Urban Green Spaces and Human Health
Diabetes, heart disease, anxiety & depression, and ADHD are just a few of the many ailments that plague numerous Americans in today’s society. In a world that is being dominated by technology, people are spending less time outside and more time inside looking at screens. Not only is the world growing more technologically advanced, it is also becoming more urbanized. The combined force of increasing urban population and technological advancements is contributing to the long list of ailments mentioned earlier. Most urban working Americans experience high levels of life stress that are often exacerbated by the stress of working, living, and or driving in a city. Many believe that adding green spaces into an urban environment helps to alleviate stress and encourage relaxation and exercise. Doctors have even begun prescribing time spent in nature as treatment for certain ailments.
There are studies that are being done and have already been done on whether spending more time in green spaces can benefit your health. So far, in developed cities, many of the results have come back with positive correlations between green space nearness/usage and better health outcomes in areas involving obesity, diabetes, depression & anxiety, and ADHD.
A question you may be asking yourself right about now is what exactly is a greenspace? According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a greenspace is a form of open space (has no buildings or other built structures) which consists of land either partially or completely covered with grass, trees, shrubs or other vegetation (EPA, 2017). A green space serves to provide a community with recreational areas that enhance the beauty and environmental quality of neighborhoods (EPA, 2017). In a study accessed through the Ecological Society of America, researchers found a positive correlation between access to green space and longer lifespan and better quality of life. Effective green spaces allow for exercise and relaxation in an area that acts as an escape from the city. This area usually includes fresh air (away from city pollution) and a respite from sound pollution (Pacific Northwest Research Center, 2018). Both of these things have an effect on human mental/physical health. Cities have incredible amounts of pollution produced by vehicles and businesses every day all condensed in one area. Breathing in all of that pollution can take a toll on your lungs and have a negative effect on your health. Sound pollution is also a very real issue in cities. Cars, vans, construction, trains, sirens, and just everyday pedestrians generate noise in a city and your ears and your brain need some peace and quiet every once in a while. A green space in a major urban area helps to alleviate the pressure created by those two pollutants.
Also, nature in green spaces provide beauty and color in often gray/dull cityscapes. A beautiful green space in a gray concrete city would provide an escape and a destination for the people living in the urban area. Often, green spaces in urban areas encourage more exercise and more time spent outdoors, which would hopefully foster more human interaction. All of these things add up to make a healthy, live-able city.
With all of this interesting information in mind, I began to evaluate my own life as a college student living in a big urban city. Many UT students walk to class on a daily basis, myself included. During the walk from West Campus to Main Campus one encounters a couple busy streets with rushing traffic, buses, bikers, and now more recently, those who travel by electric scooter. Sometimes there are usable sidewalks, sometimes there aren’t any and you are forced to walk in the street. There are trees along the way, but no substantial green spaces. It’s really stressful having to dodge multiple kinds of vehicles just to get to class, and college students deal with enough stress as it is. That being said, we are lucky enough to live in a city like Austin that is very health-minded and has taken steps to improve urban living by providing green spaces. Just a few of the green spaces Austin has to offer are the Greenbelt, Butler trail around Lady Bird Lake, Shoal Creek, Waller Creek, and Zilker Park.
After learning about the health benefits of spending time in nature, I decided to explore some of Austin’s green spaces and see for myself. The first place I went to explore was the Butler hike-and-bike trail that goes around Lady Bird Lake. The trail itself is 10 miles long and is one of Austin’s most popular recreational areas. I went to this trail after one of the most stressful weeks I’ve had this semester and immediately after getting out of a Biochemistry exam. So, as you can imagine, I was exhausted and anxious and desperately in need of a nap. My friend picked me up and we went and walked for probably 2–3 hours and covered about 6 miles of the trail.
It was beautiful, to say the least. The gravel trail itself is well maintained and there was beautiful green foliage all around us. There is also a constant view of the water from almost every point on the trail. We talked, admired the beauty, saw some turtles and had a really great time. It was incredibly relaxing even though we were exercising. Being away from all of the noise of the city was really nice, and being in amongst all of the green made you feel like you weren’t anywhere near a large metropolitan area.
There were quite a few people on the trail: some were walking, some were running, and others were biking or just sitting and admiring. There were some dogs accompanying their owners (a huge positive, in my opinion). There were many opportunities for socialization and friendly interaction. After this time spent on the trail, I truly felt refreshed and at peace.
Another trail I decided to visit (technically revisit) was the Shoal Creek trail that runs very near to West Campus. I hadn’t been in probably a year and my roommate had never been, so for the purposes of this article, we went exploring. We entered the trail on the 29th & Lamar entrance and walked as far as we could towards 24th and Lamar (there has been recent damage that has blocked off the rest of the trail). The trees along the path create a shady canopy over the trail that runs parallel to the creek.
The path transitions from dirt/gravel to concrete and there is nature surrounding the trail pretty much from all sides. Even though the trail goes along almost parallel with the busy street of Lamar, there is little to no sound pollution from cars. It is also a very peaceful environment. It is not as well maintained as the Butler trail, but it is still beautiful and provides a decently large green space right near campus. We walked for an hour and then went back and studied. I sincerely noticed a major improvement in my ability to focus on my assignments and was able to study effectively longer than I normally would.
These two experiences along with research I found on the health benefits of spending time in nature have encouraged me to go outside and be in green spaces more often. Time spent in nature away from screens and away from city sounds/pollution helps to reduce stress, reduce anxiety & depression, and improve focus. Exercising in nature also enhances physical activity by introducing new elements. Although no research has found the absolute mechanism by which nature and green spaces affect human health, many studies have found positive correlations between the two. My hopes for this article is that you the reader are encouraged to get out there and explore your city’s green spaces and reap the benefits!
References:
Amano, T., & Butt, I. (2018). The importance of green spaces to public health: A multi‐continental analysis. Ecological Applications (ESA). Retrieved from https://esajournals-onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.lib.utexas.edu/doi/full/10.1002/eap.1748.
Boc, V. (2016). The Bioclimatic Role of Urban Green Infrastructure in Health Security. NEW APPROACHES IN SOCIAL AND HUMANISTIC SCIENCES,71–76.
Pacific Northwest Research Station. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.fs.usda.gov/pnw/publications/nature-human-health-and-wellness
Pacific Northwest Research Station. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.fs.usda.gov/pnw/publications/sanitary-sustainable-city-place-health-and-trees-0
Talks, T. (2016, June 14). Retrieved December 03, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uk0QriYYws
Van den Berg, M., & Wendel-Vos, W. (2015). Health benefits of green spaces in the living environment: A systematic review of epidemiological studies. URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING,14(4), 806–816.
Vox. (2018, June 04). Retrieved December 03, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4Da0kuYnMI
What is Open Space/Green Space? | Urban Environmental Program in New England. (2017, April 10). Retrieved from https://www3.epa.gov/region1/eco/uep/openspace.html
All pictures are my own
Personal experiences recorded in my travel journal
