Green Cities: Good Health
Green Cities : Good Health is an on-going project led by Kathleen Wolf, Ph.D., and funded by various grants from the USDA Forest Service. Exploring how nature (including trees, parks, gardens, and natural areas) enhances quality of life in cities and towns, this project is a research review of nearly 40 years of scientific studies. In an effort to examine the role of nature in shaping the environmental, social, and economic conditions of cities, this project blends scientific evidence with education and advocacy to support better planning and management of urban natural resources.
Over the two years that I worked on this projects, I reviewed hundreds of scientific studies on the relationship between nature and urban environments to produce a summary of results for seven theme areas: Place Attachment & Meaning, Mental Health & Function, Work & Learning, Reduced Risk, Healing & Therapy, Culture & Equity, Lifecycle & Gender.
Additionally, I helped produce outreach materials, such as powerpoints, briefing papers, and two short videos that could be used by advocacy groups, planners, ecologists, politicians, educators, community groups and leaders, and individuals to both help inform the public and make a case for the integration of well-designed, natural spaces and elements into the built environment.
Metro nature - including trees, parks, gardens, and natural areas - enhance quality of life in cities and towns. Urban forestry improves human health and well-being in many ways. Nearly 40 years of scientific studies tell us how. Here's the research...