Nature makes brains work better
It’s a common belief that access to green space in our everyday lives is crucial for the well-being of humans, especially the majority who live in urban environments. Studies have shown that greenery and green space makes us happier and physically healthier, and reduces crime rates. It also, apparently, makes us better able to concentrate and to cope. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Landscape and Human Health Laboratory have conducted a number of experiments in recent years that have led them to this theory: that we have an evolutionary interest in nature which, when excersized, “recharges” our brains by letting them relax. One study found that children with attention deficit disorder functioned better after an outdoor activity than after an indoor one; another found that public housing residents with views of greenery are less likely to have aggressive conflicts and are more disciplined in pursuing their goals. A nice reminder of the web of good that a park can create simply by being a park.
