READ ME File For 'Tsakiridi A., & Tsimpida D. (2026). A National Green and Blue Space (GBS) Index for England: An Interactive Tool for Analysis and Planning'

Dataset DOI: https://doi.org/10.5258/SOTON/D3835

Date that the file was created: 22 January, 2026

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GENERAL INFORMATION
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ReadMe Authors: Tsakiridi Anastasia, University of Southampton [ORCID ID: 0000-0001-8465-317X] & Tsimpida Dialechti, University of Southampton [ORCID ID:0000-0002-3709-5651] 

Information about geographic location of data collection: England

Related projects: Tsimpida, D., Building Resilience through Nature-based Solutions: Validation of a Novel Green-Blue Space Index for Mental Health to Guide Community Interventions in Coastal Areas.
This project is funded by the Sustainability & Resilience Institute (SRI), University of Southampton. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of SRI or the University of Southampton.

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SHARING/ACCESS INFORMATION
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Licenses/restrictions placed on the data, or limitations of reuse:
CC BY This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. 

Recommended citation for the data:'Tsakiridi A., & Tsimpida D. (2026). A National Green and Blue Space (GBS) Index for England: An Interactive Tool for Analysis and Planning.' 
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5258/SOTON/D3835 

Links to other publicly accessible locations of the data: https://soton-uni.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/atlas/index.html?appid=ff416c0f974b414783e2ac30c6c88cc7&webmap=33767016eb3d424c88f91ee362b26250

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METHODOLOGICAL INFORMATION
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The Green and Blue (GBS) Index scores were calculated for all 32,844 LSOAs (2011) in England, providing a comprehensive national assessment of green-blue space provision explicitly focused on mental health implications. 

These scores were then mapped using GIS to visualise spatial patterns and identify areas of particular concern or excellence in green-blue space provision for mental health. This spatial representation enables policymakers to target interventions in areas of greatest need and to identify exemplar locations where optimal configurations of green-blue spaces support mental wellbeing

The evaluated criteria were categorised into:

1) Primary Environmental Features present in the LSOA (%percentage of LSOAs area coverage):

a) Active green spaces (AGS): Including public parks, gardens, play spaces, golf courses, sports areas, playing fields, allotments, and community growing spaces,

b) Passive green spaces (PGS): Encompassing broadleaved woodland, coniferous woodland, improved grassland, neutral grassland, calcareous grassland, acid grassland, heather, and heather grassland,

c) Blue spaces (BS): Including both saltwater and freshwater bodies,

2) Proximity Features (%percentage of LSOAs area coverage):

a) Areas within 300m of active green spaces,

b) Areas within 300m of passive green spaces,

c) Areas within 300m of blue spaces

This weighted approach ensured that the GBS Index not only captures the multidimensional nature of green-blue space provision across geographical space but also reflects the differential importance of various environmental features for mental health outcomes. 

All geospatial models in this study used Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) as the unit of analysis. 
In all analyses, we used the LSOA boundaries published by the Office for National Statistics as at March 21, 2021: 
Office for National Statistics. Census 2021 geographies [Internet]. 2021. Available from: https://www.ons.gov.uk/methodology/geography/ukgeographies/censusgeographies/census2021geographies

Digital vector boundaries for Integrated Care Boards in England were those published by the Office for National Statistics: 
Integrated Care Boards (April 2023) EN BGC [Internet]. 2023. Available from: https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/d6bcd7d1-0143-4366-9622-62a99b362a5c/integrated-care-boards-april-2023-en-bgc