Urban designers thus have a significant role to play in lowering these rates of mental illness, and the data on how nature affects our brains is central to changing the ways we design. As depression is the world’s biggest cause of disability, we cannot afford to ignore the impact of public environments on mental health.
Multiple stressors associated with city living have been shown to increase activity in the parts of the brain corresponding to the ‘flight or fight’ response.
How does exposure to nature reduce these stresses? There are two enduring theories on how nature affects the brain. Both are based on nature having a restorative effect on cognitive and emotional function.
Many people seek out nature to restore wellbeing, and multiple disciplines have sought to measure these restorative effects.
The result is more than 40 years of research, quantifying specific neurological, cognitive, emotional and physiological effects of ‘nature’ elements. These effects include increased calm and rumination, decreased agitation and aggression, and increased cognitive functioning–such as concentration, memory and creative thought.
This wealth of data has been largely overlooked in driving good urban design.
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