43) Information, N = 43) 1 Age (mean (min–max)) 46.8 (21–77) 43.7 (22–74) NV Female (%) 45.4 44.2 NV Self-considered from a minor ethnicity (%) 8.1 2.3 NV Married or living in couple (%) 80.2 81.4 62.8 University degree (%) 47.7 51.2 NV Working (%) 66.3 79.1 74.4 28.1 (out of the N = 32 Work in Rubí (%) 43.9 (out of N = 57 working) 44.1 (out of N = 34 working) working) Retired (%) 15.1 4.7 7.0 Access to a garden at home (community or 94 93 87.3 private garden, %) General health (%) Very good 24.4 25.6 25.6 Good 43.0 48.8 46.5 Normal 24.4 20.1 25.6 Bad 7.0 4.7 2.3 Very bad 1.2 0.0 0.0 Participate in a local NGO, organization, 33.7 51.2 44.2 assembly or entity (%) Have a dog (%) 48.8 37.2 37.2 In the last 12 months, how often, on average, have you spent your free time in green and blue spaces? (%) Everyday 15.1 16.3 11.6 Several times a week 36.1 44.2 30.2 Once a week 11.6 14.0 21.0 Once or twice a month 19.8 16.3 23.3 Several times in the last 12 m 15.1 7.0 14.0 Never in the last 12 m 2.3 2.3 0.0 Know the Can Moritz spring in Rubí (%) 64.0 60.5 83.7 Quality of the Can Moritz spring (%) N = 55 N = 26 N = 36 Very good 0.0 0.0 13.9 Good 20.0 26.9 38.9 Not good, not bad 34.6 34.6 30.6 Bad 34.6 30.8 16.7 Very bad 10.9 7.7 0 In the last six months, how many times N = 55 N = 26 N = 36 have you visited the spring? (%) Never 34.6 30.1 30.6 Once or twice 45.5 50.0 52.8 Between 3 and 6 times 12.7 11.5 8.3 Seven or more times 7.3 7.7 8.3 Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 1709 11 of 18 Table 1. Cont. Preintervention (Only Including Preintervention (All Postintervention Those Also with Postintervention Participants, N = 86) (N = 43) Information, N = 43) 1 In the last four weeks, how many times N = 36 N = 18 N = 25 have you visited the spring? (%) Never 61.1 66.7 68.0 Once or twice 33.3 22.2 24.0 Once a week 5.6 11.1 4.0 Several times a week 0.0 0.0 4.0 N = 14 N=6 N=8 Jan, Feb, Mar, June, Feb, Mar, June, Date of the last visit Jan, Feb, Mar a Sept, Dec Sept Time spent (mean (min–max)) 20.4 min (5–90 min) 15.8 min (5–30 min) 32.5 min (10–60 min) Activities (%) N = 14 N=6 N=8 Bike 7.1 0.0 0.0 Running 28.6 33.3 0.0 Nordic walking 7.1 0.0 12.5 Observing fauna 7.1 16.7 12.5 Walking with the dog 28.6 16.7 37.5 Walking with a dog 21.4 33.3 25.0 Eating or drinking 0.0 0.0 12.5 N = 14 N=6 N=8 Number of adults (>16 years, %) (35.7% with <16) (50% with <16) (50% with <16) One 57.1 50.0 25.0 Two 35.7 50.0 62.5 More than two 7.1 0.0 12.5 NV: non-variable throughout time; <16: children under 16 years of age.a We had to stop the postintervention evaluation due to full COVID-19 lockdown; people were not allowed to be outdoors. When comparing the total population (N = 86) with the population who also answered the postintervention survey (N = 43), we observed that the sample characteristics were similar except for (i) the percentages of people working at the time of the survey (66.3% vs. 79.1%, respectively); (ii) involvement in local NGOs, organizations or entities (33.7% vs. 51.2%, respectively); and dog ownership (48.8% vs. 37.2%, respectively). Other major differences in the postintervention group were regarding the place where people reported they worked (in Rubí or not) and that more people knew of the Can Moritz spring (increased from 60.5% to 83.7%). The postintervention participants who had visited the site in the last four weeks reported spending more time there (increasing from 15.8 min on average before the intervention to 32.5 min after the intervention) (Table 1). Overall, the quality of the spring and its surroundings was mostly rated as “bad” or “very bad” before the intervention (≈40%), whereas after the intervention, more than 50% of the participants rated the site as of “good” or “excellent” quality (Table 1). When asking for detailed information on how they felt about their visit (in the last four weeks) to the Can Moritz spring, we observed that the levels of satisfaction (rated as “totally agree”) substantially increased from less than 20% to more than 60% (Table 2). Additionally, after the intervention, the participants more frequently felt part of nature, very few reported feeling unsafe, and the presence of rubbish and litter was less of an issue. Despite the improvements, however, the participants felt that the facilities (parking, roads, toilets, drinking water points and barbecue sites) could still be improved (Table 2). Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 1709 12 of 18 Table 2. How survey respondents felt about their visits to the Can Moritz spring (it only includes respondents who reported visiting the spring in the last four weeks). Totally Agree a Disagree a Totally (%) Agree Neutral Disagree Agree Little Bit Little Bit Disagree Initial study population (with preintervention information) Preintervention (N=14) I felt satisfied with the visit 4.1 14.3 14.3 14.3 14.3 21.4 14.3 I felt part of nature 14.3 14.3 7.1 14.3 14.3 28.6 7.1 I felt safe (i.e., I felt protected) 21.4 14.3 7.1 35.7 0.0 7.1 14.3 The area was free of rubbish and vandalism 7.1 0.0 0.0 7.1 42.9 14.3 28.6 It had good facilities (e.g., parking, roads, 0.0 0.0 7.1 7.1 7.1 42.9 35.7 bathrooms, fountains drinking water, barbecues) Study population with pre- and postintervention information PREINTERVENTION (N=6) I felt satisfied with the visit 16.7 33.3 0.0 16.7 0.0 16.7 16.7 I felt part of the nature 33.3 33.3 16.7 0.0 0.0 16.7 0.0 I felt safe (i.e., I felt protected) 50.0 16.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 16.7 16.7 The area was free of rubbish and vandalism 16.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 33.3 16.7 33.3 It had good facilities (e.g., parking, roads, 0.0 0.0 0.0 16.7 0.0 33.3 50.0 bathrooms, fountains drinking water, barbecues) POSTINTERVENTION (N=8) I felt satisfied with the visit 62.5 12.5 12.5 12.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 I felt part of the nature 50.0 37.5 125 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 I felt safe (i.e., I felt protected) 37.5 37.5 0.0 0.0 25.0 0.0 0.0 The area was free of rubbish and vandalism 12.5 37.5 25.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 25.0 It had good facilities (e.g., parking, roads, 0.0 25.0 0.0 12.5 12.5 25.0 25.0 bathrooms, fountains drinking water, barbecues) We also asked the participants to provide their opinions (open answers) regarding the site before and after the intervention. Before the intervention, many comments reflected and complemented what was captured by the VPM. Some of the comments include: • “[ . . . ] I would very much like to see its restoration and its environment as well as its conservation, I have practically lived here all my life and, since I was a child, I have visited that spring, always flooded, and over time covered by vegetation and even, so it seems, a place of special charm. I usually walk around the area with my dog and pass by the spring. I have always been curious about what the spring would be like, I am a great lover of nature and these spaces [ . . . ]” (male, 47 years). • “It would be very interesting to take advantage of this space since it is part of our historical memory” (male, 51 years). • “It needs to be opened to the public and to commemorate its past and history” (female, 55 years). • “At the moment, access is a bit difficult, and the spring is in poor condition. I look forward to your rehabilitation” (female, 74 years). • “Everything is destroyed, there is a platform with a hole, and I do not dare to walk on it because of the danger of it breaking” (male, 74 years). • “The location of the spring should be indicated, and young people should be monitored so that it is not destroyed” (male, 77 years). After the intervention, the comments were much more positive, such as: • “We are really happy with the spring of Can Moritz to recover a piece of our past. Thanks to people like you, we have a more beautiful and natural place [ . . . ]” (male, 51 years). • “I totally agree with the project and the initiative to promote this space, I am concerned about the dumping of garbage in the surroundings that influence this space, because although there are containers for these purposes, people’s awareness is low! Plastics, cans, papers, which do not sit well with this environment” (male, 47 years). • “The spring of Can Moritz, now recovered, promotes encounters with other people, in a natural space” (male, 79 years). • “A pleasant space, a very well achieved heritage recovery” (female, 63 years). Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 1709 13 of 18 4. Discussion The Can Moritz case study showed a relationship between landscape perception, the use of shared spaces and community wellbeing; the perceived low quality of the natural environment along the stream in which the Can Moritz spring is located was limiting the use of this common space. The Steinitz methodology helped to identify the most and least preferred areas on a visual map to inform the strategy for intervening on the site and improving the neighbours’ impressions of their open spaces. We also demonstrated the importance of collaborative work among different actors and the combination of top-down (the municipality taking responsibility for the spring) and bottom-up (the co-design and the application of “urban acupuncture” and tactical urbanism in the rest of the project area) strategies. The present case study was particularly challenging regarding the ELC definition of landscape because we were targeting an ordinary, rather bland urban sprawl area on the outskirts of Rubí old town, where a low-density community inhabited a range of isolated housing in an undervalued hilly valley. The case study demonstrates how “urbanalization” (a spatial and cultural process characterized by a territorial specialization that accompanies trends in the thematization and simplification of the urban landscape [49]) led to the degradation of the landscape in the valley, where natural landscapes highly praised in the 19th century, leading to building a new summer community in the surroundings, declined over time into an unnoticed and undervalued environment. The Steinitz methodology had previously been applied for similar purposes in several workshops within Barcelona’s city, within the Master in LIHM programme directed by Francesc Muñoz (e.g., the Pere IV Workshop in 2014 and Playful Gràcia District in 2015). These previous studies had proven the effectiveness of using the methodology in urban environments, where the combined activities of university staff and students energized interaction and co-creation with residents and other stakeholders. In the present case study, framed in a less urbanized area and with a strong presence of natural environment, the location and identification of the least preferred landscapes signalled the community’s concerns, including signs of water pollution and algal blooms, which proved to be minor problems compared to the signs of a lack of stewardship and the presence of ongoing vandalism. The visual map helped to concentrate the project efforts on the least preferred areas and to obtain visible changes that would, at the same time, facilitate the accessibility of the green–blue area, which is a critical point according to the literature [17,21,50]. The landscape perception of the “Les Martines” community changed throughout the process triggered by the BlueHealth project intervention. The twofold strategy of improving the quality of the site through the combination of a top-down architectural intervention in the Moritz spring led by the City Council and a bottom-up process of awareness-raising, participatory decision making and hands-on actions was successful. The surveys carried out before and after the intervention among the general population of Rubí demonstrated the project’s positive impact on the community’s perception, sense of belonging and use of the space. 4.1. Significance and Impact of Our Results Our study contributes to the discussion on the importance of green–blue infrastructure and its impact on health and wellbeing in urban landscapes from the perspective of the reinterpretation of cultural landscapes related to water. The overall aim of the BlueHealth project is demonstrated in the Can Mortiz case study by the recovery of the historical memory of the site and its once significant relationship with water features. Improving health and wellbeing was at the inception of the first urban settlements in the valleys of the Vallès, Catalonia [51]. Both the purpose of those first cultural landscapes and their settlement system located along streams and springs seem to have fallen into oblivion, despite the local initiatives of mapping and research targeting the natural heritage around water and urban settlements [52]. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 1709 14 of 18 The actions catalysed by the BlueHealth project with the local community and partners offered a new awareness of the site’s history and the settlement morphology to uncover the public health potential of the obsolescent, but still existing, cultural and natural landscapes. Today, the once-valued activity of socializing around the springs is in decline. The leisure opportunities offered by the springs is part of a cultural heritage that related people to nature during the previous century; it gave a purpose to walking for recreation and discovering the landscape through the act of visiting both public and private springs, as milestones in a nature itinerary—the relationship with nature experienced as a frequent social activity, including basic cooking, eating and singing. The inhabitants of many of the areas, such as the “Les Martines” valley, once famous for their lush vegetation and abundant water features, seemed to be ignorant of their origins. A loss of collective memory and physical and cultural landscape heritage was apparent [53]. The “urban acupuncture” and tactical urbanism actions contributed to the disparate community’s connection by caring for and constructing a new common place around the stream and the spring. Beyond the importance of the action, as triggering a social process, the Can Moritz spring masterplan aims to revive the spring as a central hub for the valley community. Water and leisure, along with green–blue infrastructure, are offered as the community’s new focus to help it to reconnect past and future through the twin threads of public health and landscape enjoyment. Beyond the contributions to increasing the local landscape awareness arising from an integrated landscape approach recommended for implementing the ELC [54], the case study improved the qualitative perception of the intervention area by its immediate inhabitants and other people living in Rubí. The literature can demonstrate the benefits of direct contact with green and blue spaces. For instance, in a recent study including more than 18,000 participants from 18 different countries, we observed that individuals with common mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety, were more likely to use nature for self-management [55]. In a randomized crossover study including office workers, we also observed evidence of the positive effects for wellbeing and mood of walking for 20 min alongside a blue space, in this case, the beach [56]. In yet another recent study, we showed that facilitating access to a river and improving the area translated into an overall increase in the users of an urban riverside after renovation; that the proportion of females, adults, children and ethnic minority users increased; and that locals perceived the river to be beneficial for their health and wellbeing [17]. We even estimated the derived health benefits of improving the ecological quality of a river area and facilitating access to it, and the amount of money saved by the public health system owing to this intervention [21]. Indeed, increasing research highlights the role of the quality of the natural environ- ment in mental health and wellbeing [9–13,16]. Thus, we expect that an intervention in a local green–blue site, such as the Can Moritz spring area, will contribute to the wellbeing of the inhabitants of the “Les Martines” valley—and after more people find out about it, the level of use, overall, may increase as may, with this, the benefits. Moreover, such interventions can be instrumental for a nature-based social prescription [57] and nature- based interventions in urban contexts to improve mental health and wellbeing [58]. Besides this, the increased recognition that urban and natural environments contribute to our health and the results of the present case study support and provide the critical potential for enhancing and prioritizing community-level interventions, which are more effective than individual-level interventions [59–61]. The Can Moritz case study will contribute to generating and transmitting tools and knowledge so that community interventions can be implemented to improve public health by promoting and improving urban landscapes (see additional tools in https://bluehealth2020.eu/resources/toolbox/). 4.2. Strengths and Limitations The Can Mortiz case study revealed the potential of an integrated sequence of method- ology and techniques to strategize a low cost, tactical and participatory “urban acupunc- ture” intervention. Combining procedures from the landscape architecture and environ- Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 1709 15 of 18 mental epidemiology disciplines resulted in a sequence of actions that could easily be replicated in different urban contexts. The replicability, low cost and effectiveness of the overall method is the main strength of the project. The chosen Steinitz method had already been pilot tested in diverse contexts, led by two of the authors, in previous editions of the same Masters’ Workshop. This confidence in the method made it suitable to be applied as part of the case-study methodology, relying on its strength in being adapted to smaller sites, whilst knowing that the nature of the working hypothesis formulated by the experts would remain similar to that in previous case studies tested in earlier versions applied in both larger and smaller areas. According to both previous experiences in applying this method and the contradictory findings in the results of this case study noted earlier, we believe that the main challenge for the future is to refine the results. This further distillation could be embraced with sectoral perceptual studies, to complement the visual perception. The interpretation of the results leads to the appreciation of all the senses in perception, finally representing VPM perceptions, which are more than visual, such as pleasant or unpleasant smells and different noises and sounds. Furthermore, the lack of public spaces and a low socialization culture in the commu- nity limited the scope of the results obtained by the Steinitz method. The recruitment of volunteers in previous applications had been triggered mostly by casual contacts between researchers and inhabitants, which enriched the number and diversity of profiles for re- search. In future contexts of limited access to inhabitants, this limitation could be alleviated by social media data harvesting to balance quantitative information following international recommendations [62,63]. It would be equally interesting to mitigate the limitations in participant recruitment by fully integrating complementary perceptual studies focusing on the qualitative multisensorial experience of place proposed by Grout as teaching methods, prioritizing the role of qualitative information with few triangulating subjects [64]. Beyond the VPM, a second survey would have been useful to complete the impact evaluation cycle. However, due to limited resources, we could not conduct an observational survey to evaluate the actual use of the studied site (e.g., using the SOPARC tool [65] or others designed by the BlueHealth project [66,67]); this information would also have been valuable for estimating the levels of physical activity and understanding the new activities and social interactions occurring in the Can Moritz spring area. The postintervention survey took place a few weeks before the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020; this limited the number of people who could participate in the survey, as most did not reply before the lockdown and, therefore, their visits to the site would have been biased. Nevertheless, we are aware that the site’s use dramatically increased once people could start going out once more. Another limitation of the project was the low level of community engagement. Even though the efforts of dissemination and the protocols followed were correct, the low density of the area, the lack of cohesion within the community and the low degree of identification with their immediate landscape or place limited the number of participants in the surveys (in total, 86 before the intervention). 5. Conclusions The Can Mortiz spring case study explored the limits of methodologies in address- ing visual preference as the basis of landscape identification and tested the relationship between perception and landscape awareness-raising. We demonstrated that participatory landscape architecture planning methods with residents and other stakeholders could help to prioritize and co-design interventions. In an integrative approach, the sequence of those methods, also using tools and knowledge from health disciplines, is the main case-study contribution. Beyond these, the Can Moritz case study promoted the recovery of an ancient cultural landscape and its intangible value associated with water heritage. Promoting the health benefits to be obtained from leisure should aim for European and Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 1709 16 of 18 worldwide landscape management as part of the promotion of better health and wellbeing as identified in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Author Contributions: Conceptualization, M.G., S.B. and M.C.; methodology, M.G., M.C., H.S.M., S.B., J.G. and F.M.; formal analysis, M.G., M.C. and F.M.; investigation, M.G., M.C. and F.M.; resources, M.N., S.B. and L.E.F.; data curation, C.V. and G.C.-T.; writing—original draft preparation, M.G. and M.C.; writing—review and editing, S.B., M.N., F.M., H.S.M., J.G., G.C.-T., C.V. and L.E.F.; visualization, M.G. and M.C.; supervision, M.G. and S.B.; project administration, J.G.; funding acquisition, M.N., S.B. and L.E.F. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Funding: The BlueHealth project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 666773. Mireia Gascon holds a Miguel Servet fellowship (Grant CP19/00183) funded by Acción Estratégica de Salud—Instituto de Salud Carlos III, co-funded by the European Social Fund “Investing in your future”. ISGlobal acknowledges support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the “Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa 2019–2023” Program (CEX2018-000806-S), and support from the Generalitat de Catalunya through the CERCA Program. Institutional Review Board Statement: The study was conducted according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki, and approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Parc de Salut MAR, Barcelona, Spain (protocol code 2017/7380/I, 12th of May 2017). Informed Consent Statement: Informed consent was obtained from all the subjects involved in the study. Data Availability Statement: The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to restrictions, e.g., privacy or ethical. Acknowledgments: The authors would like to thank the neighbours from Rubí for their participation in the case study (in the participatory process, in the intervention and by answering the surveys). We also thank the local NGO Rubí d’Arrel, particularly Jordi Muntan, Jordi Simó, Ramon Puig, Marta Casas and Félix Magallón, for their support and active participation, as well as the City Council of Rubí for their contribution by restoring the spring and facilitating our work in the area. Finally, the contribution of the students of the Master in LIHM programme and of Ksenia Boksberg and Marianna Terzini was fundamental to the development of the case study. 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