How Green Spaces Can Improve Mental Health in Austin, Texas
It’s a familiar narrative: a small town kid moving to the city to fulfill their dreams. Today, over 50% of the U.S population lives in an urban area — and that number only continues to grow. In the next 30 years, we can expect 70% of the U.S. population living in cities (Gruebner, 2017). In American society, cities are associated with better jobs, more ways to experience culture, education opportunities, and accessible health care. While the hustle and bustle of a sprawling city may seem ideal to many, the benefits of urban living are met with notable consequences.
A particularly interesting consequence is the impact an urban lifestyle has on mental health. Recent studies suggest that city living may increase an individual’s risk of anxiety disorders, depression, and even psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia (Gruebner, 2017) (Ziljema, 2015). Further investigations attribute this result to common burdens of city life such as air, water, and light pollution; crime; and even high-rise housing. These factors cause stress, aggravation, and changes in sleep quality — all of which can lead to declining mental health (Ziljema, 2015) (Gruebner, 2017) (Wandersman, 1998). As Americans flock to cities, we must work to minimize the burden urban living puts on mental health.
As it turns out, increasing green space in urban areas may be the key to improving mental health in urban areas. While “green space” isn’t a strictly defined term, it is typically understood to be a place with a natural landscape, greenery (such as trees or flowers), and in some cases water. In cities, green spaces are typically public gardens, sports and recreational fields, zoos, children’s playgrounds, parks, or even tree-lined streets. Green spaces are small oases amidst skyscrapers and business offices that promote social interaction, relaxation, and improved air quality.
The best green spaces for mental health, according to research, are accessible and well maintained. It is imperative that all people, regardless of socioeconomic status, can utilize urban green spaces. Therefore, the best green spaces are free to use. Secondly, a Dutch study found that “a greater amount of green space within a 1 km radius around residents’ homes was significantly associated with a lower prevalence of anxiety and depression” (Maas et al., 2009). So, the most beneficial green spaces must be close to where people live. Further evidence suggests that the quality (not just the quantity) of green space is important for positive health outcomes (Van Dillen et al, 2012).
By what mechanisms do green spaces improve mental health? A study by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that green spaces promote relaxation as a result of human evolution. The WHO states, “people are innately predisposed to find non‐threatening natural stimuli relaxing, exposure to these stimuli triggers a parasympathetic nervous system response leading to feelings of enhanced well‐being and relaxation.” The WHO also found that, “a shortage of green space in the environment has been linked to feelings of loneliness and lack of social support.” Green spaces in urban areas foster a sense of community, which combats feelings of social isolation and promotes psychological well-being. Finally, green spaces provide opportunity for participation in physical activities. While physical activity is commonly associated with improving physical health, it also has a significant effect on mental health by reducing depression (Gruebner, 2017).
Perfect examples of great green spaces are Millennium Park and Maggie Daley Park in Chicago. These parks are in the center of downtown Chicago, yet manage to incorporate gardens, interactive art (like Cloud Gate and the Crown Fountain), two ice skating rinks, rock climbing walls, a children’s play area, and the Jay Prtizker Pavilion. These parks are accessible by bus, train, and sidewalks. A bridge connects the two parks, so that people don’t have to cross the heavily trafficked Columbus Drive. Additionally, admission to the park is free of charge, and many concerts and movies shown at the Prtizker Pavilion are free, as well. Millennium and Maggie Daley Parks improve mental health in Chicago by providing high quality, accessible green space that fosters social interaction for people of all ages and abilities.
Knowing the benefits of green space on mental health, how can the city of Austin utilize this information to improve the quality of life of its citizens? Austin is already succeeding by providing many great public parks, like Zilker Metropolitan Park and the Greenbelt.
Zilker is a huge (350 acres — to be exact) metropolitan park that includes features such as Barton Springs Pool, a disc-golf course, beach volleyball courts, picnic areas, and a playscape for children. Personally, I enjoy studying at Zilker while admiring the many dogs that also visit the park. Abby W., an Austin resident, said her favorite part of Zilker “is how social it is. It’s always full of people and hosts fun, free events like the Trail of Lights and Blues on the Green that bring so many members of the Austin community together.”
In terms of the elements that make Zilker a great green space for mental health, it is widely accessible by bus and walking paths, promotes social interaction and a sense of community, and is well maintained.
Another major green space in Austin is the Greenbelt. The Greenbelt is a nearly 13 mile-long hiking and biking trail extending throughout central Austin. As opposed to Zilker, the Greenbelt offers less traditional park amenities, but provides a more natural experience complete with hiking, rock climbing, and swimming holes. The Greenbelt is geared more toward active teens and adults, and provides an adventurous experience. The Greenbelt is unique because it allows full immersion in nature and offers total peace and tranquility. When you enter the Greenbelt, you feel far away from downtown Austin — which might actually be important for your mental health. Studies performed by Kaplan and Kaplan include this “sense of feeling away” as part of the mechanism by which parks perform a “restorative effect” on mental health, along with fascination and feeling like part of a larger whole. As Liam H., a hiker at the Greenbelt put it, “a trip to the Greenbelt feels like a vacation. As you are immersed in nature, you quickly forget about the stress in your life.”
Another notable feature of the Greenbelt is that it serves as a noise buffer from MoPac expressway. Noise pollution has been found to have a direct, negative affect on mental health. Research on urban neighborhoods and mental health by Abraham Wandersman suggests that ambient stressors found in urban environments such as noise pollution are chronic stressors that “will lead to the depletion of residents’ coping resources, which eventually results in psychological problems.” Areas of dense vegetation bordering roads with high traffic are known as noise buffers, and since they reduce harmful noise, they are beneficial to mental well-being. Research has found that additional noise found in green spaces such as running water sounds and bird chirping further combat traffic noise (Coensel, 2011). Fortunately, the Greenbelt’s dense vegetation, bird sounds, and the ambiance of running water from Barton Creek all contribute to reducing noise pollution — ultimately benefitting mental health.
In order to maximize the mental health benefits of the Greenbelt, a few improvements could be made. First, it is important for mental health that an individual feels safe in their environment. As a female who frequently jogs through the Greenbelt, I know I only feel comfortable doing so in a group. Creating a section of the Greenbelt with paved pathways and increased lighting could help improve perceptions of safety and well being. Additionally, increased signage indicating your current location, and directions to the nearest exit could improve comfort while in the Greenbelt. Finally, it is important that all members of the Austin community have the potential to use the Greenbelt. A significant barrier in using the Greenbelt is finding transportation to the Greenbelt. If the Capital Metro bus system added a route from a central location (such as downtown), to the Greenbelt, more people could access the mental health benefits of the Greenbelt.
As a college student, I am familiar with the strain college education puts on student’s mental health. Therefore, I see the University of Texas campus and West Campus as a logical place to improve mental health through the addition of green space. There are virtually no green spaces in West Campus. The area is almost fully developed with buildings, and the small patches of vegetation that do exist are often poorly maintained. Interestingly, research suggests that poorly maintained green spaces are actually more detrimental to mental health than the absence of green space. Frances Kuo elaborates in his research, finding that “some qualities of green spaces associated with tree cover, especially when overgrown or unmanaged, may increase levels of anxiety due to fear of crime, resulting in a negative impact on people’s well‐being.” Therefore, the first logical step to improving green space in West Campus is taking better care of the limited green space that currently exists. Once this has been achieved, residents of West Campus can work to increase tree lining on sidewalks and adding green spaces in creative areas, like apartment rooftops.
On the UT campus, we are lucky to have well-maintained green space all around us. However, we often aren’t able to benefit from this space when we are in class, since many lecture halls lack windows. Studies show that even viewing a green space from a window can improve mental health. In their 1994 article, Rhode and Kendle reported that simply viewing nature resulted in increased pleasure and relaxation, as well as lower levels of anger and anxiety. Another study, performed by Kuo, Sullivan, and Taylor, found that of young women living in the same apartment complex, those with a view of green space performed better on tests measuring delayed gratification and inhibited impulsivity compared to women without green space in their view. As UT remodels old buildings and creates new buildings, students and faculty can work together to stress the importance of windows and green space in design, especially considering the mental health benefits. Additionally, the university could consider placing benches along the perimeter of grassy areas, like the South and East Mall, to encourage students to socialize and study in green spaces.
The potential to improve mental health in Austin through the use of green space is astounding. Recent studies have concluded that the impact urban green space has on mental health can be even greater than the impact green space has on physical health (WHO, 2016). As a result of these findings, some physicians — such as Dr. Robert Zarr, a pediatrician practicing in Washingtown D.C. — have started prescribing visits to specific parks, for a specific amount of time, for a certain number of days per week, just like they would prescribe medication (Jaffe, 2015).
The addition of green space in urban areas, whether it be via parks, additional trees on sidewalks, or rooftop gardens, is a simple way to improve the mental and physical health of Austin residents. While Austin already has great green spaces such as Zilker Park and the Greenbelt, additional action needs to be taken in the UT area to bolster the mental health of students and young adults. As more and more members of the U.S. population flock to cities, it is imperative that green spaces are added in urban areas, in order to combat the threat cities pose to mental health.
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