Devastating actions over decades have degraded the systems that support our health and connect us with the “more-than-human world.” This has resulted in many of us becoming estranged from nature to the detriment of our capacities for pro-environmental behaviour and even our quality of life. Beyond the decarbonization imperative, we also need to change cities and suburbs to change how we live. A key part of this change must be the (re)generation of public spaces with abundant nature.
Our gut instinct that “green is good” (and not just for our wellbeing) is being affirmed by a legion of increasingly sophisticated research using sources of “big data” in Australia and beyond, which is not only confirming that we benefit from being in nature but is also revealing how deep the connection between nature and humans extends.
Green space and physical and mental health
Our research program, conducted between 2013 and the present, indicates that increasing tree canopy cover from less than 10 percent to 30 percent or more in our local communities could significantly reduce the odds of incident heart diseases and type Tree canopy cover is 10 percent or lower in many communities across Australia, such as Blacktown, New South Wales, where rates of diabetes and heart disease are much higher than average.
