The Healing Power of Nature : How Green Space is Improving Health and Wellbeing in Cities
Evidence shows that urban green spaces—from pocket parks to greened vacant lots—measurably improve mental health, reduce cardiovascular disease, and strengthen community bonds while driving economic growth.
What you'll Learn:Research showing time in nature reduces stress and improves mood. Greened vacant lots associated with reduced crime. Economic analyses suggest significant returns on green infrastructure investments. Evidence-based programs like nature prescriptions being integrated into healthcare.
Who should read this:Urban planners, public health professionals, mental health practitioners, parks departments, community organizations, environmental justice advocates, foundation officers, researchers studying social determinants of health, and policymakers addressing urban stress and health disparities.
VIEW REPORT
Take Burnout from Red to Green
A groundbreaking economic analysis revealing how hospitals can save millions annually by investing in therapeutic green spaces to combat healthcare worker burnout, featuring a customizable calculator that estimates facility-specific cost savings and ROI from reduced turnover and improved patient outcomes.
What you'll Learn:The staggering economic burden of physician and nurse burnout including turnover costs and medical liability, evidence-based research showing biophilic interventions reduce emotional exhaustion, how to calculate your hospital's potential savings, and case studies from successful therapeutic garden implementations.
Who should read this:Hospital administrators and C-suite executives, healthcare facility planners and architects, human resources directors in healthcare settings, physician and nursing leadership, and healthcare consultants focused on workforce retention and employee wellbeing initiatives.
VIEW REPORT
Access to Nature and the Workplace
A comprehensive evidence review examining how incorporating nature into workspaces—through plants, natural views, and proximity to green spaces—delivers measurable benefits for employee performance, well-being, and organizational outcomes.
What you'll Learn:The scientific evidence for nature's workplace benefits including improved task performance and concentration, stress reduction and mood enhancement, increased social interaction and creativity, plus practical implementation strategies from simple plant installations to green roofs and contemplative spaces.
Who should read this:Workplace designers and facility managers, HR professionals focused on employee well-being, organizational leaders evaluating workplace investments, sustainability officers aligning ESG goals with employee benefits, and anyone implementing evidence-based strategies to enhance workplace productivity and retention.
VIEW REPORT
The Power of Sacred Places
A comprehensive guide exploring 25 years of research and practice in creating contemplative nature spaces that improve health outcomes, strengthen communities, and provide accessible sanctuaries for reflection and restoration in urban environments.
What you'll Learn:The measurable health benefits of nature exposure including reduced cortisol levels and improved cognitive function, evidence-based design methodologies for creating effective healing landscapes, Nature Sacred's four design elements for structuring contemplative spaces, and practical strategies for community-led visioning processes.
Who should read this:Landscape architects, healthcare facility planners, community development organizations, municipal planners, parks and recreation departments, and environmental justice advocates interested in the intersection of landscape architecture and public health.
VIEW REPORT
Research on the Beneficial Aspects of the Experience of Nature in Cities
A comprehensive literature review examining 36 studies demonstrating how urban green spaces enhance human health, well-being, and community vitality through the Open Spaces Sacred Places National Awards Initiative.
What you'll Learn:The scientific evidence for nature's stress-reducing and cognitive benefits, extended impacts on mental and physical health outcomes, improvements in work/school/home functioning, and economic valuation methods for quantifying green space benefits.
Who should read this:Research scientists designing place-based studies, urban planners incorporating green infrastructure, grant writers preparing OSSP proposals, healthcare professionals implementing therapeutic gardens, and cross-disciplinary teams developing evidence-based approaches to urban nature interventions.
VIEW REPORT
Reflect & Restore: Urban Green Space for Mental Wellness
A research brief examining four decades of evidence showing how urban green spaces support mental health by reducing stress, restoring attention, improving productivity, and strengthening social connections.
What you'll Learn:WHO framework for mental wellness, evidence-based benefits including stress reduction and cognitive restoration, theoretical foundations (Attention Restoration and Stress Reduction Theory), and practical applications for ADHD, depression, and workplace productivity.
Who should read this:Urban planners, landscape architects, public health officials, mental health practitioners, parks departments, community organizations, healthcare facility designers, school administrators, policymakers addressing urban stress, and researchers studying environment and well-being.
VIEW REPORT
Feeling Stressed? Take a Time Out in Nature
Synthesizes over 100 studies showing how urban green spaces provide measurable stress reduction and mental restoration benefits for city residents.
What you'll Learn:The scientific evidence behind nature's stress-reducing effects, including physiological and psychological benefits of green spaces, the restorative power of even brief nature encounters, and specific activities that enhance stress recovery in urban environments.
Who should read this:Urban planners, public health officials, healthcare providers, community organizations, and city residents interested in evidence-based approaches to stress reduction.
VIEW REPORT
The Benefits of Nearby Nature in Cities for Older Adults
Comprehensive research synthesis demonstrating how urban green spaces support physical health, cognitive function, and social connections for older adults, with special attention to those in assisted living.
What you'll Learn:Evidence-based benefits of nearby nature across physical activity, mental health, and social domains for older adults; the therapeutic value of gardens for dementia care; specific design considerations for age-friendly outdoor spaces; and how nature access supports healthy aging in urban environments.
Who should read this:Urban planners, healthcare providers, assisted living facility administrators, architects designing senior spaces, caregivers, policymakers focused on aging populations, and community organizations serving older adults.
VIEW REPORT
Nearby Nature for Human Health: Sites to Systems
Framework for creating interconnected networks of smaller urban green spaces using design principles of portal, path, destination, and surround to maximize human health benefits through frequent nature contact.
What you'll Learn:How to design individual sacred spaces with restorative elements; strategies for connecting smaller parks into cohesive urban networks; opportunities to integrate nature into existing infrastructure systems like stormwater management and transportation; spatial patterns for distributing green spaces throughout cities for maximum accessibility and health impact.
Who should read this:Urban planners, landscape architects, city officials, park designers, public health professionals, green infrastructure specialists, community development organizations, and advocates for equitable access to urban nature.
VIEW REPORT
The Sacred and Nearby Nature in Cities
Explores how urban green spaces can provide transformational experiences of sanctuary, solace, and mindful reflection, supporting the creation of civic sacred spaces that counter the mental and physical fatigue of urban life.
What you'll Learn:Evidence-based vocabulary and concepts for discussing civic sacred spaces; mental and physical health benefits of contemplative nature experiences including stress reduction and improved cognitive function; design principles including portal, path, destination, and surround elements; and strategies for integrating restorative nature spaces into community planning and biophilic neighborhoods.
Who should read this:Urban planners, landscape architects, parks professionals, community organizations and civic leaders, healthcare providers interested in therapeutic landscapes, faith-based organizations, environmental educators, policymakers focused on urban wellbeing, and community advocates working to create accessible contemplative spaces in cities.
VIEW REPORT
