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.
Cities Need Nature
“We humans have an intrinsic emotional need to connect with nature. The eminent biologist E. O. Wilson first called this need “biophilia,” and the term has stuck. Yet cities also, and fundamentally, need the structure of hardscape urbanism – streets, buildings, and infrastructure – in sufficient density to achieve environmental and economic efficiency and nurture social bonds. It is critical that we incorporate nature into cities, but we must do so in a way that supports urbanity rather than replaces it.”
The Natural Way to a Better State of Health
“There is mounting evidence that getting closer to nature can help restore your wellbeing…Urbanisation has driven more and more of us indoors. When we’re not at home or in the office, we’re commuting from one to another in a car, bus or train. We can even do our shopping without getting a whiff of fresh air thanks to shopping malls with convenient on-site parking. Why is this a problem? The answer is simple: nature is good for us.”
Living Near Trees, Green Spaces Reduces Stress, Study Shows
“If you’re in need of a little stress relief, it might be waiting just outside your front door – especially in the Bay Area. A new study from the University of Wisconsin in Madison reveals that people who live near trees and green spaces report lower levels of stress, anxiety and depression than those in more concrete- and asphalt-lined neighborhoods.”
Spend Your Earth Day Taking Care Of Nature — And Your Health
“Nature and personal health go hand in hand, though it may be hard to believe and difficult to implement in this digital age…Studies have shown that ecotherapy, or “green therapy,” is good for your overall well-being — both physical and mental. Spending time in nature, and especially exercising in green areas, can actually help reduce depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses while pushing you to become more physically active.”
