A recent study on green spaces in urban areas found that spending some time in a green park can improve mood, according to a report by the British "Daily Mail" citing the journal "PLOS ONE." A research team from the University of Vermont discovered that the larger the city park, the higher the rates of happiness, after measuring the effects of happiness in urban parks across the 25 largest U.S. cities. It was revealed that the benefits of urban nature for users were almost equivalent to the mood boost people experience on holidays like Thanksgiving or New Year's.
The researchers used vast amounts of social media data to assess the mood that enhances the benefits of urban nature. The lead researcher, Taylor Ricketts, stated, "These new findings highlight the importance of nature for our mental and physical health." Ricketts also noted that "the results come at a timely moment due to the increasing reliance on urban natural areas during the COVID-19 pandemic."
The researchers emphasized the need to protect, expand, and make urban nature as accessible as possible, as it is the only source of nature for millions of people. Co-researcher and doctoral student Aaron Schwartz explained that the goal of using technology (leveraging social media platforms to monitor data about happiness levels) is for the public good and to better understand the impact of nature on humans, which has so far been difficult to quantify on a large scale.
Schwartz added that the strongest happiness indicator is linked to the size of the park itself, with the findings showing that the greatest happiness benefits were recorded in parks larger than 100 acres. Chris Danforth from the University of Vermont stated that "being in nature provides restorative benefits that cannot be bought in stores or downloaded on a screen." However, it appears that not all parks are equal concerning happiness.
The researchers suggest that the ability to immerse oneself in larger, greener natural areas achieves a greater effect than smaller paved city parks. They explain that larger parks offer more opportunities for mental restoration and detachment from urban environments.
