Green spaces, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), are “all urban land covered by vegetation of any kind”. This includes street trees, gardens, parks, landscaping around buildings, sports fields, flowerbeds, ponds, green entryways, green roofs, individual plants, and more. Green spaces provide long-term financial benefits as well as social and environmental gains.
Green spaces can positively affect humans’ physical health. Vegetation removes chemicals and filters particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and carbon monoxide from the air. Noise pollution, which can harm people’s general well-being by causing stress, is reduced through green spaces. Plants deflect sound, which may promote relaxation for nearby residents. Other benefits to physical health can be created by being in nature, being nearby it or by viewing it.
In cities, nature provides cooling shade to neighbourhood streets, safe harbour for pollinators, and rainwater absorption to reduce flooding. It’s widely understood that physical activity improves human health, but how parks, lakes, trees, and other urban green spaces boost physical activity and overall well-being is an unsolved piece of the puzzle.
As our world becomes more urbanised and city-centric, the ability to easily access outdoor natural spaces becomes increasingly challenging, especially for overburdened communities.
In a study of hospital patients, those assigned to a window with a view of trees needed less pain medication, healed faster, and were discharged more quickly than those without windows or those who only had a view of a brick wall.
The National Park
Benefits
Building nature into cities can support overall health and human well-being positively impacting mental and physical health.
Trees decrease stormwater runoff, preventing flooding and soil erosion. They also provide valuable habitats to support biodiversity in insects, birds, and other animals, and microorganisms.
Having access to green spaces has many psychological benefits. Research shows that time in nature can help: lower your stress, reduce your anxiety, lessen your depression, ease your mood disorder, lower rates of substance abuse, improve your concentration and focus, increase your feelings of calm, and recharge you emotionally.
Sustainability
From the planning aspects, urban green spaces include business, retail, leisure development, tourism development; employment centres besides residential areas and the good planning of urban green spaces can play a role as a visual screen, a place for commuting and recreation by providing well-designed networks within parks and other areas.
Ideas for creating sustainable green spaces include the creation of public parks, mini-forests, accessible city gardens, flower gardens, and facilitating an “awareness” day.
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