In our Open Voices blog we share insight from leaders in our communities who are advancing what it means to have sacred, open green spaces in our cities. In April, we talk with several companies and initiatives developing meaningful places in our cities.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of organizations supporting nature access in our cities. This year’s Earth Day alone was a reminder of the many people working to make our cities healthy, meaningful, and liveable. Our collective conscious is becoming more aware of how modern life disrupts our connection to nature and our bodies. And more research every day shows how urban green spaces improve health. This April we have highlighted several organizations who are doing their own research or advocacy for green spaces. We close out this month by taking a closer look at several projects and publications within our Nature Sacred National Awards Program.
The Nature Sacred National Awards Program, sponsored by the TKF Foundation, provides $5 million in funding for six projects of national significance.
This grant program is unusual in that each project integrates landscape design and empirical research. The collection of exceptional spaces will demonstrate how nearby nature in the city can provide sacred and spiritual experiences. Each project, currently underway, combines the creation of tranquil, restorative spaces in urban environments with rigorous study of their impact on users’ well-being and resilience.
“What is really critical about the award from the TKF Foundation is that it will help lay a foundation for this field, making it less of an outlying field of inquiry and spurring additional research.”- Team member Marc Berman
These examples of high quality design and research will elevate public awareness about the necessity and value of tranquil places where people can contemplate, reflect and be restored. Each project team will create a unique and engaging green space that is designed specifically for a human population having particular needs. Located across the United States, the collection of projects will address the challenges of local populations by creating opportunities for recovery, wholeness and celebration, and contribute rigorous research that confirms the benefits of experiencing nature in urban settings. Many of the project team members, such as Marc Berman, are leaders in their field. And, their previous work is featured in several publications from the Nature Sacred program.
These publications are written for those who may be community leaders, policy makers, emerging scientists, and all those who want to know why they feel different during and after a nature hike.
Feeling Stressed? Take a Time Out in Nature.
This publication outlines the up-to-date research on how stress operates in our bodies and communities, and how it can be reduced through interacting and resting in the outdoors.
Reflect and Restore: Urban Green Space for Mental Wellness
This publication introduces a holistic perspective on individual and community health, providing scientific evidence showing how our brain and body responds to nature in many forms and experiences.
Environmental Equality: Providing Nearby Nature for Everyone
Every person, regardless of race, ethnicity, income, or age, is entitled to live in a home, neighborhood, and city that supports wellness and good health. Aligning with the growing evidence about the benefits of having access to nearby nature, this publication aids your commitment to equal access to the environments that promote health, wellness, and well-being.
