Show someone a picture of a cabin in the woods or a bubbling brook in the countryside and it’s sure to elicit a sigh and a smile.
The majority of people want to interact with nature as often as possible.
A walk among the trees, a weekend camping trip in the mountains, a cabin by the lake for a week of vacation rejuvenates us in a way that nothing else can.
Living near nature can help you live longer and improve your quality of life according to recent research.
And you don’t have to live in the middle of nowhere to increase longevity.
Having access to trees, shrubs and grass, especially it the green space was close enough to be visible from your home, means an increased life span for you.
City Dwellers Live Longer
Research findings reported in the Thomas Reuters Foundation News reveal that those who live in the city, which is often referred to as the concrete jungle, tend to live longer if there are trees planted along the sidewalks in their city neighborhood.
It’s well-known facts that trees cool the air temperature, help clean the air and absorb planet-warming gases and this new research has discovered that hard-working trees also promote a longer lifespan for city dwellers.
The research was conducted across seven countries and the findings were conclusive for every corner of the world from Canada to China – by increasing the green space in the city by 10%, the mortality rate was decreased by 4%.
Having access to green grass, trees, and shrubs benefit mental health, reduce stress, cut pollution, and encourage physical activity.
All of this is conducive to living a longer and healthier life.
City dwellers don’t always have access to green spaces within the city and daily schedules don’t permit frequent travel outside of the city to visit green spaces.
The constant exposure to hardscapes, city noise, and pollution takes a toll on the mind and body and decreases the expected lifespan.
City planners have taken the findings of this recent study seriously and have already begun to plant trees along highways and walkways to create a living green corridor for city dwellers.
Creating green spaces is good for people, good for the cities, the trees and other green spaces are also vital to prepare cities for the impacts of the changing global climate.
Trees and green spaces reduce the risks of flooding, lower temperatures and improve air quality within the city.
No Particular Kind of Greenery
Humans have always had a dependent relationship with nature and relied upon it for food, shelter, fuel, and clothing.
Urban sprawl has replaced greenery with concrete and fresh air with pollution and the human body is paying for it with a decreased lifespan.
Living near nature can help you reclaim those lost years and increase longevity, and it does not have to be any particular kind of green space that you live near to promote a longer lifespan.
Potted plants growing on a balcony, an atrium filled with green plants inside a city apartment building, a nearby park covered with grass and shrub-lined walkways, tree-lined bike paths and nature trails will suffice in reducing stress, improving health and increasing your lifespan.
Living green vegetation of any type, any size and in any visible location within the city increases the lifespan of the residents.
That should be enough motivation to get every city dweller started growing something green immediately.
Urban Farming
A way to kill two birds with one stone (as the adage goes) is to develop urban farms within the cities.
Unused plots of land can be transformed into green spaces that can increase longevity in two ways – by providing the green space for citizens to interact with and by growing fresh, healthy vegetables and fruits for citizens to consume.
Hunger, urban blight, food deserts, poverty, unemployment, and shortened lifespans can all be alleviated to some degree with urban farming.
Transforming wasted land into a living green space that provides fresh, organic food in neighborhoods can help a city neighborhood on so many levels, including promoting a longer life for citizens.
A Harvard study that was conducted over a long period of time discovered that people who live near green spaces, including food-producing plants found in an urban garden, have a lower risk of mortality, especially among women, than those who live in a hardscaped city area. And another interesting discovery in the Harvard Study was that other factors did not change the increased longevity that nature increased. (1) (2) (3)
The weight, lifestyle habits, smoking, and income had no significant impact on the study participant’s outcome, as long as the participant lived near nature.
Learn more about urban gardening.
Sources:
Thomas Reuters Foundation News
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2016/04/greenery-plays-key-role-in-keeping-women-healthy-happy/
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/plants-death-rates-women/