Mid Sweden University

Public access to land is a shared value in both the United States and Nordic countries. The U.S. system is characterized by a complex network of federal, state, and local lands, each governed by specific mandates (Manning et al., 2022). In contrast, Nordic countries - particularly Sweden – have the right of public access across public and private lands. It is the cornerstone of “friluftsliv”, a cultural concept that ties outdoor recreation to philosophical and lifestyle values (Beery, 2012).  There is some exchange of ideas between these systems. North American models (e.g. zoning) and visitor management are increasingly being adopted in Swedish land policy. Conversely, U.S. models like Maine’s “open land tradition” show similarities to the Swedish approach (Acheson & Acheson, 2010).

However, there is a trend toward increasing the privatization of land, either by converting former public recreational areas into private property (the U.S) or by limiting public access to traditionally open private lands (Sweden). In the U.S., the current executive administration is significantly downsizing the land management workforce and threatening to privatize lands (Schechter, 2025). Additionally, places with an open land tradition are seeing increased pushbacks from landowners regarding public access on their private lands (Acheson & Acheson 2010). In Sweden, the right of public access can sometimes conflict with private property rights. Proposed changes to shoreline protection (meant to secure public access) aim to support rural development by easing construction near shores. For landowners and farmers, public access may pose challenges. Some commercial businesses, like tourism or berry-picking companies, repeatedly use the same areas without informing landowners, which create tensions.

As attitudes toward private land evolve and pressures on recreational areas intensify, understanding the ongoing challenges to access is essential. Further research on international approaches to public access can offer valuable insights as a complement to designated areas (NPs and nature reserves) in supporting outdoor recreation and nature-based tourism (Sandell & Fredman, 2010). In our reflective study of two different governance models, we discuss the balance of individual property rights with collective access amid neoliberal land reforms but also increased use of recreational land. This also highlights implications for equity and social inclusion.

References

Acheson, J., & Acheson, J. (2010). Maine land: Private property and hunting commons. International Journal of the Commons, 4(1), 552–570. https://doi.org/10.18352/ijc.202

Beery, T. H. (2012). Nordic in nature: friluftsliv and environmental connectedness. Environmental Education Research, 19(1), 94–117. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2012.688799 

Manning, R. E., Anderson, L., Badruk, M., Goonan, K., Hallo, J., Laven, D., Lawson; S., & McCown Stansfield, R. (2022). Studies in Outdoor Recreation: Search and Research for Satisfaction. 4th ed. Oregon State University Press.  

Sandell, K., & Fredman, P. (2010). The right of public access–opportunity or obstacle for nature tourism in Sweden? Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 10(3), 291-309. https://doi.org/10.1080/15022250.2010.502366 

Schechter, A. (2025, March 13). How Trump Cuts Could Change Your Summer Hiking Trip - The New York Times. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/13/travel/trump-cuts-national-parks-summer-travel.html

Projektet ”Tillgängliga naturmiljöer för att främja aktivt och hälsosamt åldrande” är finansierat av Familjen Kamprads stiftelse med målet är att fler äldre ska kunna vara aktiva i naturen för förbättrad livskvalitet, fysisk och psykisk hälsa. Vi vill öka kunskapen om sambandet mellan god hälsa, vistelse i naturmiljöer och förståelsen att bristande tillgänglighet exkluderar äldre personer från vardaglig vistelse utomhus. Tre sektorer - offentlig, privat och frivillig – är viktiga när det gäller utevistelser för äldre. Genom samverkan kan de tillhandahålla olika typer av naturmiljöer och främja hälsosamma aktiviteter för äldre. I detta sammanhang är det viktigt att förstå och inkludera äldre personers perspektiv och upplevelser av olika naturmiljöer utifrån tillgänglighet och hälsa. Denna insikt kan bidra till att anpassa utomhusmiljöer och aktiviteter för att bättre tillgodose behoven och preferenserna hos äldre personer.

Introduction and objectives

As life expectancy rises, there is an increasing need to comprehend the health of older adults for a better quality of life. The benefits of nearby nature for older adults encompass physical activity, mobility, social connections, and mental health and well-being (see overview by Wolf & Housley, 2016). This study examines older adults’ access to nature and nature experiences in relation to health, focusing specifically on sounds. Ratcliffe (2021) points out that past research has predominantly concentrated on the visual aspects of nature. However, natural soundscapes, including sounds like those of birds, trees, insects, and water, are gaining recognition and becoming increasingly significant in understanding the breadth of nature experiences. Research on smell and touch remain relatively limited. With an increasing number of people residing in urban or suburban areas, the accessibility of nearby green spaces becomes crucial for health (Zingmark et al., 2021), especially when planning for densification (Gidlöf-Gunnarsson & Öhrström, 2007). Recognizing the importance of soundscapes from a planning and management perspective is crucial, especially with the expanding urban population, to grasp the significance of nearby nature.

Methodology

The data for this study were collected through being outdoors with four focus groups with older adults. These groups shared their nature experiences of diverse nature settings within Härnösand and Östersund municipalities, Sweden. Two groups, each comprising five participants (both males and females), were actively involved in frequent hikes, with an average age of around 75. In contrast, the other two groups (with five and four participants, respectively, including both males and females, aged 68-92 years) relied on walking aids and had limited mobility.

Before heading outside, an indoor meeting lasting approximately 1.5-2 hours was conducted, with group interviews covering topics such as experiences and preferences when visiting nature areas, typical activities, and perceptions and emotions in nature. The focus groups were organized during the fall, spring, and winter seasons in September 2022, May and November 2023, with the presence of two researchers.

The active participants took part in a three-hour hike in a nature reserve and in a recreational area, respectively, approximately 10-15 minutes from the city centre. Simultaneously, participants with walking aids took a walk lasting approximately 45 min to 1 hour in urban nature near the meeting venue. Throughout these outdoor activities, participants shared their experiences and thoughts on nature and health, while researchers observed their senses, reactions, and behaviours. Documentation was carried out through photography and note-taking.

Results

Nature was experienced with all the senses where sounds together with sight, touch, and scent were used and commented by all focus groups. To be outside was perceived as an opportunity to exercise, look around, and feel the nature landscapes. To engage in tactile experiences with nature was important, as well as the social interaction of comparing and discussing sounds and nature. There was a thrill of discovering new things, with participants expressing heightened stimulation where the soundscape, coupled with visualization, touch, and smell, plays a crucial role. The participants commented on the positive sounds of wind and birds. It was evident that the participants engage their senses during the hikes. Expressions like “Beautiful birdsong” and “Lovely forest” were common. The focus groups’ expectations regarding natural sounds correlated to the visited nature areas. The active participants expressed negative comments about the engine noise from a nearby large motor stadium in the recreational area. Also, the sounds from two wind turbines were clear at various points:

Stina: “I don’t like the wind turbines.”

Gun-Inger: “It bothers me and is exhausting.”

Stina: “It affects me a lot, and the sound resonates throughout the body. It thumps.” 

Sounds of birdsong and the trees are appreciated while walking on the asphalted pathways in urban nature. To use a walker on the trails was wanted but too challenging due to numerous roots. Barbro, using a walking aid, describes how she usually walks her route during the summer to admire gardens, emphasizing that it is a crucial part of her nature experience. It was evident that the participants with walking aids enjoyed being outdoors in the urban green spaces which they described as: “This is nature!”. 

Within the two groups with physically active participants, there was expressed fear to lose the physical and hence not being able to be outdoors. The resentment against being treated/perceived as old was strong. Being able to hear nature is important, according to participants who discussed hearing loss as one ages with acceptance, albeit with sadness: “Hearing makes certain species extinct; I no longer hear them. Hearing aids help a bit. ... Well, you have to accept it, but it’s sad.”

All participants considered being outdoors in nature and its correlation to their health aspects as crucial, both physically and mentally. Feeling less stress was commented upon.

Discussion and conclusions

This study emphasizes a strong correlation between health and nature experiences, indicating that older adults are aware of the positive impact of being outdoors on their well-being. Among the various senses engaged in the nature experience, sounds play a crucial role, reducing stress and providing pleasure. 

Understanding why and how humans are affected by nature could give insights to future management and outline of urban green spaces but also be part of the discussion of how to increase accessibility, not least for a group as older adults who might have challenges to get outdoors in various manners.  

While areas with high naturalness receive better evaluations compared to low-naturalness parks, as suggested by Hedblom et al. (2017), it is crucial to consider both aspects in urban planning. Natural sounds play a crucial role in promoting health, whether in rural areas or urban settings. Parks, even if less “wild”, are important for older adults’ nature experiences, especially when it comes to the sounds of nature. As mobility decreases with age, nearby green spaces become even more essential. It is important to evaluate these spaces based on how users experience them, not just on traditional ideas of “wilderness”. 

Conducting more field studies that include soundwalks, as well as exploring experiencing nature by touch and smell, would provide valuable insights for future planning and management in relation to healthy ageing.

References

Gidlöf-Gunnarsson, A. & Öhrström, E. (2007). Noise and well-being in urban residential environments: The potential role of perceived availability to nearby green areas. Landscape and urban planning, 83(2-3), 115-126. doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2007.03.003

Hedblom, M., Knez, I., Ode Sang, Å. & Gunnarsson, B. (2017). Evaluation of natural sounds in urban greenery: potential impact for urban nature preservation. Royal Society open science, 4(2), 170037. doi.org/10.1098/rsos.170037

Ratcliffe, E. (2021). Sound and soundscape in restorative natural environments: A narrative literature review. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 570563. doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.570563 

Wolf, K. & Housley, E. (2016). The benefits of nearby nature in cities for older adults. Research brief. Annapolis, MD: The TKF Foundation.

Zingmark, M., Ankre, R. & Wall-Reinius, S. (2021). Promoting outdoor recreation among older adults in Sweden – a theoretical and empirical foundation for the development of an intervention. Archives of Public Health, 79, 1-15. doi.org/10.1186/s13690-021-00762-6

Outdoor recreation is important for the society in Sweden but lacks clear integration into policies and alignment with other goals, particularly environmental quality (Peterson-Forsberg, 2014). Increasing outdoor activities raise concerns about environmental impacts, crowding, infrastructure strain, and land use conflicts. Ankre (2019) and Emmelin et al. (2010) stress the need for improved incorporation of outdoor recreation into land and water planning to ensure access to nature, address conflicting interests, and minimize environmental impacts, for example, wear and tear, wildlife disturbances, and emissions (Marion et al., 2016). This paper analyses outdoor recreation in spatial planning, focusing on environmental aspects in regional and local land use policies also acknowledging connections to national and international policies, which is important for the understanding of multi-functional landscapes. 

For older adults and people with disabilities, it can be difficult to participate in recreation due to inaccessible nature. This can lead to exclusion when it comes to outdoor experiences and health. Nature-based solutions for quality of life are hence essential. Through semi-structured interviews with Swedish municipal and county representatives, and representatives of interest organizations for people with physical disabilities, we identify challenges in the planning and management of the recreational landscape in relation to accessibility and participation. We enlighten how accessibility and social inclusion can be enhanced through planning and management to promote health through equal access to nature.

Fokus på friluftsliv och dess miljöpåverkningar - definition, beskrivning och organisering av friluftsliv på regional och kommunal nivå, hur miljöpåverkan samt hållbar utveckling av friluftsliv beskrivs och inkluderas i planering och förvaltning.