Urban Spaces

Measuring connectedness to nature in preschool children in an urban setting and its relation to psychological functioning

The urban environment has been criticized for promoting ‘nature-deficit’ and ‘child-nature disconnectedness’. Keeping in mind the importance of nature exposure and its extensive health benefits, many environmental programs around the world hope to (re)connect children with nature. To evaluate the effectiveness of such efforts, valid tools to measure Connectedness to Nature (CN) are needed but do not exist today, especially for use with pre-schoolers.

Read More Measuring connectedness to nature in preschool children in an urban setting and its relation to psychological functioning
The Association Between Natural Environments and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents Living in the United States

Exposure to nature and natural environments may be beneficial for mental health; however, most population-based studies have been conducted among adults whereas few have focused on adolescents. Researchers aimed to investigate the relationship between both greenness (vegetation) and blue space (water), and depressive symptoms among teenagers in the United States.

Read More The Association Between Natural Environments and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents Living in the United States
The Effects of the Natural Environment on Attention and Family Cohesion: An Experimental Study

This study explored 1) mothers’ and middle-childhood daughters’ attention after exposure to two different environments, and 2) their quality of family cohesion.

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In search of features that constitute an “enriched environment” in humans: Associations between geographical properties and brain structure

Enriched environments elicit brain plasticity in animals. In humans it is unclear which environment is enriching. Researchers set out to identify geographical characteristics that constitute an enriched environment affecting the human brain.

Read More In search of features that constitute an “enriched environment” in humans: Associations between geographical properties and brain structure
Kids in space: Measuring children’s residential neighborhoods and other destinations using activity space GPS and wearable camera data

Defining the boundary of children’s ‘neighborhoods’ has important implications for understanding the contextual influences on child health. Additionally, insight into activities that occur outside people’s neighborhoods may indicate exposures that place-based studies cannot detect.

Read More Kids in space: Measuring children’s residential neighborhoods and other destinations using activity space GPS and wearable camera data
The playful city: constructing a typology for urban design interventions

This article explores the intersection of scholarly findings on adult play with ludic urban interventions (those encouraging spontaneous and undirected playfulness). Playful urban design answers our innate need to explore, discover, experiment and even test our mental and physical boundaries.

Read More The playful city: constructing a typology for urban design interventions
Green Schoolyards Support Healthy Bodies, Minds and Communities

A growing body of evidence supports the claim that access to safe, natural areas improves health across a wide variety of areas, including heart health, mental health, weight management, ADHD, and stress among children. A concept gaining momentum in this realm is green schoolyards. But what is a green schoolyard?

Read More Green Schoolyards Support Healthy Bodies, Minds and Communities
Parental fear: a barrier to the independent mobility of children

Children who are able to play and travel without an adult and those who walk or cycle to school are more likely to meet Australian physical activity guidelines, according to findings from research that investigated the role that parental fear plays in shaping children’s independence and physical activity, the first of its kind in Australia.

Read More Parental fear: a barrier to the independent mobility of children
The Influence of Neighbourhood Green Space on Children’s Physical Activity and Screen Time: Findings from the longitudinal Study of Australian Children

It is often hypothesised that neighbourhood green space may help prevent well-known declines in physical activity and increases in sedentary behaviour that occur across childhood. As most studies in this regard are cross-sectional, the purpose of our study was to use longitudinal data to examine whether green space promotes active lifestyles as children grow older.

Read More The Influence of Neighbourhood Green Space on Children’s Physical Activity and Screen Time: Findings from the longitudinal Study of Australian Children
Neighbourhood Greenspace and Health in a Large Urban Centre

Studies have shown that natural environments can enhance health and here we build upon that work by examining the associations between comprehensive greenspace metrics and health.

Read More Neighbourhood Greenspace and Health in a Large Urban Centre

Urban Spaces

Measuring connectedness to nature in preschool children in an urban setting and its relation to psychological functioning

The Association Between Natural Environments and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents Living in the United States

The Effects of the Natural Environment on Attention and Family Cohesion: An Experimental Study

In search of features that constitute an “enriched environment” in humans: Associations between geographical properties and brain structure

Kids in space: Measuring children’s residential neighborhoods and other destinations using activity space GPS and wearable camera data

The playful city: constructing a typology for urban design interventions

Green Schoolyards Support Healthy Bodies, Minds and Communities

Parental fear: a barrier to the independent mobility of children

The Influence of Neighbourhood Green Space on Children’s Physical Activity and Screen Time: Findings from the longitudinal Study of Australian Children

Neighbourhood Greenspace and Health in a Large Urban Centre

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