Database

Rates of living alone, especially in more urbanised areas, are increasing across many industrialised countries, with associated increases in feelings of loneliness and poorer mental health.

The positive effects of natural environments on mental health have been observed and studied for decades. Specifically, psychology research from across the world has suggested that nature can reduce depression symptomology, although there is uncertainty about the mechanisms behind this relationship.

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed not only the true value of nature and open public spaces, but it reified the presence and persistence of racism in and throughout American institutions.

This article conceptualizes homelessness on public lands within a social-ecological systems framework, exploring dynamics in public natural areas in the Seattle metropolitan area (USA), a system with a compact urban-to-wildland gradient.

People who make habitual use of an emotion regulation strategy such as cognitive reappraisal may be more sensitive to the emotion cues coming from a surrounding natural environment and, thus, get more benefits from virtual nature exposure such as enhanced subjective vitality.

Inequalities within academia – and the research outputs of academic – are a widely acknowledged problem. This results in the reproduction of knowledge gaps within academic praxis.

This is the first study to investigate the relationship between neighborhood walkability and cardiovascular (CV) risk factors in the United States using a large population-based database.

Urban design that is supportive to walking is becoming an important and proven determinant of health, especially cardiovascular health. This study examined the link between walkability and cardiovascular risk factors by studying close to one million patients in an urban setting.

The body of evidence supporting the psychological benefits of exposure to virtual nature, such as increased mood and decreased stress, is rapidly growing.

The effects of ‘nature’ on mental health and subjective well-being have yet to be consistently integrated into ecosystem service models and frameworks.

Research suggests that spending time in natural environments is associated with cognitive and affective benefits, while increased use of technology and time spent in urban environments are associated with depletion of cognitive resources and an increasing prevalence of mental illness.

Exposure to natural environments offers an array of mental health benefits. Virtual reality provides simulated experiences of being in nature when outdoor access is limited. Previous studies on virtual nature have focused mainly on single "doses" of virtual nature. The effects of repeated exposure remain poorly understood.

Unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and social disconnection are important modifiable risk factors for non-communicable and other chronic diseases, which might be alleviated through nature-based community interventions. We tested whether a community gardening intervention could reduce these common health risks in an adult population that is diverse in terms of age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

This study analyzed data from over 59,000 census block groups in the 301 largest U.S. cities to examine the relationship between urban greenspace and crime. After adjusting for various factors, it found that areas with more greenspace generally had lower rates of both property and violent crime. The negative association was consistent across nearly all cities, with only a few exceptions for violent crime. The findings suggest greenspace may help reduce crime, though further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms.

The purpose of this study was to examine the health benefits of the Bayou Greenway trail system in Houston by tracking patterns and changes in hospital visits.

Exposure to urban greenspaces has been linked to improved health outcomes for prevalent conditions. Studies have observed traditional block greenspaces, whereas linear trail systems could maximise health impacts by reaching greater population percentages.

Understanding natural landscape preferences is essential to creating attractive green spaces that promote the benefits people may receive from nature. Previous research on landscape preference has primarily relied on quantitative, theory-driven approaches that may neglect complex and detailed human feelings and thoughts, as well as still images, which may not represent moving immersive stimuli representative of real-world experiences. The current study sought to reveal the key reasons for landscape preferences using virtual reality (VR) and open-ended questions. The results demonstrated the relevance of landscape preference theories while suggesting a greater emphasis on open views, sounds, and rhythmic features of the coast for landscape planning and design.

Contact with natural environments is associated with good health and well-being.

Numerous studies have highlighted the physical and mental health benefits of contact with nature, typically in landscapes characterized by plants (i.e., “greenspace”) and water (i.e., “bluespace”). However, natural landscapes are not always green or blue, and the effects of other landscapes are worth attention. This narrative review attempts to overcome this limitation of past research.

Time spent in nature (TSN) is related to improved health and well-being; however, many adults spend little time in nature. Interventions based on health behavior theories may be effective at increasing TSN.