Urban nature

Human psychological and community health

According to the research of Rod Matsuoka and William Sullivan urban residents
benefit greatly from daily contact with nature. Exposure to nearby nature is associated
with improved psychological health and increased community health. Urban nature
can be found in large and small amounts, including large expanses in parks, small
patches along streets, and accidental nature growing on neglected sites. Benefits from
nature can be experienced through direct and indirect contact, such as gardening or
viewing natural settings. This research focuses on recent studies conducted since
1990, categorizing the benefits of nature in specific settings, describing the
mechanisms that convey these benefits, and examining the relationships among these
benefits and their underlying mechanisms.
The research explores urban nature benefits, psychological health, and community
benefits in various settings like workplaces, homes, hospitals, schools, community
gardens, parks, and citywide regions, using empirical studies and published in English
since 1991.
The benefit of urban nature can be grouped in to two main groups those are
Psychological health and well-being &Community benefits .
Psychological health
Urban nature exposure is linked to improved psychological health in all age groups,
including enhanced attention, better stress coping, improved well-being, and increased
satisfaction with neighborhoods and lives. This benefits have been observed in
various settings, including workplaces, homes, parks, community gardens, hospitals,
and schools.
Contact with urban nature uses three underlying mechanisms those are Attention
restoration, Stress reduction &Physical Activity. The individual benefits are
Psychological health, Physical health. While Community benefits are Reduction in
Incivilities &Social interactions .
The benefit of urban nature in different setting can be generalized as follows
Work place
Exposure to nature in workplace settings has been linked to increased employee
productivity, reduced job-related frustration and stress, improved psychological well-
being, enhanced job satisfaction, and higher levels of life satisfaction, according to
recent studies.
Home
Exposure to nature at home has numerous positive effects on individuals, including
improves cognitive functioning, mood, mental effectiveness, neighborhood
satisfaction, peace of mind, concentration, and well-being, while reducing symptoms
of ADHD, hyperactivity disorder, stress, and depression. While for the community
Nature offers opportunities for social interaction, community sense, and social
activity, while reducing feelings of loneliness and increasing a sense of safety.
However, it also reduces aggressive behaviors, incivilities, fear levels, property crime,
and violent crimes.
Hospitals
Green spaces and access to them have been shown to benefit individuals in hospitals
and therapeutic settings. A study by Ulrich (1984) found that patients with a view of a
green space with trees or a brick wall outside their rooms took fewer self-
administered painkillers and were released from the hospital sooner than those with a
view of the wall. Recent studies have found that exposure to therapeutic landscapes or
healing gardens positively impacts self-reported well-being, quality of life, morale,
mood and restoration, and reductions of distress and emotional pain for both patients
and staff. Views of green spaces also have positive impacts on caregivers. Nature in
hospitals increases attention, improves communication, reduces psychological
restoration, and reduces emotional distress. while for community it increases
Talking with others & Emotional distress .Z...., [1/6/2024 12:37 PM]
Schools
Exposure to green spaces on school grounds has been shown to have positive impacts
on student behavior. Most studies have focused on the effects of alternative
playgrounds in preschool, kindergarten, and elementary schools, which have been
found to benefit children's creative play, emotional and cognitive development, and
pro-social behaviors. However, the number of studies on this topic is small. Some
studies have found that views of nature from classroom and cafeteria windows are
associated with enhanced performance on standardized tests, higher graduation rates,
higher percentages of students planning to attend a four-year college, and more pro-
social student behaviors. Additionally, two studies on college campuses have linked
greater ecodiversity and greater use of green spaces with higher levels of self-reported
quality of life. Despite the small number of studies, the evidence shows that having
easy access to nature from schools has consistent and systematically positive impacts
on learning and student behavior.

Community gardens
Community gardens offer opportunities for direct interaction with nature, which has
been linked to improved overall well-being and quality of life. These enhancements
are attributed to various sources, including the creation of supportive social
environments, sense of participation and achievement, and people's perception that
gardening improves their mental health. The benefits of gardening include increased
life satisfaction, community cohesion, optimism, psychological health, quality of life,
community development, social health, self-esteem, social networks, sense of well-
being, and zest for life. Overall, gardening contributes to overall well-being and
quality of life.
Parks
Urban parks have been linked to improved mental health through various factors.
Access to parks improves cognitive functioning, allowing people to focus better and
score higher on tests measuring attention and concentration. It also provides an
opportunity to escape the stresses of urban life, enhances positive feelings, increases
self-reported well-being, and reduces levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Nature
in parks increases directed-attention abilities, friendships across cultures, feelings of
revitalization, interracial relations, mental capacity restoration, social relations, strong
family ties, positive emotions, positive feelings, a sense of tranquility, and well-being.
It also reduces anger, anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms,
depression, and stress. Overall, parks offer a positive and beneficial environment for
mental health.
Greater neighborhood
Research has shown that increased vegetation in daily surroundings can improve
psychological well-being by promoting positive feelings and reducing stress. Children
with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have also shown benefits from
exposure to nature in urban parks and near their homes. Studies consistently link such
access to a reduction in ADHD symptoms, with children with ADHD concentrating
better after a walk in the park than after a downtown walk or neighborhood walk.
Overall, nature exposure can have a significant impact on mental health.
Contact with urban nature builds communities
Urban nature can significantly impact social interaction and the strength of ties among
neighbors. Green spaces attract people outdoors, increasing opportunities for casual
social encounters and fostering stronger neighborhood social ties. Access to green
spaces is reliably related to enhanced social contacts, increased levels of social
support, more acquaintances among people of different age groups, racial, ethnic, and
cultural backgrounds, and increased sense of community among neighbors. Green
spaces promote social interaction among neighbors in residential, park, hospital,
school, and community gardens. Residents of inner-city public housing
neighborhoods report better socialization, stronger community feelings, and better
adjustment compared to those in barren, but otherwise identical buildings. Green
spaces are also associated with higher levels of social contact and increased feelings
of social support among neighbors.
Hospitals use green spaces for privacy and socializing, with open, natural settings for
passive behaviors and more enclosed settings for active ones. Schools have found that
more natural escapees are associated with more active, social play among children,
based more on cognitive, social, and emotional skills rather than primarily physical
prowess. Community gardens in residential neighborhoods have been linked to
increased social interaction, improved social networks, increased community
building, and enhanced interpersonal relationships among juvenile offenders. Overall,
green settings in neighborhoods are associated with greater social cohesion among
neighbors.
How does urban nature produce good health condition and community.
Exposure to green urban spaces can lead to enhanced mental restoration, reduced
stress, and increased social interaction and support. The Attention Restoration Theory
and Psycho-Evolutionary Theory are two widely cited pathways for the connections
between nature and psychological health. Attention Restoration Theory focuses on the
two modes of attention: involuntary attention and direct attention. The costs of
attention fatigue, or mental fatigue, are significant, leading to reduced concentration
and increased risk of mental health issues.
Kaplan and Kaplan's attention restoration theory suggests that green settings provide a
chance for directed attention to rest and restore. Research shows that individuals with
greater exposure to green spaces are better at managing social situations, avoiding
conflicts, making progress on goals, and coping with life's stresses. This leads to
higher levels of life satisfaction and psychological well-being.
The Psycho-Evolutionary Theory suggests that exposure to green spaces that produce
feelings of mild to moderate interest, pleasantness, and calmness can help individuals
recover from stress. Exposure to non-threatening green spaces can return
psychological and physiological arousal to more moderate levels, promoting overall
well-being.
Lastly, social interaction may be a mechanism underlying the connection between
exposure to urban nature and psychological and social benefits. Green spaces act as
gathering places, supporting frequent, informal interaction among neighbors and
nurturing neighborhood social ties. These ties are the glue that transforms a collection
of people into a community.