2016 / Stress, Health and well-being, Urban

Living in Cities, Naturally

Citation

Hartig, T., & Kahn Jr, P. H. (2016). Living in cities, naturally. Science, 352(6288), 938-940.

Link to file

Abstract

Figure 1. Together with ecological benefits such as climate change mitigation and the protection of biological diversity, the renaturing of cities opens opportunities for people to engage with features and processes of the natural world; for example, when tending plants in a community garden.

Natural features, settings, and processes in urban areas can help to reduce stress associated with urban life. In this and other ways, public health benefits from, street trees, green roofs, community gardens, parks and open spaces, and extensive connective pathways for walking and biking. Such urban design provisions can also yield ecological benefits, not only directly but also through the role they play in shaping attitudes toward the environment and environmental protection. Knowledge of the psychological benefits of nature experience supports efforts to better integrate nature into the architecture, infrastructure, and public spaces of urban areas.