Impacts of views to school landscapes on recovery from stress and mental fatigue
Previous research has demonstrated positive associations between the greenness of high school landscapes and school-wide academic performance. We do not know, however, if green landscapes cause better performance or if the association between the two is a product of self-election. If there is a causal relationship the pathways through which green school landscapes affect student […]
Social Life Under Cover: Tree Canopy and Social Capital in Baltimore, Maryland
To what extent does the density of the tree cover in a city relate to the amount of social capital among neighbors? To address this question, we linked social survey data (N = 361) from the Baltimore Ecosystem Study with socioeconomic, urban form, and green space data at the census block group level using a […]
Urban Trees, Air Quality and Asthma: An Interdisciplinary Review
A must read for those interested in trees and public health! This rigorous review of studies from around the world finds no scientific consensus that urban trees reduce asthma by improving air quality. In some circumstances, urban trees can degrade air quality and increase asthma. Causal pathways between urban trees, air quality, and asthma are […]
The Value of US Urban Tree Cover for Reducing Heat-Related Health Impacts and Electricity Consumption
High air temperatures are a public health threat, causing 1300 deaths annually in the United States (US) along with heat-related morbidity and increased electricity consumption for air-conditioning (AC). The authors found that 78% of urban dwellers are in neighborhoods with less than 20% tree cover. Some 15.0 million people (25% of total) experience a reduction […]
Feeling down? Head to the park.
That may not be the exact prescription of your doctor, but a first-of-its-kind study shows that visitors to urban parks use happier words and express less negativity on Twitter than they did before their visit—and that their elevated mood lasts, like a glow, for up to four hours afterwards. The effect is so strong—a team […]
Response, Recovery, and Greening in the Red Zone
Greening in the Red Zone asserts that creation and access to green spaces confers resilience and recovery in systems disrupted by violent conflict or disaster. This edited volume provides evidence for this assertion through cases and examples. “This is a fascinating book that greatly elevates our understanding of how the perspective of humans as an […]
Greening Blighted Neighborhoods Reduces Gun Violence
A rigorous, Philadelphia-based study found that two key blight remediation programs — restoring abandoned buildings and greening vacant lots — significantly and sustainably reduced firearm violence. Branas, C. C., Kondo, M. C., Murphy, S. M., South, E. C., Polsky, D., & MacDonald, J. M. (2016). Urban blight remediation as a cost-beneficial solution to firearm violence. […]
Worldwide Study Shows Relationship Between Greenness and Lower Mortality
The authors systematically reviewed and analyzed more than 9,200 studies conducted worldwide. The meta-analysis found evidence that surrounding greenness reduced all-cause mortality. Interventions to increase and manage green spaces should therefore be considered as a strategic public health intervention. Rojas-Rueda, D., Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J., Gascon, M., Perez-Leon, D., & Mudu, P. (2019, November). Green spaces […]