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18 publications written by Wolf, Kathleen L.

A Lifecourse Perspective on Social Connectedness via Receptiveness to Nature

2026 / Social capital

Social isolation is a critical public-health concern, linked to a range of adverse effects, including increased risks of cardiovascular disease, depression, and premature mortality. Addressing the broad social and environmental conditions related to isolation is essential to addressing this epidemic, a fact increasingly recognized by policymakers. Research indicates that exposure to, and experiences in, nature are particularly important influences, with a 2022 systematic review on greenspace and loneliness reporting benefits in two-thirds of included studies. Effective design and management of greenspaces that reduce social isolation also requires attention to how individual factors influence both nature experiences and social interactions in everyday places. Applying a lifecourse-epidemiology approach, this literature synthesis describes how both receptiveness to nature and social connectedness systematically vary across the lifespan. We propose an accumulative lifecourse-effects framework, in which childhood (ages 5–14) and young adulthood (ages 15–24) are sensitive periods, but experiences with nature at all ages shape subsequent behaviors and beliefs essential to the development and maintenance of social ties. Elucidating the specifics of this relationship across four major stages of life (childhood, young adulthood, adulthood [ages 25–59], and older adulthood [ages 60-plus]), we encourage future research that applies a lifecourse lens to this field. In addition, we summarize a range of influences relevant across the lifespan, as well as offering a guide to physical configurations of greenspace and examples of model programs that have applied nature-based interventions to reduce social isolation.

Cultivating Reciprocity—The Nature and Health Challenge

2026 / Reciprocal healing

Across recent decades the disciplines devoted to nature and health have amassed impressive evidence that nature benefits people’s physical, psychological, and social well-being (Frumkin et al., 2017; Wolf, Lam, McKeen, Richardson, van den Bosch & Bardekjian, 2020). Many of the research articles call out two alarming and interacting trends: (1) increased global urbanization that threatens biodiversity and thus reduces opportunity for urban residents to interact with nature; and (2) equally compelling evidence of inequities of nature access to underserved populations, which denies them of extensive health benefits of nature experiences (Rigolon et al., 2024). While increasing both access and awareness of nature’s beneficial effects for all people is essential, it is also imperative to learn to care for our ever-dwindling natural spaces and ecosystems. Our concern for prevailing nature and health research is the focus on benefits quantification, rarely addressing the relational opportunities of values and behaviors that can arise from deep connection to nature. The limitation of ecosystem services and other nature-based solutions constructs is that they seek to demonstrate nature value as a commodity that is monetized and treated as an economic product. They conceptually optimize nature functionality to serve humanity, only recently recognizing broader cultural ecosystem services (Comberti, Thornton, Wyllie de Echeverria, & Patterson, 2015; Lele, Springate-Baginski, Lakerveld, Deb, & Dash, 2013). As decision-makers and the public translate health benefits research to programs and prescriptions, increased use of local greenspace can lead to overuse and degradation, a version of the tragedy of the commons. Continued focus on human-centric benefits of nature fails to recognize that mutual care or reciprocal relationship with nature is essential for both local natural systems and the health and survival of the planet (Varanasi, 2020).

Making the Pieces Fit An Urban Forestry Policy Review in King County, Washington

2026 / Urban forestry and street trees

Emerging from research, reflective practice, and increased professionalism, urban forestry has matured into a nature-based solution ever more acknowledged by local governments. Urban forestry has become an essential tool to address local challenges, spanning from households to entire regions. Tree-based solutions can be implemented to address stormwater management, reduce extreme heat, improve air quality, and improve human health in multiple ways. An important overlay in urban forestry policy and planning is equity, as canopy distribution in many cities reflects decades of unequal land use decisions, with benefits not being evenly shared. Both historic legacies and future urban forest programs must acknowledge that all people need nearby, quality landscapes to thrive. Assessment has become an essential activity. Urban forest assessments include tree inventories that help monitor and address multiple management conditions, such as tree size spread, species distribution, and tree health. Canopy assessments help communities to visualize tree locations and densities across a specified area, suggesting tree stocking needs and equity response. Other valuable assessments focus on code and policy, informing budgeting and administrative directions. King County, Washington includes the Seattle metropolitan region, including highly urbanized landscapes, forest, and agriculture working landscapes, as well as the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. Multiple county agencies have jurisdiction over tree and forest administration. A recent policy assessment helped managers understand what policies are in place, how well they interlace and function, and potential room for improvement. While this article focused on one place, it builds out a process, with conclusions, that can inform other assessments. It also sets up the question, is policy for urban trees working as well as it could?

Recess and After-Hours Behavior Patterns Associated With Community Schoolyard Transformations

2026 / Children, Participatory Design, School

Background Spending time in nature and physical activity are both linked to better health outcomes for children. School environments provide the potential for multiple interventions to promote healthy behaviors. Transforming these existing public spaces to serve broader activity functions provides opportunities to support healthy child development and to increase nature access for local communities. Methods Our quasi-experimental design capitalized on a community-engaged schoolyard redesign and redevelopment project completed at two elementary schools in Tacoma, Washington, USA, led by the Trust for Public Land. Renovations included painting paved surfaces, installation of new play structures, adding walking paths and log seating areas, and planting trees. We used a validated momentary time sampling observational tool, the System for Observing Outdoor Play Environments in Neighborhood schools (SOOPEN), before and after for two schools undergoing the transformation and a control school. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and within-group behaviors in the schoolyard were observed. We used a difference-in-difference approach to estimate the effect of the schoolyard renovation on behavior during recess, and on community use of the schoolyard outside of school hours. Results The schoolyard transformation was associated with a 1.51-times greater increase (95% CI: 0.95, 2.40) in MVPA during recess at intervention schools compared to the control school, although this association was only statistically significant among groups of boys. After renovation, MVPA was highest in grassy areas at one school (69%), but highest in paved zones with newly painted markings at the other (75%). Renovations were not associated with changes in the prevalence of prosocial behavior during recess, which was high at baseline. The schoolyard transformation was also associated with increased community use outside of school hours, especially for groups of children (5.8-times [95% CI: 1.4, 23.8] greater increase in use over time at renovation schools compared to the control school). Conclusions Schoolyard transformations have the potential to increase schoolyard use and physical activity both during and outside of school hours, if campuses are open to community use. Additional rigorous research can inform future projects to support the health of school-age children and address inequities in distribution of community greenspaces.

Moving to Greener Neighborhoods and Healthcare Costs in Northern California

2025 / Health and well-being

Background Environmental drivers of healthcare costs are mainly unknown. Studies that account for changes in longitudinal, within-individual changes accompanying changes in residential addresses have not been conducted. In the current study, we tested whether moving to a greener neighborhood was associated with decreases in healthcare costs and whether these associations vary by individual and neighborhood-level characteristics. Methods Cohort study with 13-year administrative data from Kaiser Permanente Northern California members who moved (N = 129,576) and did not move (N = 4,807,135). Healthcare costs and neighborhood characteristics before and after residential moves were examined, considering age, sex, race, neighborhood socioeconomic status, air pollution, and population density. Change in neighborhood greenery was measured as changes in deciles of satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in 250-m, 500-m, and 1000-m Euclidean buffers. Nonmovers were retained for analyses as they represented individuals with no changes in neighborhood greenery. Results We found that moving to greener neighborhoods was generally not associated with changes in healthcare costs. However, moving to greener areas was associated with decreases in outpatient costs (NDVI-250-m relative cost ratio [RCR] = 0.993, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.987, 0.999). Movers with the greatest increase in greenness had $89 less annual outpatient costs than movers who maintained their greenness levels. Subgroup analyses found significant decreases in outpatient costs for women (RCR = 0.992, CI = 0.985,0.999), adults aged 18–44 (RCR = 0.989, CI = 0.981,0.996), and individuals moving from lower population density-neighborhoods (RCR = 0.991, CI = 0.983,0.999). Conclusions This longitudinal, within-individual analysis found little evidence to support the hypothesis that moving to greener neighborhoods is associated with reduced healthcare spending. Future studies should incorporate data on duration of residence, individual socioeconomic status, reasons for moving, and broader economic outcomes to better evaluate how residential environments may influence healthcare costs.

Nature in Urban Planning for Better Human Health

2024 / Built environment + Urban design, Urban

Urban planning, public health, and nature are intricately connected. Studies show that exposure to natural environments can reduce stress, improve mental health, increase social cohesion, and promote physical activity – all of which can attribute to positive health outcomes. Understanding the specific elements of nature experiences and their health benefits is crucial for tailoring urban planning efforts to meet community and public health goals. Nature in Urban Planning for Better Human Health provides a roadmap for planners to incorporate nearby nature into the planning process to promote health and create vibrant urban living spaces for all residents. Using evidence from the literature, the guide will help planners align their efforts with public health priorities and establish goals that maximize the benefits of natural assets. It shows how planners can carefully consider nature as part of an urban system to design environments that enhance residents’ interactions with nature, promote physical activity, and improve overall health outcomes. Americans face several health crises, from chronic physiological disease to mental health issues. A growing body of evidence suggests that proximity to nature has a positive impact on human health. Chapters 1 and 2 of the guide provide the background and evidence for the positive impact of nature on health. Chapter 3 introduces plan-making and describes how public engagement and cross-sector collaboration can be used to integrate nature into plan-making process. Chapter 4 discusses the important physical aspects of nature that influence residents’ well-being, providing guidance on how to design and manage urban green spaces using the principles of “activating elements” such as dosage and sound. Perceptual and experiential aspects of urban nature, such as wayfinding, spatial definition, and safety considerations, are described in Chapter 5, providing valuable insights to planning environments that are inclusive and supportive of diverse needs. Finally, Chapter 6 focuses on the implementation of community plans. It shows how public land use, development regulations, and economic approaches such as incentives can be used to attract public and private capital to fund, preserve, and expand urban green spaces.

Participatory Design for Community Schoolyards: Mixed Methods Reveal Positive Engagement Despite Measures Limitations

2024 / Children, Participatory Design, School

Extensive research demonstrates that parks are important for human health and well-being across the human life span. Research also reveals disparities in park distribution both across and within cities of the United States, with under-resourced communities often having fewer green spaces, and ones that are smaller and of lower quality. Outdoor spaces at public schools can be reimagined as community parks to welcome public use after-hours and on weekends. The Community Schoolyards initiative of The Trust for Public Land promotes engagement with school districts and park systems to expand park access in urban underserved communities. Our engaged team science approach used a natural experiment situation to evaluate multiple aspects of a schoolyard-to-park transformation program in Tacoma, Washington (USA), with a focus on civic intelligence. We combined community engagement with evaluation to understand how elementary school students responded to participatory design when generating ideas for their local schools’ schoolyard renovations. A pre–post, mixed-methods study (two intervention schools and one control school) was conducted despite COVID closures and remote teaching, requiring multiple study adaptations. Combined quantitative (student surveys) and qualitative (teacher interviews) methods were implemented to understand the impacts of a participatory design process for children. Quantitative results indicated little change from baseline, while qualitative results suggest substantial positive developmental outcomes. While additional research is needed, particularly in less extraordinary times than those presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, we found that an early design experience can introduce children to new ways of thinking about their school, their community, themselves, and the importance of parks.

Physical Activity and Social Interaction Assessments in Schoolyard Settings Using the System for Observing Outdoor Play Environments in Neighborhood Schools (SOOPEN)

2023 / Children, Development, Health and well-being, School

Figure 1. (a) Schoolyard 1, (b) schoolyard 2, and (c) schoolyard 3 target areas for SOOPEN observations. Black outlines indicate the boundaries of each target area and white dots indicate the location where observers stood to conduct scans. For example, at School 3 (panel C), zone 1 is a paved surface, zone 2 is a covered basketball court (paved surface), zone 3 is a paved surface, zone 4 is a set of swings, zone 5 is a play structure, and zone 6 is a grass field bordered by a paved walking path Background The schoolyard environment provides key opportunities to promote physical activity and socioemotional development for children. Schoolyards can also serve as a community park resource outside of school hours. We aimed to: (i) implement and evaluate reliability of the System for Observing Outdoor Play Environments in Neighborhood Schools (SOOPEN), (ii) assess schoolyard use by children during recess and community members of all ages outside of school hours, and (iii) investigate relationships of schoolyard and children´s group characteristics with physical activity levels and prosocial interactions. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we observed student and community visitor behavior using SOOPEN at three urban elementary schoolyards in Tacoma, Washington, USA, prior to renovations intended to expand each facility’s use as a community park in neighborhoods with poor park access. We assessed interrater reliability using intraclass correlation coefficients and described current levels of schoolyard use (at the group level), physical activity, and prosocial behavior. Physical activity was assessed on a five-point scale and dichotomized to indicate moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Social interactions were coded as prosocial, antisocial, or neutral. We examined associations of selected schoolyard features and group characteristics with group MVPA and prosocial behavior during recess using modified Poisson regression to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results We observed a total of 981 activity-defined, informal groups in the schoolyards, and achieved good to excellent interrater reliability using SOOPEN. Community use of the schoolyards during evenings and weekends was limited (n = 56 groups). During 26, 25–50 min recess periods (n = 833 groups), 19% of groups were engaged in MVPA. Schoolyard areas with paved surfaces were associated with more MVPA (PR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.04, 2.23) compared to field/grass areas; supervised groups were associated with less MVPA than groups not directly supervised by an adult (PR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.36, 0.96). Schoolyard characteristics were not associated with prosocial behavior. Mixed-gender groups were associated with more MVPA and more prosocial behavior. Conclusions Our study using SOOPEN, a reliable new activity observation tool, highlights the multi-dimensional dynamics of physical activity and social interactions in schoolyards, which could be leveraged to promote healthy behaviors during and outside of school hours.

Place Attachment and Meaning: Nurturing Nature Relationships

2023 / Reciprocal healing

Place attachment and meaning are important, though rarely acknowledged, contributors to personal mental health and community cohesion. Restoration ecology is generally intentional programming and field activity to restore land to a desired state of ecological function, habitat, and ecosystem services sourcing. Restoration ecology efforts are typically informed by technical aspects of environmental remediation, soils, landscape horticulture and ecosystem succession. Such projects are increasingly being implemented in urban settings. A separate research and technical application realm highlights the importance of greenspace, parks, and urban forests access to promote and support human health. Extensive evidence indicates that green space encounters can improve mental health, are linked to physical health response, and can support community-level social cohesion. Urban planners and leaders are increasingly interested in enhancing the amount and quality of greenspace in communities, particularly in underserved communities that, due to historic legacies that have limited green space quantity and quality. The fields and practices of ecological restoration and nature and health rarely intersect. Place attachment is but one human dimension of how restoration sites can also become restorative environments. This essay first provides explanation of the notions of place attachment and meaning, and their importance regarding human health. The next major section will then address what is known about how place attachment develops and becomes a part of one’s identity, and why this is important. A final section will then turn to practical recommendations for how ecological restoration projects can be planned, installed, and managed in ways that can offer opportunities to nurture place attachment.

Diversity in Public Perceptions of Urban Forests and Urban Trees: A Critical Review

2022 / Urban, Urban forestry and street trees

Across the world, planning and decision-making for urban forests increasingly seeks to include diverse perspectives. Yet, research on people’s perceptions of urban forests and urban trees is fragmented. To integrate and critically analyse this body of research, we conducted a review of empirical studies about people’s perceptions of urban forests and urban trees. We analysed 178 relevant studies with a focus on the diversity of places, methods, people, and perception response, using text analysis algorithms in Leximancer and established epistemological and methodological content assessment frameworks. The mixed-methods-assessment-tool (MMAT) was also used to assess method quality. Findings show current literature inadequately considers diversity of places, methods, people, and perception responses. Although multiple countries are represented, studies are usually limited to a single city and address perceptions of urban trees generally or trees in parks. Convenience sampling dominates, through predetermined, survey- and intercept-based data collection techniques. Few studies have investigated the perceptions of demographically, ethnically, or culturally diverse people. Most studies focused on the positive perceptions people hold (i.e., perceptions of benefits; beliefs about the positive consequences of urban trees), rather than the diversity of perceptions that may exist. The exception is studies that focused on values, which do report more diverse perception responses. Studies often lack conceptual clarity about the specific type of perception response being investigated. Future research must consider what is being perceived, how is it being perceived, and who is perceiving it, with more clarity. There should be more emphasis on incorporating diversity in study design to better inform urban forest sustainability and resilience.

Park Access and Mental Health Among Parents and Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2022 / Children, Healthcare providers

Table 2. Parent and child physical activity and mental health outcomes Background Time spent outdoors and in nature has been associated with numerous benefits to health and well-being. We examined relationships between park access and mental health for children and parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also explored associations between park access and co-participation of parent and child in time outdoors, and child and parent physical activity. Methods We used data from 1,000 respondents to a nationally representative U.S. survey of parent–child dyads during October–November 2020. Park access was defined as an affirmative response to: “do you have a park that you can safely walk to within 10 min of your home?” Child mental health was operationalized as the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) total difficulties score. The Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) total score assessed parent mental health and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) assessed parent physical activity. Child physical activity and co-participation in outdoor activity were reported as number of days in the prior week. Linear regression was used to examine relationships between park access and health outcomes in models adjusted for child and parent characteristics and COVID-19 impact. Results Our sample included 500 parents of children ages 6–10 years, and 500 parent–child dyads of children ages 11–17 years. Park access was associated with a lower SDQ total score among children (β: -1.26, 95% CI: -2.25, -0.27) and a lower PHQ-4 total score among parents (β: -0.89, 95% CI: -1.39, -0.40). In models stratified by child age, these associations were observed for SDQ scores among adolescents ages 11–17 and for PHQ-4 scores among parents of children ages 6–10 years. Park access was also associated with 0.50 more days/week of co-participation in outdoor time (95% CI: 0.16, 0.84), and higher levels of parent physical activity (β: 1009 MET-min/week, 95% CI: 301, 1717), but not child physical activity (β: 0.31 days/week, 95% CI: -0.03, 0.66). Conclusions Park access was associated with better mental health among children and parents, and more parent physical activity and parent–child co-participation in outdoor activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Access to nearby parks may be an important resource to promote health and well-being, for both individuals and families.

Climate Adaptation Actions for Urban Forests and Human Health

2021 / Climate, Urban, Urban forestry and street trees

Urban areas can be particularly vulnerable to climate change due to extensive impervious cover, increased pollution, greater human population densities, and a concentration of built structures that intensify impacts from urban heat, drought, and extreme weather. Urban residents are at risk from a variety of climate stressors, which can cause both physical and mental harm. Urban forests and tree cover provide a critical role in helping cities address climate change by supporting greenhouse gas mitigation, reducing the impacts of extreme heat and altered climate that impair human health, and helping communities to adaptively respond through engagement with nature. At the same time, urban forests are vulnerable to changes in climate and in need of robust strategies to adapt to those changes. As climate change impacts increase, efforts to “green” cities and adapt urban forests to changing conditions take on greater importance to support human health and well-being. Urban forest managers and allied professionals are looking for information to reduce climate risks to urban forests and secure their benefits for people and ecosystems. This report, Climate Adaptation Actions for Urban Forests and Human Health, synthesizes adaptation actions to address climate change in urban forest management and promote human health and well-being through nature-based solutions. It compiles and organizes information from a wide range of peer-reviewed research and evidence-based reports on climate change adaptation, urban forest management, carbon sequestration and storage, and human health response to urban nature. This report includes the Urban Forest Climate and Health Adaptation Menu, which presents information and ideas for optimizing the climate and human health outcomes of urban forestry projects and provides professionals who are working at the intersection of climate, public health, and urban forestry with resources to support climate adaptation planning and activities. Notably, it does not provide specific recommendations or guidance for any particular place; rather, it offers a range of action opportunities at different scales that can be incorporated into either comprehensive or specific climate adaptation initiatives. The Menu can be used with an existing, tested adaptation process to help managers consider climate risks and explore the benefits and drawbacks of potential adaptation actions within the context of a particular situation or project. It also can be useful for generating productive discussions about community needs and values to guide planning, education and outreach, research, or changes in policy or infrastructure within communities.

From Sanitary to Sustainable to Sacred: Metro Nature Experiences and Engagement

2021 / Built environment + Urban design, Landscape design, Urban

The expression of nature and ecology in cities is adaptive, as planners and managers address multiple urbanization challenges and pursue multiple goals. Human health and wellness are benefits of nearby nature experiences, elevating the importance of natural areas and urban ecology for health promotion. Engineered and gray infrastructure systems can address the sanitary needs of residents such as hygiene and disease prevention. More recent innovations that integrate built and natural systems for green infrastructure provide necessary services by relying more on ecological functions. While addressing practical needs, the reintroduction of nature in cities can also be planned to offer places that reduce human stress, provide solace, and promote community—the civic sacred. Sacred spaces are often socially constructed. They may be distinctive natural features that are culturally revered outdoor spaces, or are sites created and consecrated as secular memorials, or places that take on meaning through community engagement. The health benefits of such spaces extend from individuals to entire communities, and positive experiences can lead to place attachment and environmental stewardship commitments. Local government policies, programs, and research are needed to better understand and implement sacred spaces in cities, including attention to equity to assure that all residents have access.

Time Spent in Nature is Associated with Increased Pro-Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors

2021 / Children, Development

Urbanization, screen dependency, and the changing nature of childhood and parenting have led to increased time indoors, creating physical and emotional distancing from nature and time spent in natural environments. Substantial evidence from observational and intervention studies indicates that overall time spent in nature leads to increased perceived value for connectedness to nature and, subsequently, greater pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors (PEAB). This narrative review of the recent literature evaluates associations between time spent in nature with values ascribed to nature and nature connectedness, as well as PEAB. We discuss the influence of nature exposure and education in childhood on subsequent development of PEAB in adulthood. We analyze theoretical frameworks applied to this research as well as metrics employed, populations studied, and individual and societal values before presenting limitations of this research. We conclude with suggestions for future research directions based on current knowledge, underscoring the importance of promoting time spent in nature and PEAB in the face of growing challenges to planetary health. Research indicates that overall time spent in nature, regardless of the quality of environmental conditions, leads to increased perceived values ascribed to nature, which is associated with PEAB; however, this literature is predominantly cross-sectional. Furthermore, personal and social factors may influence PEAB. Thus, more longitudinal studies that consider these factors are needed to assess the duration and frequency of time spent in nature in childhood and its impact on PEAB throughout the life course. Identifying contexts which cultivate PEAB and reverse alienation from nature beginning in childhood may better sensitize adults to the urgency of environmental issues such as climate change, which adversely impact individual and environmental health.

Nature, Outdoor Experiences, and Human Health

2020 / Health and well-being, Public land

Recent scientific studies from around the world identify a broad array of human health benefits associated with experiences of nearby nature. This chapter explores how the current surge in health response science can inform recreation facilities planning and programming on both rural and urban public lands, at local to regional scales. We also introduce a number of evidence-based active living and nature-for-health initiatives—both conceptually and literally—that have emerged in communities across the country and that can be implemented across the entire landscape gradient. This collection of ideas concerning outdoor activity and human health represents a paradigm shift in several ways. First, human health response has been implicit in many recreation plans and lands, yet explicit health-centered goal setting suggests new opportunities for visitor recruitment and retention. Second, an alllands outlook, from a human health perspective, extends connectivity of recreation facilities beyond the public land boundary into nearby neighborhoods, and into partnerships with local governments. Finally, exploring the contributions of outdoor activity to human health initiates collaborations with nontraditional partners whose work is not based in natural resources, but who can offer valuable insights into visitor benefits. Such partners include medical professionals, public health departments, and community organizers. Looking back to chapter 2 (Cerveny et al. 2020), a human health lens also shifts the notion of “recreation as leisure” to one of “recreation as human connections” and expands the notion to acknowledge the importance of nature-based activity in everyday life.

The Urban Forest and Shopping Environments

2020 / Urban forestry and street trees

Many cities and communities are working toward urban sustainability goals, and the urban forest is one strategy to achieve environmental and social co-benefits. Yet retailers and merchants may not find environmental benefits to be compelling when compared to the direct costs of landscape and trees. Nonetheless, a quality outdoor environment can extend store appeal to the curb and boost positive experiences of visitors while in a shopping district. This chapter presents information about the atmospherics of green retail environments. A multi-study program of research shows that having a quality urban forest canopy within business districts and commercial areas can promote positive shopper perceptions and behavior. Positive responses have included store image, patronage behavior, and willingness to pay more for goods and services. This chapter provides a summary of the research, connects results to various psychological marketing theories, provides evidence-based design recommendations, and suggests future research activity.

Urban Trees and Human Health: A Scoping Review

2020 / Health and well-being, Urban, Urban forestry and street trees

The urban forest is a green infrastructure system that delivers multiple environmental, economic, social and health services, and functions in cities. Environmental benefits of urban trees are well understood, but no review to date has examined how urban trees affect human health. This review provides a comprehensive summary of existing literature on the health impacts of urban trees that can inform future research, policy, and nature-based public health interventions. A systematic search used keywords representing human health, environmental health, and urban forestry. Following screening and appraisal of several thousand articles, 201 studies were conceptually sorted into a three-part framework. Reducing Harm, representing 41% of studies, includes topics such as air pollution, ultraviolet radiation, heat exposure, and pollen. Restoring Capacities, at 31%, includes attention restoration, mental health, stress reduction, and clinical outcomes. Building Capacities, at 28%, includes topics such as birth outcomes, active living, and weight status. The studies that were reviewed show substantial heterogeneity in purpose and method yet indicate important health outcomes associated with people’s exposure to trees. This review will help inform future research and practice, and demonstrates why urban forest planning and management should strategically promote trees as a social determinant of public health.

Nature Contact and Human Health: A Research Agenda

2017 / Green spaces, Health and well-being

Figure 1. A spectrum of forms of nature contact. Background At a time of increasing disconnectedness from nature, scientific interest in the potential health benefits of nature contact has grown. Research in recent decades has yielded substantial evidence, but large gaps remain in our understanding. Objectives We propose a research agenda on nature contact and health, identifying principal domains of research and key questions that, if answered, would provide the basis for evidence-based public health interventions. Discussion We identify research questions in seven domains: a) mechanistic biomedical studies; b) exposure science; c) epidemiology of health benefits; d) diversity and equity considerations; e) technological nature; f) economic and policy studies; and g) implementation science. Conclusions Nature contact may offer a range of human health benefits. Although much evidence is already available, much remains unknown. A robust research effort, guided by a focus on key unanswered questions, has the potential to yield high-impact, consequential public health insights.