Every week, we bring you the latest news in placemaking, landscape architecture, the nature-mental health link, and much more. Check back each week for new roundups and items.
Research Reveals Behavioral Impact of Investment In Parks
“Investing in parks could more than triple the amount of exercise taken according to new research. The study by outdoor play equipment specialists Proludic, examined the impact on communities of investing in play, sports and fitness facilities and revealed that on average people using the parks increased their level of active play or exercise by 376% as a result of the improvements. This equated to an extra 3 hours 21 minutes of activity every month or 1.6 days of exercise each year…The study found that in both areas activity levels increased for all age ranges, with average visits to the parks tripling (from 3 to 9 visits per month) and the amount of time spent during each visit almost doubling (from 13.5 to 25.5 minutes per visit).”
Are Urban Green Spaces Doomed?
“How do we go about balancing the vertical density that makes any city feel urban with the scenic, spirit-reviving respites that make it feel, well, human? At the heart of the issue is a vacant, weed-strewn lot that locals would like to see converted into a pocket park: one of those delightful miniature oases that urbanites always feel blessed to chance upon as we wind our way through the city’s concrete canyons and glass-and-steel stalagmites. Now: You’ll never hear me or any other sustainable cities advocate argue against increased urban density, especially when it comes to housing. And under most circumstances, in most other cities, the decision to put 75 apartments atop a relatively small parcel of land that was previously home to parked cars (and currently houses little more than gravel and beer cans) would be a no-brainer. But in a city already famous for its density, and in a part of town that consistently ranks near the very bottom in terms of public green space, a question arises: Which amenity confers the greater benefit to the greater number of New Yorkers? Are 75 units of new housing in a tight housing market appreciably “better” for New York City than 10,000 square feet of parkland in a neighborhood that is demonstrably starved for parkland and—though it’s home to 2,000 children—hasn’t seen a new playground built in 45 years?”
Microbiologist Says To Avoid The Flu, Go Outside
“Want to avoid catching the flu or your co-worker’s cold this year? Get some fresh air and wash your hands with soap and water, microbiologist Jack Gilbert says… It’s a complicated issue. If we take the historical perspective, then yes. I mean, Florence Nightingale, during the Crimean War, was avid about opening windows on wards to improve the quality of her patients. She believed the fresh air was beneficial and would help them to recover. And, indeed, and she saw circumstantial evidence that pointed to that. And we now have the experimental evidence of recent studies which shows this to actually be true. There are – and if you have windows open in an indoor space, you have less human-associated bacteria. And many of those human-associated bacteria that circulate in the air can be related to pathogens.”
Outdoor Path Helps Improve Physical, Mental Well-being for People with Parkinson’s Disease
“A winding brick walkway and garden is helping people with Parkinson’s disease gain strength, balance and confidence in navigating real-life environments. The new path, developed by Bethesda Health and Housing with funding from the National Parkinson Foundation Minnesota, was introduced at a community open house this week. Believed to be among the first of its kind in the United States, the path is an innovative approach to improving the quality of life for those with Parkinson’s disease…Tucked into a sheltered courtyard behind the Bethesda Wellness Center, the brick-paved walkway meanders up and down gentle slopes and past therapy stations such as outdoor tables and chairs and a mailbox on a post. It’s still in the first phase of development. More features — steps, a bridge, bird feeders, additional landscaping — will be added, said Melissa Wenzel, director of Club Bethesda at the wellness center. “Next spring we’ll finish it off,” she said.”
