Homebound city dwellers gained a newfound appreciation for their local parks and gardens during COVID-19. Green spaces became a lifeline for people to get out of the house, relax and gather safely.
But these oases beyond our doorsteps are much more than places to hang out for a couple of hours. Researchers have long known that urban green spaces are critical to our emotional and physical wellbeing.
“[Green spaces] are not an amenity, they’re a necessity — we have to have it,” says psychologist Marc Berman at the University of Chicago. “Just like clean water or clean air, we have to have natural spaces in our environment for people to be able to function well.”
