Balanced spatial distribution of green areas creates healthier urban landscapes

The benefits of green infrastructure on human well-being in urban areas are already well established, with strong evidence of the positive effects of the amount and proximity to green areas. However, the understanding of how the spatial distribution and type of green areas affect health is still an open question. Here, we explore how different spatial configurations of green and built-up areas, through a land sharing and sparing framework, and how different types of green areas affect cardiovascular and respiratory hospitalizations in São Paulo city, Brazil. Sharing/sparing indicators were selected as the main explanatory factors in the control of all groups of diseases. Land sharing appeared as a favourable spatial condition to prevent cardiovascular hospitalization, while land sparing and arboreal vegetation were relevant to reduce hospitalization by lower respiratory diseases. For upper respiratory diseases, forests seem to provide a disservice, once they were associated with increa...