Published: 2024-10-301

Church surroundings as spaces with a health-promoting function – possibilities and dilemmas

Piotr Kulesza
Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Administratio Locorum
Section: Articles
https://doi.org/10.31648/aspal.9783

Abstract

Motives: Climate and socio-economic changes exert a negative influence on human health, both physical and psychological. Therefore, various solutions are needed to address this problem, and the spaces surrounding religious sites should be analysed to determine whether they can improve health. Can plant and garden arrangements accompanying parish churches have health-promoting properties?
Aim: The aim of this work was to answer the above questions by analysing selected parish churches of the Lublin Archdiocese.
Results: An analysis of the compositional structure of vegetation and the functional-spatial arrangement of religious sites revealed that these spaces have vast, albeit not fully utilised potential. Despite the fact that these spaces are addressed predominantly to believers, their unique features can promote recreation and even improve health, regardless of one’s religious beliefs and practices.

Keywords:

health, religion, space, therapeutic garden, parish churches

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Citation rules

Kulesza, P. (2024). Church surroundings as spaces with a health-promoting function – possibilities and dilemmas. Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Administratio Locorum, 23(3), 461–472. https://doi.org/10.31648/aspal.9783

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