scientifically linked to wellness. Beneficial human responses include engaging in
physical activity that can reduce incidence of chronic diseases, physiological stress
moderation, and improved mental health. These benefits span the human life cycle
(Wolf et al. 2015). Urban forest canopy proximate to households has been associated
with higher infant birth weight (Dadvand et al. 2012) and green urban neighborhoods with reductions in elder mortality (Takano et al. 2002). Psychosocial services
provided by metro nature are of increasing interest, including cognitive, emotional,
and psychological benefits (Bratman et al. 2012).
Supportive spaces are micro-scale human environments that support improved
human function and performance. There are facilities and institutions where people
must concentrate on routine activities or tasks (such as school or the workplace).
Supportive spaces are expressions of nature that are adjacent to and augment places
where people work, learn, or study. Studies show support for human performance,
including improved workplace satisfaction (Kaplan and Kaplan 1982) and highschool success (Matsuoka 2010).
Healing places are settings where nature is intentionally provided for healing,
therapy, and rehabilitation. Both passive experiences of nature and directed horticulture therapy can aid people in physical, psychological, and emotional healing.
Facilities include healing gardens within hospitals, horticulture therapy gardens, and
movement gardens within elder care facilities. Specific design elements and associated therapy programs engage people for intended experiences or outcomes (Cooper
and Sachs 2013).
Amenity and aesthetics are perhaps the most widely perceived benefit of trees,
parks, and greening. Many green industry professionals rely on client appeals of
emotion and beauty. The City of Seattle, United States (Seattle ReLeaf 2013)
conducted marketing research to develop resident outreach to promote tree planting
for increased urban forest canopy cover and found that beauty, wonder, and spiritual
connection to trees were more common public responses than appreciation of
ecological services. Research indicates that humans subconsciously respond to the
presence of nature in profound ways, even after just brief exposure times; this may
be at the root of aesthetics.
Finally, community acknowledges that all of these experiences and benefits are
embedded within the context of human systems, built places, and change. Residents
are being welcomed as partners in metro nature planning, implementation, and
management. In resurgent cities, cleaning up vacant lots, restoring parks, and
creating community gardens are often markers of community recovery (Harnik
2010). These acts of civic ecology can lead to social engagement and cohesion,
perhaps improving local social resilience, as nature-based activity nurtures social
foundations that may support disaster recovery (Tidball and Krasny 2014).
8 From Sanitary to Sustainable to Sacred: Metro Nature Experiences and. . .
141
physical activity that can reduce incidence of chronic diseases, physiological stress
moderation, and improved mental health. These benefits span the human life cycle
(Wolf et al. 2015). Urban forest canopy proximate to households has been associated
with higher infant birth weight (Dadvand et al. 2012) and green urban neighborhoods with reductions in elder mortality (Takano et al. 2002). Psychosocial services
provided by metro nature are of increasing interest, including cognitive, emotional,
and psychological benefits (Bratman et al. 2012).
Supportive spaces are micro-scale human environments that support improved
human function and performance. There are facilities and institutions where people
must concentrate on routine activities or tasks (such as school or the workplace).
Supportive spaces are expressions of nature that are adjacent to and augment places
where people work, learn, or study. Studies show support for human performance,
including improved workplace satisfaction (Kaplan and Kaplan 1982) and highschool success (Matsuoka 2010).
Healing places are settings where nature is intentionally provided for healing,
therapy, and rehabilitation. Both passive experiences of nature and directed horticulture therapy can aid people in physical, psychological, and emotional healing.
Facilities include healing gardens within hospitals, horticulture therapy gardens, and
movement gardens within elder care facilities. Specific design elements and associated therapy programs engage people for intended experiences or outcomes (Cooper
and Sachs 2013).
Amenity and aesthetics are perhaps the most widely perceived benefit of trees,
parks, and greening. Many green industry professionals rely on client appeals of
emotion and beauty. The City of Seattle, United States (Seattle ReLeaf 2013)
conducted marketing research to develop resident outreach to promote tree planting
for increased urban forest canopy cover and found that beauty, wonder, and spiritual
connection to trees were more common public responses than appreciation of
ecological services. Research indicates that humans subconsciously respond to the
presence of nature in profound ways, even after just brief exposure times; this may
be at the root of aesthetics.
Finally, community acknowledges that all of these experiences and benefits are
embedded within the context of human systems, built places, and change. Residents
are being welcomed as partners in metro nature planning, implementation, and
management. In resurgent cities, cleaning up vacant lots, restoring parks, and
creating community gardens are often markers of community recovery (Harnik
2010). These acts of civic ecology can lead to social engagement and cohesion,
perhaps improving local social resilience, as nature-based activity nurtures social
foundations that may support disaster recovery (Tidball and Krasny 2014).
8 From Sanitary to Sustainable to Sacred: Metro Nature Experiences and. . .
141