Jani
Professor B.
English 113B
3 March 2014
Professor B.
English 113B
3 March 2014
Summary
of the article “At Home With Nature, Effects of “Greenness” on Children’s
Cognitive Functioning”
In her research article, “Summary of the article “At Home
With Nature, Effects of “Greenness” on Children’s Cognitive Functioning,” Nancy
M. Wells discusses the effects that nature has on children’s development in
terms of which kind of housing do they live in. Wells introduces several research
studies, which found that children who live close to nature have better
attention capacity and less mental problems. Wells states that the earlier
research about the effects of nature has concluded that children in high-rise
homes become more isolated and asocial. Wells’ research shows that children
living in low-rise homes with a natural view from their windows have less
anxiety and they can perform better in many areas of life.
Work Cited
Wells, Nancy M. “At Home With
Nature, Effects of “Greenness” on Children’s Cognitive Functioning.” Environment
and Behaviour 32 (2000): 775-793. Sage
Publications. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
SUMMARY FIVE
SUMMARY FIVE
Jani
Professor B.
English 113B
9 March 2014
Professor B.
English 113B
9 March 2014
Summary of the article “Preference for
Nature in Urbanized Societies: Stress, Restoration, and the Pursuit of
Sustainability”
In their article, “Preference for
Nature in Urbanized Societies: Stress, Restoration, and the Pursuit of
Sustainability,” authors Agnes E. Van Den Berg, Terry Hartig, and Henk Staats research urban green space as
a restorative environment to recover from fatigue experienced during everyday
life. Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats state that cities are an answer for many
issues considering sustainability, but the compact way cities are often built
doesn’t leave enough room for green space. The authors argue that nature works as a restorative
environment because it offers a feeling of getting away from the daily routines
and esthetically pleasing stimuli. In addition, Van Den Berg, Hartig, and
Staats state that natural environments offer two different kinds of restorative means, passive and
active. Passive restoration occurs when one views a natural environment through
a window, whether at home, work or car. Active restoration occurs by physically
going into the nature spending time in a natural environment.
Work Cited
Van
Den Berg, Agnes E, Hartig, Terry and Staats, Henk. “Preference for Nature in
Urbanized Societies: Stress,
Restoration, and the Pursuit of Sustainability.” Journal of Social Issues 61.1
(2007): 79-96. Academic Search Premier.
Web. 9 Mar. 2014.
SUMMARY SIX
Jani
Professor B.
English 113B
9 March 2014
Professor B.
English 113B
9 March 2014
Summary of the article “Do green areas
affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and
health indicators”
In their article, “Do green areas
affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health
indicators,” the authors Thomas Sick Nielsen, and Karsten Bruun Hansen argue
that people who live close to a green space are healthier, both mentally and
physically. Authors state that people who live less than 100-meters from a
green space are less likely to experience large amounts of stress or obesity in
their life. Nielsen and Hansen also state that the short distance to a green
space is more important than the frequency one visits the green space. Nielsen
and Hansen argue that the green space of the neighborhood affects both, the
character of the neighborhood and the resident living in it.
Work Cited
Nielsen,
Thomas Sick and Hansen, Karsten Bruun. “Do green areas affect health? Results
from a Danish survey on the use of green
areas and health indicators.” Health and
Place 13 (2007): 839-850. Science Direct. Web 9 Mar. 2014.
SECOND ESSAY, FIRST DRAFT
SECOND ESSAY, FIRST DRAFT
Jani
Professor B.
English 113B
9 March 2014
Professor B.
English 113B
9 March 2014
Concrete
Jungles Feed the Psych Wards
Massive amounts of people live in cities and urban areas that
are densely built, crowded with people, and filled with noise pollution. Urban
life is usually fast paced and it exposes one to a wide variety of stimulants
that are generally artificial. The idea of living in an environment that is
mostly man made is not undesirable, but in contrast, one needs contact with
natural elements as well. Although cities offer a solution for sustainability,
and economic, and other opportunities, more attention should be paid to the
amount of green space in cities. Green space has both, mental and physical
health effects on the residents of urban areas. Because of the restorative
abilities of nature, urban environments should have enough green space
available close to the residents.
Green space can be defined as any kind of natural setting in an urban area. According to the article “Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators,” (Agnes E. Van Den Berg, Terry Hartig, and Henk Staats) different kinds of green spaces include parks, communal gardens, and green rooftops. Furthermore, green space can also be tree-lined parking lots, green building facades and other smaller pieces of nature in the urban environment. Green space does not refer to a single piece of nature, such as a tree in the urban environment, but, for example, tree-lined streets are considered a partial green space (Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats). Regardless of these limitations on what can be described as a sufficient green space for restoration for mind and body, there are no exact limits on what size or quality the urban green space should be. For example, it is not important how ecologically diverse the green space is, but rather that there are several parks close to the residents. Parks and other larger green spaces provide the desirable natural element for urban areas, but smaller installations of nature in the non-residential areas are effective as well.
Walking distance is a good indicator of how far the green space should be located from ones home. To have an effect on the mental and physical well-being of the resident, green space should be 330-feet or less from ones home (Nielsen and Hansen). According to the research by Nielsen and Hansen it is important that all residents in the urban community would have a green space that is physically close to where they live. Green space that is further than 330 feet doesn’t provide the same health effects as a green space located close to ones home.
The physical closeness of the green space is also important because of the two types of restorative forms that natural environments have (Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats). The first form, passive restoration, refers to restoration that occurs when one views the green space through a window. This means that when the urban green space is located close to ones home, it allows for restoration simply by looking out of the window. The second form of restoration that green space offers is active restoration. In active restoration one moves through the natural environment and is physically in it. Although active restoration is more effective, both of these restorative forms of nature provide for the health benefits by urban green space.
Mental-health effects that the green spaces include, are the restoration from daily stress and a significantly decreased risk of depression. Thomas Sick Nielsen and Karsten Bruun Hansen argue that people who live close to green spaces experience less stress and anxiety than those living far from an urban green space. Research by Nielsen and Hansen state that those urban residents who live close to a green space, were least likely to be in the most stressed quartile of all residents. The restorative abilities of green space is also supported by Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats, who state that contact with natural environments supports a faster restoration from stress and mental fatigue. Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats further explain that natural environment provides a space where no directed attention to any single stimuli is required, which allows the inhibitory mechanism to rest. Nature allows for downtime and restoration of mind without really doing anything or concentrating on anything specific.
In addition to the lack of directed attention, natural environments have three reasons why they are helpful for the health of urban residents. According to Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats, the first reason is that natural environments provide a sense of being away from the daily routines. This being away experience that nature provides is due to the fact that natural environments don’t require directed attention. Secondly, nature holds ones attention effortlessly, which is due to esthetically pleasing stimuli that encourages processes of exploration and sense making. This is why even short times spent looking or walking in a green space can give a boost for creative thinking and restore ones ability to concentrate. The third reason for the health benefits of natural environments in urban areas is the compatibility of nature. By compatibility Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats mean to state that natural environment matches well with what one wants to do in it. Nature is always suitable for sunbathing, ballgames, gardening and other activities, without any changes needed in the environment.
Accordingly, the view from a window will act as a healing component for one in a hospital. Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats present a research that shows how hospitalized people who had a view of nature from their room, healed faster and required less medication than those who had a view of another building from their room. In addition to the decreased need of painkillers, the patients who had a natural view from their window, stayed in the hospitals for approximately one day less than those patients who’s window view was not natural. This is just one example of the many ways that natural environments support the physical health as well. Nancy Wells’ research states that children are also affected by the neighborhood they grow up in. According to Wells, children who live in a home that has green space close to it, are less likely to get ill with respiratory diseases. Nielsen’s and Hansen’s research also shows that the lack of green space in urban residential areas is a key factor for obesity. Obesity in the areas where there is little or no green space is said to be a consequence of the mental health benefits that the green space has. Green space acts as a supportive factor for the residents to exercise, even if they weren’t using the near by park.
In order to provide urban residents a healthy environment to live in, cities and companies should take into account the need for green space while building and planning new construction. Contractors could make green spaces their brand while building residential and other developments in urban areas. It would be beneficial for both, the buyer and the seller of a home to have an environment that has several positive health effects. City planners and politicians who are in charge of the zoning and layout of urban areas should also be aware of the choices they make. Parks, ponds and other recreational green spaces should be available for all the residents close to their homes. With good planning cities can reduce the mental and physical health problems from the lack of green space and improve the quality of life of their citizens. Green space should also be brought closer to every part of the life in urban areas. City planners could, for example, mandate for planting trees on the sides of boulevards and ad green building facades on public buildings. Finally, it is still the individual who chooses where they live. If the urban residents start to avoid and protest against areas with no green spaces, there will be a change for everyone.
Green space can be defined as any kind of natural setting in an urban area. According to the article “Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators,” (Agnes E. Van Den Berg, Terry Hartig, and Henk Staats) different kinds of green spaces include parks, communal gardens, and green rooftops. Furthermore, green space can also be tree-lined parking lots, green building facades and other smaller pieces of nature in the urban environment. Green space does not refer to a single piece of nature, such as a tree in the urban environment, but, for example, tree-lined streets are considered a partial green space (Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats). Regardless of these limitations on what can be described as a sufficient green space for restoration for mind and body, there are no exact limits on what size or quality the urban green space should be. For example, it is not important how ecologically diverse the green space is, but rather that there are several parks close to the residents. Parks and other larger green spaces provide the desirable natural element for urban areas, but smaller installations of nature in the non-residential areas are effective as well.
Walking distance is a good indicator of how far the green space should be located from ones home. To have an effect on the mental and physical well-being of the resident, green space should be 330-feet or less from ones home (Nielsen and Hansen). According to the research by Nielsen and Hansen it is important that all residents in the urban community would have a green space that is physically close to where they live. Green space that is further than 330 feet doesn’t provide the same health effects as a green space located close to ones home.
The physical closeness of the green space is also important because of the two types of restorative forms that natural environments have (Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats). The first form, passive restoration, refers to restoration that occurs when one views the green space through a window. This means that when the urban green space is located close to ones home, it allows for restoration simply by looking out of the window. The second form of restoration that green space offers is active restoration. In active restoration one moves through the natural environment and is physically in it. Although active restoration is more effective, both of these restorative forms of nature provide for the health benefits by urban green space.
Mental-health effects that the green spaces include, are the restoration from daily stress and a significantly decreased risk of depression. Thomas Sick Nielsen and Karsten Bruun Hansen argue that people who live close to green spaces experience less stress and anxiety than those living far from an urban green space. Research by Nielsen and Hansen state that those urban residents who live close to a green space, were least likely to be in the most stressed quartile of all residents. The restorative abilities of green space is also supported by Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats, who state that contact with natural environments supports a faster restoration from stress and mental fatigue. Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats further explain that natural environment provides a space where no directed attention to any single stimuli is required, which allows the inhibitory mechanism to rest. Nature allows for downtime and restoration of mind without really doing anything or concentrating on anything specific.
In addition to the lack of directed attention, natural environments have three reasons why they are helpful for the health of urban residents. According to Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats, the first reason is that natural environments provide a sense of being away from the daily routines. This being away experience that nature provides is due to the fact that natural environments don’t require directed attention. Secondly, nature holds ones attention effortlessly, which is due to esthetically pleasing stimuli that encourages processes of exploration and sense making. This is why even short times spent looking or walking in a green space can give a boost for creative thinking and restore ones ability to concentrate. The third reason for the health benefits of natural environments in urban areas is the compatibility of nature. By compatibility Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats mean to state that natural environment matches well with what one wants to do in it. Nature is always suitable for sunbathing, ballgames, gardening and other activities, without any changes needed in the environment.
Accordingly, the view from a window will act as a healing component for one in a hospital. Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats present a research that shows how hospitalized people who had a view of nature from their room, healed faster and required less medication than those who had a view of another building from their room. In addition to the decreased need of painkillers, the patients who had a natural view from their window, stayed in the hospitals for approximately one day less than those patients who’s window view was not natural. This is just one example of the many ways that natural environments support the physical health as well. Nancy Wells’ research states that children are also affected by the neighborhood they grow up in. According to Wells, children who live in a home that has green space close to it, are less likely to get ill with respiratory diseases. Nielsen’s and Hansen’s research also shows that the lack of green space in urban residential areas is a key factor for obesity. Obesity in the areas where there is little or no green space is said to be a consequence of the mental health benefits that the green space has. Green space acts as a supportive factor for the residents to exercise, even if they weren’t using the near by park.
In order to provide urban residents a healthy environment to live in, cities and companies should take into account the need for green space while building and planning new construction. Contractors could make green spaces their brand while building residential and other developments in urban areas. It would be beneficial for both, the buyer and the seller of a home to have an environment that has several positive health effects. City planners and politicians who are in charge of the zoning and layout of urban areas should also be aware of the choices they make. Parks, ponds and other recreational green spaces should be available for all the residents close to their homes. With good planning cities can reduce the mental and physical health problems from the lack of green space and improve the quality of life of their citizens. Green space should also be brought closer to every part of the life in urban areas. City planners could, for example, mandate for planting trees on the sides of boulevards and ad green building facades on public buildings. Finally, it is still the individual who chooses where they live. If the urban residents start to avoid and protest against areas with no green spaces, there will be a change for everyone.
Works Cited
Van Den Berg, Agnes E, Hartig,
Terry and Staats, Henk. “Preference for Nature in Urbanized Societies: Stress, Restoration, and the
Pursuit of Sustainability.” Journal of
Social Issues 61.1 (2007):
79-96. Academic Search Premier. Web.
9 Mar. 2014.
Nielsen, Thomas Sick and Hansen, Karsten Bruun. “Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators.” Health and Place 13 (2007): 839-850. Science Direct. Web 9 Mar. 2014.
Wells, Nancy M. “At Home With Nature, Effects of “Greenness” on Children’s Cognitive Functioning.” Environment and Behaviour 32 (2000): 775-793. Sage Publications. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
Nielsen, Thomas Sick and Hansen, Karsten Bruun. “Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators.” Health and Place 13 (2007): 839-850. Science Direct. Web 9 Mar. 2014.
Wells, Nancy M. “At Home With Nature, Effects of “Greenness” on Children’s Cognitive Functioning.” Environment and Behaviour 32 (2000): 775-793. Sage Publications. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
SECOND ESSAY, SECOND DRAFT
Jani Riihola
Professor Bieber
English 113B
16 March 2014
Professor Bieber
English 113B
16 March 2014
Concrete
Jungles Feed the Psych Wards
Massive amounts of people live in cities and urban areas that
are densely built, crowded with people, and filled with noise pollution. Urban
life is usually fast paced and it exposes one to a wide variety of stimulants
that are generally artificial. The idea of living in an environment that is
mostly man made is not undesirable, but one needs contact with natural elements
as well. Although cities offer a solution for sustainability and economic opportunities,
more attention should be paid to the amount of green space in cities. Green
space has positive effects on
both the mental and physical
health of residents of urban areas. Because of the restorative abilities
of nature, urban environments should have adequate green space available to its residents.
Green space can be defined as any kind of natural setting in an urban area. According to the article “Preference for Nature in Urbanized Societies: Stress, Restoration, and the Pursuit of Sustainability,” different kinds of green spaces include parks, communal gardens, and green rooftops (91). Furthermore, green space can also be tree-lined parking lots, green building facades and other smaller pieces of nature in the urban environment. Green space does not refer to a single piece of nature, such as a tree or a flowerpot in the urban environment (Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats). Regardless of these limitations on what can be described as a sufficient green space for restoration for mind and body, there are no exact limits on what size or quality the urban green space should be. For example, it is not important how ecologically diverse the green space is, but rather that there are several parks close to the residents. Parks and other larger green spaces provide the desirable natural element for urban areas, but smaller installations of nature in the non-residential areas are effective as well.
Generally, adequate green space should be located within walking distance from ones home. To have an effect on the mental and physical well-being of the resident, green space should be 330-feet or less from ones home. According to the article, “Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators,” by Thomas Sick Nielsen and Karsten Bruun Hansen it is important that all residents in the urban community have green space that is physically close to where they live. Physically close green space is important because the further the green space is, the weaker are the health effects. Green space that is further than 330 feet doesn’t provide the same health effects as a green space located close to ones home.
The physical closeness of the green space is also important because of the two types of restorative forms that natural environments provide (Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats). The first form, passive restoration, refers to restoration that occurs when one views the green space through a window. This means that when the urban green space is located close to ones home, it allows for restoration simply by viewing the space. The second form of restoration that green space offers is active restoration. In active restoration one moves through the natural environment and is physically in the green space. Although active restoration is more effective, both of these restorative forms of nature provide health benefits.
Green space provides mental health benefits, such as restoration from daily stress and a significantly decreased risk of depression. Thomas Sick Nielsen and Karsten Bruun Hansen, authors of the article, “Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators,” argue that people who live close to green spaces experience less stress and anxiety than those living far from an urban green space. Furthermore, research by Nielsen and Hansen state that those urban residents who live close to a green space were least likely to be in the most stressed quartile of all residents in that urban area. The restorative abilities of green space is also supported by Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats, who state that contact with natural environments supports a faster restoration from stress and mental fatigue. Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats further explain that natural environments provide a space where no directed attention to any single stimuli is required, which allows the inhibitory mechanism to rest. Nature allows for downtime and restoration of mind without really doing anything or concentrating on anything specific.
In addition to the lack of directed attention, natural environments are helpful for the health of urban residents because of three different reasons. According to Agnes E. Van Den Berg, Terry Hartig, and Henk Staats these three reasons are the feeling of get away, green space also provides esthetically pleasing stimuli and the feeling of compatibility. Natural environments provide a sense of being away from the daily routines because they don’t require directed attention. Lack of directed attention means that one doesn’t have to pay attention to details, which is one of the greatest causes of fatigue experienced in daily life. Secondly, nature holds esthetically pleasing stimuli that encourages processes of exploration and sense making which do not require direct attention. This is why even short times spent looking or walking in a green space can give a boost for creative thinking and restore ones ability to concentrate. Finally the third reason for the health benefits of natural environments in urban areas is the compatibility of nature. Compatibility means that nature is a suitable environment for several activities without any need for change in the nature or one who is using nature for recreation.
Accordingly, the view from a window will act as a healing component for one in a hospital. Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats present a research that shows how hospitalized people who had a view of nature from their room, healed faster and required less medication than those who had a view of another building from their room. In addition to the decreased need of painkillers, the patients who had a natural view from their window, stayed in the hospitals for approximately one day less than those patients who didn’t have a natural view from their window. This is just one example of the many ways that natural environments support physical health.
Nancy Wells’, author of the article, “At Home With Nature, Effects of “Greenness,” states that children are also affected by the neighborhood they grow up in. According to Wells, children who live in a home that has green space close to it, are less likely to get ill with respiratory diseases. Nielsen’s and Hansen’s research also shows that the lack of green space in urban residential areas is a key factor for obesity. Obesity in the areas where there is little or no green space is said to be a consequence of the mental health benefits that the green space has. Green space acts as a supportive factor for the residents to exercise, even if they weren’t using the near by park.
In order to provide urban residents a healthy environment to live in, cities and companies should take into account the need for green space while building and planning new construction. Contractors could make green spaces their brand while building residential and other developments in urban areas. It would be beneficial for both the buyer and the seller of a home to have an environment that has several positive health effects. City planners and politicians who are in charge of the zoning and layout of urban areas should also be aware of the choices they make. Parks, ponds and other recreational green spaces should be available for all the residents close to their homes. With good planning cities can reduce the mental and physical health problems from the lack of green space and improve the quality of life of their citizens. Green space should also be brought closer to every part of the life in urban areas. City planners could, for example, mandate for planting trees on the sides of boulevards and ad green building facades on public buildings. Finally, it is still the individual who chooses where they live. If the urban residents start to avoid and protest against areas with no green spaces, there will be a change for everyone.
Green space can be defined as any kind of natural setting in an urban area. According to the article “Preference for Nature in Urbanized Societies: Stress, Restoration, and the Pursuit of Sustainability,” different kinds of green spaces include parks, communal gardens, and green rooftops (91). Furthermore, green space can also be tree-lined parking lots, green building facades and other smaller pieces of nature in the urban environment. Green space does not refer to a single piece of nature, such as a tree or a flowerpot in the urban environment (Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats). Regardless of these limitations on what can be described as a sufficient green space for restoration for mind and body, there are no exact limits on what size or quality the urban green space should be. For example, it is not important how ecologically diverse the green space is, but rather that there are several parks close to the residents. Parks and other larger green spaces provide the desirable natural element for urban areas, but smaller installations of nature in the non-residential areas are effective as well.
Generally, adequate green space should be located within walking distance from ones home. To have an effect on the mental and physical well-being of the resident, green space should be 330-feet or less from ones home. According to the article, “Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators,” by Thomas Sick Nielsen and Karsten Bruun Hansen it is important that all residents in the urban community have green space that is physically close to where they live. Physically close green space is important because the further the green space is, the weaker are the health effects. Green space that is further than 330 feet doesn’t provide the same health effects as a green space located close to ones home.
The physical closeness of the green space is also important because of the two types of restorative forms that natural environments provide (Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats). The first form, passive restoration, refers to restoration that occurs when one views the green space through a window. This means that when the urban green space is located close to ones home, it allows for restoration simply by viewing the space. The second form of restoration that green space offers is active restoration. In active restoration one moves through the natural environment and is physically in the green space. Although active restoration is more effective, both of these restorative forms of nature provide health benefits.
Green space provides mental health benefits, such as restoration from daily stress and a significantly decreased risk of depression. Thomas Sick Nielsen and Karsten Bruun Hansen, authors of the article, “Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators,” argue that people who live close to green spaces experience less stress and anxiety than those living far from an urban green space. Furthermore, research by Nielsen and Hansen state that those urban residents who live close to a green space were least likely to be in the most stressed quartile of all residents in that urban area. The restorative abilities of green space is also supported by Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats, who state that contact with natural environments supports a faster restoration from stress and mental fatigue. Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats further explain that natural environments provide a space where no directed attention to any single stimuli is required, which allows the inhibitory mechanism to rest. Nature allows for downtime and restoration of mind without really doing anything or concentrating on anything specific.
In addition to the lack of directed attention, natural environments are helpful for the health of urban residents because of three different reasons. According to Agnes E. Van Den Berg, Terry Hartig, and Henk Staats these three reasons are the feeling of get away, green space also provides esthetically pleasing stimuli and the feeling of compatibility. Natural environments provide a sense of being away from the daily routines because they don’t require directed attention. Lack of directed attention means that one doesn’t have to pay attention to details, which is one of the greatest causes of fatigue experienced in daily life. Secondly, nature holds esthetically pleasing stimuli that encourages processes of exploration and sense making which do not require direct attention. This is why even short times spent looking or walking in a green space can give a boost for creative thinking and restore ones ability to concentrate. Finally the third reason for the health benefits of natural environments in urban areas is the compatibility of nature. Compatibility means that nature is a suitable environment for several activities without any need for change in the nature or one who is using nature for recreation.
Accordingly, the view from a window will act as a healing component for one in a hospital. Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats present a research that shows how hospitalized people who had a view of nature from their room, healed faster and required less medication than those who had a view of another building from their room. In addition to the decreased need of painkillers, the patients who had a natural view from their window, stayed in the hospitals for approximately one day less than those patients who didn’t have a natural view from their window. This is just one example of the many ways that natural environments support physical health.
Nancy Wells’, author of the article, “At Home With Nature, Effects of “Greenness,” states that children are also affected by the neighborhood they grow up in. According to Wells, children who live in a home that has green space close to it, are less likely to get ill with respiratory diseases. Nielsen’s and Hansen’s research also shows that the lack of green space in urban residential areas is a key factor for obesity. Obesity in the areas where there is little or no green space is said to be a consequence of the mental health benefits that the green space has. Green space acts as a supportive factor for the residents to exercise, even if they weren’t using the near by park.
In order to provide urban residents a healthy environment to live in, cities and companies should take into account the need for green space while building and planning new construction. Contractors could make green spaces their brand while building residential and other developments in urban areas. It would be beneficial for both the buyer and the seller of a home to have an environment that has several positive health effects. City planners and politicians who are in charge of the zoning and layout of urban areas should also be aware of the choices they make. Parks, ponds and other recreational green spaces should be available for all the residents close to their homes. With good planning cities can reduce the mental and physical health problems from the lack of green space and improve the quality of life of their citizens. Green space should also be brought closer to every part of the life in urban areas. City planners could, for example, mandate for planting trees on the sides of boulevards and ad green building facades on public buildings. Finally, it is still the individual who chooses where they live. If the urban residents start to avoid and protest against areas with no green spaces, there will be a change for everyone.
Works Cited
Van Den Berg, Agnes E, Hartig,
Terry and Staats, Henk. “Preference for Nature in Urbanized Societies: Stress, Restoration, and the
Pursuit of Sustainability.” Journal of
Social Issues 61.1 (2007):
79-96. Academic Search Premier. Web.
9 Mar. 2014.
Nielsen, Thomas Sick and Hansen, Karsten Bruun. “Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators.” Health and Place 13 (2007): 839-850. Science Direct. Web 9 Mar. 2014.
Wells, Nancy M. “At Home With Nature, Effects of “Greenness” on Children’s Cognitive Functioning.” Environment and Behaviour 32 (2000): 775-793. Sage Publications. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
SECOND ESSAY, FINAL DRAFT
Nielsen, Thomas Sick and Hansen, Karsten Bruun. “Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators.” Health and Place 13 (2007): 839-850. Science Direct. Web 9 Mar. 2014.
Wells, Nancy M. “At Home With Nature, Effects of “Greenness” on Children’s Cognitive Functioning.” Environment and Behaviour 32 (2000): 775-793. Sage Publications. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
SECOND ESSAY, FINAL DRAFT
Jani
Professor B.
English 113B
8 May 2014
Professor B.
English 113B
8 May 2014
Concrete
Jungles Feed the Psych Wards
Massive amounts of people live in cities and urban areas that
are densely built, crowded with people, and filled with noise pollution. Urban
life is usually fast paced and it exposes one to a wide variety of stimulants
that are generally artificial. The idea of living in an environment that is
mostly man made is not undesirable, but one needs contact with natural elements
as well. Although cities offer a solution for sustainability and economic opportunities,
more attention should be paid to the amount of green space in cities. Green
space has positive effects on both the mental and physical health of residents
of urban areas. Because of the restorative abilities of nature, urban
environments should have adequate green space available to its residents.
Green space can be defined as any kind of natural setting in an urban area. According to the article “Preference for Nature in Urbanized Societies: Stress, Restoration, and the Pursuit of Sustainability,” different kinds of green spaces include parks, communal gardens, and green rooftops (91). Furthermore, green space can also be tree-lined parking lots, or, for example, building facades that have crawling plants growing on them. Green space does not refer to a single piece of nature, such as a tree or a flowerpot in the urban environment, but rather something a little bigger that has an effect on how the street or neighborhood looks. (Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats). Regardless of these limitations on what can be described as a sufficient green space for restoration for mind and body, there are no exact requirements on what size or quality the urban green space should be in order to provide restoration. For example, it is not important how ecologically diverse the green space is, but rather that there are several parks close to the residents. Parks and other larger green spaces provide the desirable natural element for urban areas, but smaller installations of nature are effective as well.
Generally, adequate green space should be located within walking distance from ones home. To have an effect on the mental and physical well-being of the resident, green space should be 330-feet or less from ones home (Nielsen and Hansen 843). Thomas Sick Nielsen and Karsten Bruun Hansen found that it is important that all residents in the urban community have green space that is physically close to where they live. Physically close green space is important because the further the green space is, the weaker are the health effects. The physical closeness of the green space is also important because of the two types of restoration that natural environments provide (Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats 87).
The first form, passive restoration, refers to restoration that occurs when one views the green space through a window. This means that when the urban green space is located close to ones home, it allows for restoration simply by viewing the space. The second form of restoration that green space offers is active restoration. In which one moves through the natural environment and is physically in the green space. Although active restoration is more effective, both of these restorative forms of nature provide health benefits.
In addition, green space provides mental health benefits, such as restoration from daily stress and a significantly decreases the risk of depression. Nielsen and Hansen argue that people who live close to green spaces experience less stress and anxiety than those living far from an urban green space. Furthermore, research by Nielsen and Hansen found that those urban residents who live close to a green space were least likely to be in the most stressed quartile of all residents in that urban area. The restorative abilities of green space is also supported by Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats, who state that contact with natural environments supports a faster restoration from stress and mental fatigue. Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats further explain that natural environments provide a space where no attention to any single stimuli is required, which allows the inhibitory mechanism to rest. Nature allows for downtime and restoration of mind without really doing anything or concentrating on anything specific.
In addition to the lack of directed attention, natural environments are helpful for the health of urban residents because of the feeling of get away, esthetically pleasing stimuli and the feeling of compatibility. Which provides a sense of escape from the daily routines. Lack of directed attention means that one doesn’t have to pay attention to details, which is one of the greatest causes of fatigue experienced in daily life. Secondly, nature provides esthetically pleasing stimuli that encourages processes of exploration and sense making which do not require direct attention (Van Den Berg, Hartig and Staats 84). Even short times spent looking or walking in a green space can give a boost for creative thinking and restore ones ability to concentrate. Finally the third reason for the health benefits of natural environments in urban areas is the compatibility of nature. Compatibility means that nature is a suitable environment for several activities without any need for change in the nature or one who is using nature for recreation (84).
Accordingly, the view from a window will act as a healing component for one in a hospital. Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats present research that shows how hospitalized patients who had a view of nature from their room, healed faster and required less medication than those who had a view of another building from their room (91). In addition to the decreased need of painkillers, the patients who had a natural view from their window, stayed in the hospitals for approximately one day less than those patients who didn’t have a natural view from their window (91). This is just one example of the many ways that natural environments support physical health.
Nancy Wells’, author of the article “At Home With Nature, Effects of ‘Greenness’, states that children are also affected by their neighborhood. According to Wells, children who live in a home that has green space close to it are less likely to develop respiratory diseases (779). Nielsen’s and Hansen’s research also shows that the lack of green space in urban residential areas is a key factor for obesity. Obesity in the areas where there is little or no green space is said to be a consequence of the lack of green space. Nature acts as a supportive factor for the residents to exercise, which supports healthy lifestyle.
In order to provide urban residents a healthy environment to live in, cities and companies should take into account the need for green space while building and planning new construction. Contractors could make green spaces their brand while building residential and other developments in urban areas. It would be beneficial for both the buyer and the seller of a home to have an environment that has these positive health effects. City planners and politicians who are in charge of the zoning and layout of urban areas should also be aware of the choices they make. Parks, ponds and other recreational green spaces should be available for all the residents close to their homes. With good planning cities can reduce the mental and physical health problems from the lack of green space and improve the quality of life of their citizens. City planners could, for example, mandate for planting trees on the sides of boulevards and ad green building facades on public buildings. Finally, it is still the individual who chooses where they live. If the urban residents start to avoid and protest against areas with no green spaces, there will be a change for everyone.
Green space can be defined as any kind of natural setting in an urban area. According to the article “Preference for Nature in Urbanized Societies: Stress, Restoration, and the Pursuit of Sustainability,” different kinds of green spaces include parks, communal gardens, and green rooftops (91). Furthermore, green space can also be tree-lined parking lots, or, for example, building facades that have crawling plants growing on them. Green space does not refer to a single piece of nature, such as a tree or a flowerpot in the urban environment, but rather something a little bigger that has an effect on how the street or neighborhood looks. (Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats). Regardless of these limitations on what can be described as a sufficient green space for restoration for mind and body, there are no exact requirements on what size or quality the urban green space should be in order to provide restoration. For example, it is not important how ecologically diverse the green space is, but rather that there are several parks close to the residents. Parks and other larger green spaces provide the desirable natural element for urban areas, but smaller installations of nature are effective as well.
Generally, adequate green space should be located within walking distance from ones home. To have an effect on the mental and physical well-being of the resident, green space should be 330-feet or less from ones home (Nielsen and Hansen 843). Thomas Sick Nielsen and Karsten Bruun Hansen found that it is important that all residents in the urban community have green space that is physically close to where they live. Physically close green space is important because the further the green space is, the weaker are the health effects. The physical closeness of the green space is also important because of the two types of restoration that natural environments provide (Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats 87).
The first form, passive restoration, refers to restoration that occurs when one views the green space through a window. This means that when the urban green space is located close to ones home, it allows for restoration simply by viewing the space. The second form of restoration that green space offers is active restoration. In which one moves through the natural environment and is physically in the green space. Although active restoration is more effective, both of these restorative forms of nature provide health benefits.
In addition, green space provides mental health benefits, such as restoration from daily stress and a significantly decreases the risk of depression. Nielsen and Hansen argue that people who live close to green spaces experience less stress and anxiety than those living far from an urban green space. Furthermore, research by Nielsen and Hansen found that those urban residents who live close to a green space were least likely to be in the most stressed quartile of all residents in that urban area. The restorative abilities of green space is also supported by Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats, who state that contact with natural environments supports a faster restoration from stress and mental fatigue. Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats further explain that natural environments provide a space where no attention to any single stimuli is required, which allows the inhibitory mechanism to rest. Nature allows for downtime and restoration of mind without really doing anything or concentrating on anything specific.
In addition to the lack of directed attention, natural environments are helpful for the health of urban residents because of the feeling of get away, esthetically pleasing stimuli and the feeling of compatibility. Which provides a sense of escape from the daily routines. Lack of directed attention means that one doesn’t have to pay attention to details, which is one of the greatest causes of fatigue experienced in daily life. Secondly, nature provides esthetically pleasing stimuli that encourages processes of exploration and sense making which do not require direct attention (Van Den Berg, Hartig and Staats 84). Even short times spent looking or walking in a green space can give a boost for creative thinking and restore ones ability to concentrate. Finally the third reason for the health benefits of natural environments in urban areas is the compatibility of nature. Compatibility means that nature is a suitable environment for several activities without any need for change in the nature or one who is using nature for recreation (84).
Accordingly, the view from a window will act as a healing component for one in a hospital. Van Den Berg, Hartig, and Staats present research that shows how hospitalized patients who had a view of nature from their room, healed faster and required less medication than those who had a view of another building from their room (91). In addition to the decreased need of painkillers, the patients who had a natural view from their window, stayed in the hospitals for approximately one day less than those patients who didn’t have a natural view from their window (91). This is just one example of the many ways that natural environments support physical health.
Nancy Wells’, author of the article “At Home With Nature, Effects of ‘Greenness’, states that children are also affected by their neighborhood. According to Wells, children who live in a home that has green space close to it are less likely to develop respiratory diseases (779). Nielsen’s and Hansen’s research also shows that the lack of green space in urban residential areas is a key factor for obesity. Obesity in the areas where there is little or no green space is said to be a consequence of the lack of green space. Nature acts as a supportive factor for the residents to exercise, which supports healthy lifestyle.
In order to provide urban residents a healthy environment to live in, cities and companies should take into account the need for green space while building and planning new construction. Contractors could make green spaces their brand while building residential and other developments in urban areas. It would be beneficial for both the buyer and the seller of a home to have an environment that has these positive health effects. City planners and politicians who are in charge of the zoning and layout of urban areas should also be aware of the choices they make. Parks, ponds and other recreational green spaces should be available for all the residents close to their homes. With good planning cities can reduce the mental and physical health problems from the lack of green space and improve the quality of life of their citizens. City planners could, for example, mandate for planting trees on the sides of boulevards and ad green building facades on public buildings. Finally, it is still the individual who chooses where they live. If the urban residents start to avoid and protest against areas with no green spaces, there will be a change for everyone.
Works Cited
Van Den Berg, Agnes E, Hartig,
Terry and Staats, Henk. “Preference for Nature in Urbanized Societies: Stress, Restoration, and the
Pursuit of Sustainability.” Journal of
Social Issues 61.1 (2007):
79-96. Academic Search Premier. Web.
9 Mar. 2014.
Nielsen, Thomas Sick and Hansen, Karsten Bruun. “Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators.” Health and Place 13 (2007): 839-850. Science Direct. Web 9 Mar. 2014.
Wells, Nancy M. “At Home With Nature, Effects of “Greenness” on Children’s Cognitive Functioning.” Environment and Behaviour 32 (2000): 775-793. Sage Publications. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
Nielsen, Thomas Sick and Hansen, Karsten Bruun. “Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators.” Health and Place 13 (2007): 839-850. Science Direct. Web 9 Mar. 2014.
Wells, Nancy M. “At Home With Nature, Effects of “Greenness” on Children’s Cognitive Functioning.” Environment and Behaviour 32 (2000): 775-793. Sage Publications. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
No comments:
Post a Comment