17 Jun Live Near A Park and Be Happy?

New research finds that the effect of green space on personal well being is more profound than you might think.

Urban planners may look at the pros and cons of a new shopping center versus maintaining the local park and consider the bottom line only. Did you know that over time, parks and green spaces make people feel better about themselves?

A long-term study of 12,000 people in the U.K. used survey data measuring both life satisfaction and mental distress, then matched that to a map ranking over 30,000 areas for their greenness. They found that people living in greener areas were consistently more satisfied, relaxed and experienced less stress.

In fact, according to the research, living near a green space has a third of the positive mental effect as getting married. Of course if you look at the bigger picture, getting married might improve two people’s sense of well being, while a park could improve a whole city’s.

Mental health must be taken into account when developers and planners are choosing their next project.

What do you think? Does green space affect your mental state and well being? Share your thoughts below or on our Facebook page!