Open Voices News Roundup: March 24

Every week, we bring you the latest news in placemaking, landscape architecture and urban planning, the nature-mental health link, and much more. Check back each week for new roundups and items.

Ecotherapy:  Healing the Body by Healing the Earth
“The term ‘biophilia,’ which literally translates as ‘love of life or living systems,’ is used to describe the theory that suggests there is an instinctive bond between human beings and other living systems and that this bond is essential to good physical and mental health.1 We have a natural attraction to all that is alive and vital — all humans have ‘the urge to affiliate with other forms of life.’2 This premise helps explain why many spend time and energy caring for plants and flowers in their homes … in other words, our natural love for life helps us sustain life.”

Environmental Design and Research on Human Health Effects of Open Spaces in Urban Areas
“’Increasingly, human-environment interactions are recognized as a key determinant of human health and well-being,’  according to a recent article in the Human Ecology Review.   The article reviews the academic literature pertaining to the human health effects of spending time in nearby nature in cities, assessing the growing evidence base around experiencing nature in an urban setting and its subsequent impact on the individual, home and workplace; creating environments conducive to physical activity in cities; and smart growth practices in urban planning.  Of note, the authors identify several gaps in the evidence and recognize a general ‘lack of focus on health outcomes and a tendency to analyze at the neighborhood and community scale rather than on specific open spaces and the design elements within those spaces.’  Deeper understanding of the critical relationship of these aspects can better inform the development and creation of public greenspaces in cities that promote human health and healing.”

Hug a Tree – The Evidence Shows it Really Will Make You Feel Better
“We know that trees have many benefits. In forests they provide habitat, wood, biodiversity and ecosystem services. In cities, they can mitigate the urban heat island effect by cooling the air and reducing greenhouse gases.  But, perhaps surprisingly, there is increasing evidence that trees are also good for our mental health.”

A Look at the First Vegetable Garden Inside a California State Prison
“According to the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, the recidivism rate in the state is more than 60% — that is, 60% of the people released from prison return within three years.  At San Quentin State Prison, however, that number is less than 10%. The recidivism rate at this prison (situated just outside San Francisco) is remarkably low, and much of that can be credited to a successful rehabilitation program run by the Insight Garden Program (IGP), which provides horticultural therapy, vocational gardening and life skills for prisoners.”