PHOTOS: Study shows greenest and healthiest places in live in France
The number of green spaces was a major criteria considered in new health ranking which also looked at healthy food shops, bathing areas and hiking trails
The number of green spaces per 100,000 residents was a major part of the overall healthiest place to live rankingPhilippe jourdren / Mikemike10 / Proslgn / Eric Isselee / Shutterstock
The departments of Jura, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Lozère are the greenest places to live in France, a new study on the healthiest parts of the country has found.
Of the top 10, Jura won with 26.10 green spaces per 100,000 residents, followed by Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (22.90), and Lozère (22.97).
The criteria also included the number of sports centres per 100,000 residents, the number of hiking trails, the number of ‘healthy’ (and ‘unhealthy’) shops or outlets, and the number of bathing or swimming sites.
Overall for health, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence came in first place, with a score of 8.10 out of 10, followed by Hautes-Pyrénées (7.75) and Lozère (7.42).
The 10 ‘greenest’ and healthiest places to live in France
The top 10, ranked by green spaces per 100,000 residents, is:
1. Jura
Tanja Midgardson / Shutterstock
With 26.10 green spaces per 100,000 residents, the eastern, wooded department of Jura is far and away the top scoring department for green spaces in this ranking.
Ad
2. Lozère
Philippe jourdren / Shutterstock
In second place is the mountainous department of Lozère in Occitanie, with 22.97.
3. Alpes-de-Haute Provence
Proslgn / Shutterstock
Just behind, this Mediterranean department, with its dramatic landscapes, ranked in third place with 22.90.
4. Ariège
BearFotos / Shutterstock
Another mountainous, rural, southwestern department scored well, just off the top three podium, with 20.63.
5. Lot
Johan from Friesland / Shutterstock
Another southwestern department comes in next, with a comfortable score of 20.32.
6. Aveyron
Tupungato / Shutterstock
Next on the list is Aveyron - a department at the centre of a triangle created by the cities of Toulouse, Clermont-Ferrand, and Montpellier - and in the south of the Massif Central, with a still-high score of 19.66.
7. Hautes-Pyrénées
Eric Isselee / Shutterstock
This southern department - which has a border with Spain, and boasts the Western Pyrenees National Park - rounds out the highest scorers, with 19.27.
8. Hautes-Alpes
RudiErnst / Shutterstock
This Alpine department - which shares a border with Italy - comes in next, albeit a little way behind, with 13.95.
9. Pyrénées-Orientales
Mikemike10 / Shutterstock
Next is Pyrénées-Orientales - whose frontiers include Spain and the Mediterranean Sea, and which features the other-worldly Ille-sur-Tet ‘organ’ (Les Orgues) rock formations - with 11.02.
10. Aude
Maria Sedova / Shutterstock
And last in the ranking is Aude - often known as ‘Cathar country’ after its Cathar heritage and past - with a lower score of 7.46.
The top healthiest places to live in France
Overall, all criteria considered, the top 10 was:
Alpes-de-Haute Provence (8.10 out of 10), Haute-Pyrénées (7.75), Lozère (7.42), Aveyron (7.39), Hautes-Alpes (7.31), Lot (7.23), Jura (7.22), Pyrénées-Orientales (7.05), Aude (7.02), and Ariège (6.87).
Alpes-de-Haute Provence scored particularly highly for the number of public bathing/swimming spaces, with 434.41 per 100,000 residents. This contrasts significantly with the lowest-scorer for this metric, Jura, which only has 61.89.
Jura did score highest on the number of paths and hiking trails, however, with 184.89 per 100,000 residents. This put it far ahead of the second-highest scorer on this metric, Lozère, with 104.14.
When it comes to the number of sports centres, Hautes-Alpes scored highest, with 8.92 per 100,000 residents; followed by Lozère, with 8.48.
And when it comes to the number of ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’ shops, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence ranked highest for healthier shops, at 15.51 per 100,000 residents (and 12.44 for unhealthier sites); followed by Hautes-Alpes with 15.22 healthy shops (and 17.77 for unhealthier).
