6 incredible benefits of green space

Over the last few years, global communities and agencies have been working with a focused approach to preserving green spaces, especially in urban areas. It brings us energy, positivity, and good green vibes to see that humans finally are understanding the importance of green space. Fetching out inspiration through nature has been done for centuries. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon which was created in the 6th Century B.C., or the Orange Gardens of Seville which came into existence in 1970, nature enthusiasts have been bringing the best out of nature. However, the collective effort was missing until the pandemic happened in 2019-20. 

The unique value of green spaces in the form of gardens and parks was realized by the whole world. Unexpectedly, they are seen as a source of calm and joy for the majority of the people who were feeling stressed and busted in the era of lockdown.

In this blog, the primary reasons/benefits of why green space and awareness related to it shall be promoted are shown in a brief manner.

6 Benefits of Green Space

1. Psychological & Mental Health

The evidence of positive effects from nature includes studies on specific psychological conditions such as depression, anxiety, and mood disorder. Access to nature has also been found to improve sleep and reduce stress, increase happiness and reduce negative emotions, promote positive social interactions and even help generate a sense of meaning in life. 

Being in green environments boosts various aspects of thinking, including attention, memory, and creativity, in people both with and without depression. “The evidence is very solid,” says psychologist Marc Berman at the University of Chicago.

2. Less Energy Consumption

The green roof concept is widely popular in urban forests. People living in the concrete jungle are considering innovative ways to accommodate the green space in their area of living. This makes their overall life healthier and also helps in saving energy consumption. For example, adding a layer of vegetation to rooftops and creating green roofs has proven to reduce the urban heat island effect.

Having soil, plants, and greenery on our roofs would both reduce surface temperature and serve as insulation for the structures below, reducing the energy needed to heat and cool the buildings. Green roofs can also help regulate rainwater, trapping it as it falls and filtering out pollutants.

3. Reduced Stress Levels

The way modern cities are planned will impact the future life of billions. Perhaps the biggest benefit to me is Urban Green Space consideration and preservation along with maximizing it. Parks, garden spaces, street trees, and landscaped traffic islands provide more than a pretty panorama. It brings peace to us in our stressed hectic routine. 

Many studies reveal that stressed patients feel better if given exposure to natural scenes like gardens, parks, mountains, etc. Accordingly, green spaces also reduce instances of aggression and violence.

4. Clears the Air We Breathe

As per the report of the Forest Service Division of the US Department of Agriculture, trees can remove as much of air pollutants as 15% of ozone, 14% of sulfur dioxide (SO2), 8% of nitrous dioxide (NO2), and 0.05% of carbon monoxide (CO) from the air. Trees are considered to act as filters of nature. The Amazon jungles have been popularly known as the lungs of Brazil. 

Considering the volume of carbon emissions in the atmosphere of urban areas throughout the world, planting more trees remains the most viable option for healthy living within the cities.

5. Boosts the Physical Health of People

Whether it is something as casual as taking a walk or something more intense like hiking, green spaces provide an environment that is conducive to physical exercise. As obvious as it may sound, having easier access to green space has a positive association with an individual’s level of physical activity. For instance, this study found that people who live closer to parks are “more likely to achieve physical activity recommendations and are less likely to be overweight or obese.”

6. Enhances Biodiversity- a Natural Habitat for Specific Species

Urban green spaces are critical habitats to support biodiversity. Restoring green space helps to enhance and conserve biodiversity. A natural habitat for all the species that we know would bring a balance in interdependency. If this is not met, over-dependency on specific species would increase which may lead to extinction on a regional or global level. 

Increased biodiversity means an enhanced ecosystem where living organisms including trees & vegetation are boosted. This could have huge fuel savings for transportation from rural areas. 

What HUGSI Does?

We quantify the urban green space of global cities and provide rankings based on their Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The in-depth data helps us to analyze the cities which are getting greener or greyer. Our expert team is also ready to help with expert recommendations to anyone from the municipality or city development agency as and when needed. This is what we at HUGSI are working on - bringing awareness to the government and municipalities of global cities by encouraging them to access seamless data from our platform.

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