Concerned about your health?

Access to open space is an important part of living a healthy life because “there is a positive relationship between settings for physical activity (open space) and physical activity patterns.”¹

“People who engage in regular physical activity benefit from reduced risk of premature death; reduced risk of coronary heart disease, hypertension, colon cancer, and non-insulin-dependent diabetes; improved maintenance of muscle strength, joint structure, and joint function; weight loss and favorable redistribution of body fat; improved physical functioning in persons suffering from poor health; and healthier cardiovascular, respiratory, and endocrine systems.”²

"Research has shown that people with access to parks are likely to be physically active, and that trails may help promote physical activity among women, persons in lower socioeconomic groups, and the sedentary. Parks, trails, and greenways that promote active living should be safe, linked to destinations of interest, and designed for multiple purposes and users."³

"The public-health community is realizing that the presence of nature and parks is a good way to ensure regular physical activity, which can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, hypertension, colon cancer, osteoporosis, arthritis, and non-insulin-dependent diabetes." ⁴

An extensive 2001 study in the Netherlands that explored “the link between green space and health…produced several key findings. First, in a greener environment people report fewer health complaints, more often rate themselves as being in good health, and have better mental health. Second, when it comes to health, all types of green (space) seem to be equally ‘effective’; the study found the same benefit from living near city parks, agricultural areas, and forests.”⁵

¹ Jackson, Richard MD "Physical Spaces, Physical Health," The AIA Journal of Architecture, Livable Design. December 2003.

² CDC, Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General (Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease
Prevention and Health Promotion, 1996)

³ Active Living By Design, a project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. www.activelivingbydesign.org

⁴ Richard Killingsworth, MPH (Director, Active Living By Design, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation), quoted from an article titled "The Geography of Health" By Francesca Lyman at the Trust For Public Land. www.tpl.org

⁵Study quoted from a Parks For People White Paper written by Paul M. Sherer titled “The Benefits of Parks: Why America Needs More City Parks and Open Space,” published by the Trust For Public Land. 2006. Study performed by Sjerp de Vries, Robert A. Verheij, and Peter P. Groenewegen, “Nature and Health: The Relation between Health and Green Space in People’s Living Environment” (paper presented at the conference “Cultural Events and Leisure Systems.” Amsterdam, the Netherlands, April 2001)