Biological Diversity in City Parks Affect People

Biological diversity in city parks and green spaces can have psychological benefits for humans, according to a  study from the United Kingdom. Researchers found that visitors to city parks with a greater diversity of birds, butterflies, plants, and other organisms reported feeling better than visitors to less-diverse green spaces. Such findings have important implications for urban planning and policy as the human population becomes increasingly urbanized, the study concludes.

“Public urban greenspaces provide one of the few avenues for direct contact with the natural environment,” the researchers write, adding that, “Such contact has measurable physical and psychological benefits.” Similar studies point to the same conclusion.

A nine-year survey of U.S. gall bladder patients showed that patients recovered faster and required less pain medication if their hospital windows overlooked trees rather than brick walls.

Other research has indicated that inner city residents who had some nearby nature outside their apartments showed significantly lower levels of aggression and violence.

Similarly, workers in buildings that contain plant life have been found to have better concentration and less anxiety on average than those working without plants.