Green Cities = Healthy Cities

The presence of green neighbourhoods has broader and pervasive impacts on health. Physical and mental health is so important to me. Dealing with a chronic illness daily and the mental health challenges I face, I want the design of cities to foster people with disabilities and to be a healthy place for people to live in.

STUDY

Researchers in The Netherlands found sizeable relationships between natural elements in living environments [homes] and higher levels of self-reported physical and mental health

In a greener environment people report fewer symptoms and have better perceived health overall

They found that the level of improvement to ones’ health correlated to the level of greenness in ones’ home. So 10% more green space in the living environment decreases the number of symptoms experienced.

A 2007 Danish study conducted on the importance of access and proximity to parks and green spaces found that green features in a city were associated with lower stress levels and lowered the likelihood of obesity.

Many aspects of community and environmental health are able to be addressed through biophilic design and planning of the city. The nature of biophilic city extends beyond usual areas like parks or green spaces and can include trees on the tree, courtyards, rooftops, creeks and other hydrological features which have been hidden and highly altered.

While new forms of biophilic design are catching on, it’s slow work. But this is the future. Via Verde (2012) was expected to insert and grow nature. This project is a 200 unit complex of affordable housing over 1.5 acres in South Bronx, New York, USA. In my opinion the project falls flat… it incorporates green elements and courtyards but I don’t think it accomplished an insertion and growth of nature in New York which already has positive biophilic elements in New York City primarily being Central Park. Via Verde has pockets of biophilic design…