Numerous research studies have demonstrated the link between the use of green spaces and open spaces close to residential areas and the promotion of residents' health and well-being. The use of and access to public and private green spaces and open spaces promote mental and physical health, increase well-being and provide space for social activities and encounters.

In the course of inner development, settlement areas are becoming increasingly densely built up. In relation to the growing living space and population, this is leading to a decline in the provision of green space in settlement areas. In recent years, cities and municipalities have adapted their quantitative instruments for inner development and the provision of open space. However, targets and planning instruments for urban development qualities are still in the development phase.

The question of the qualitative objectives of internal development plays a special role in the federal government's climate adaptation strategy for 2020-2025. Climate adaptation measures have a major impact on the urban design of neighbourhoods and their open and green spaces. In terms of health promotion, quality-oriented planning of green and open spaces therefore plays a key role in climate-adapted internal development.

The contribution of green and open spaces to health promotion also depends heavily on usage behaviour. The daily routines of the population determine the requirements for use, the frequency of use and their influence on health and well-being. They must therefore be taken into account to a greater extent in the planning and design of the provision. There are therefore numerous synergies between the topics of health promotion, urban climate, open space design and structural densification of neighbourhoods, which suggest coordinated planning within the framework of inner development.

The project ‘Integrative Planning Tools for Healthy and Green Cities’ aims to bridge the gap between expert knowledge, residents' needs and existing planning tools through a cooperative planning approach. The focus is on two topics:

1. The collection of spatial data on the use, qualities and deficits of green and open spaces using digital participatory tools known as Public Participation GIS (PPGIS).
    
2. The integration of this spatial user data on green and open spaces and PPGIS tools into existing municipal planning processes and instruments.

These topics are being addressed on the basis of several case studies in the metropolitan regions of Zurich and Geneva. For each metropolitan region, one area in the city centre and one in the agglomeration belt are selected and examined as case studies.

In terms of content, the project pursues the following objectives:

1. Against the backdrop of the upcoming transformation processes of inner-city development and climate adaptation, the project examines the extent to which spatially located user data can help to better adapt the qualities of green and open spaces to the actual needs of the population. The project thus makes a direct contribution to improving the quality of open space provision, promoting health and prevention, especially for vulnerable user groups, and increasing social activity, identity with the settlement area and well-being.
    
2. The project makes an application-oriented contribution by examining the framework conditions for the integration of digital tools into the planning processes of administrations and making a proposal for their use and application in planning procedures in the case study areas. The aim is to develop a simple procedure that facilitates the use of PPGIS tools, especially for planning departments in small and medium-sized municipalities.

The project investigates how PPGIS tools can be used in planning processes for internal development and climate adaptation projects in order to contribute to health promotion and prevention. The following questions will be addressed:

1. What principles and processes are decisive for the use of PPGIS tools for health promotion?
   • What spatial, functional and design qualities determine planning in terms of health promotion and prevention?
   • How are the qualities of green spaces and open spaces close to residential areas defined from the user's perspective?
      
2. How can PPGIS tools be integrated into planning processes for internal development and climate adaptation in a targeted manner? How do they contribute to integrated planning in administrations/organisations?
   • Which planning processes are suitable for their use?
   • For which areas of responsibility can they be used?
   • Can PPGIS tools help to promote inter-municipal planning of green and open spaces?