Earlier quoted context omitted.
Because 1.5 hours is a lot of time out if only 24? Unless you live to work.
Hahahahahahaha. (Hello from the Bay Area)
[deleted]
Living Near Trees, Not Just Green Space, Improves Wellbeing
111–120 of 210 posts
Re: Living Near Trees, Not Just Green Space, Improves Wellbeing
#112Living near trees implies living in an area where space usage is prioritized for nature instead of the stacked concrete boxes most people (have to?) live in. It is likely a less stressful environment overall than places filled with just concrete walls, asphalt and, at best, some grass. Personally I find tree tops swaying in the wind oddly hypnotic and relaxing. I've thought of why... One reason could be that babies a…
Vancouver (and to a lesser extent Seattle, Washington, DC & Atlanta) do a great job mixing the urban forest and density. Many European cities do as well. Living in concrete boxes doesn't mean there has to be a dearth of trees. It's just most North American cities don't really invest in their trees (heck they don't even invest enough in our kids, so trees are pretty far down on the priority list).
Re: Living Near Trees, Not Just Green Space, Improves Wellbeing
#113We recently moved to an apartment that is front facing the street with trees that you can see through the windows, and might be obvious but we're usually in much better mood than before, I think it's important to consider these things. The vibe of having a bit of nature and natural light changes things completely, might even inspire you to create more things. We used to live in apartments that were mostly surrounded by concrete and it was honestly a bit depressing. I suggest that if you have the opportunity, even if you have to pay a bit more, try to go for it, the quality of life improves tremendously.
Re: Living Near Trees, Not Just Green Space, Improves Wellbeing
#114Living near trees implies living in an area where space usage is prioritized for nature instead of the stacked concrete boxes most people (have to?) live in. It is likely a less stressful environment overall than places filled with just concrete walls, asphalt and, at best, some grass. Personally I find tree tops swaying in the wind oddly hypnotic and relaxing. I've thought of why... One reason could be that babies a…
From the article:
> In recent years, study after study has found that living in neighborhoods with abundant green space is linked to positive health outcomes.
But it specifically calls out trees as more beneficial than other green spaces.
> But when it come to promoting human health, not all green spaces are created equal. That’s the conclusion of new Australian research, which finds higher levels of wellness in areas marked by one particular manifestation of the natural world: leafy trees.
So it's not contrasting "nature" vs. "stacked concrete boxes", it's comparing "green space w/o trees" (e.g. a lawn) to "green space with trees" (e.g. a park with trees).
Re: Living Near Trees, Not Just Green Space, Improves Wellbeing
#115Earlier quoted context omitted.
Suburbs can have vast canopies. They just often choose not to, feeling bare grass is the most attractive. (I personally don't understand the appeal of a neighborhood that has been methodically expunged of shade)
Trees are expensive to maintain if they are between closely packed houses. Wealthier suburbs have more trees than poorer.
> Trees are expensive to maintain
Not really. This is just a problem of poorly designed gardens, bad choice of species, and greed.
Trees are valuable and fine wood species are always in risk of being stolen. I said this after seeing this afternoon a street reformed and notice the space left by a big blue cedar and a nice Beech that suddenly dissapeared in the center of the field for no reason. Both around 80 years old and perfectly healthy.
Most people would freak if the bank in their street is robbed but don't even notice when the park in their street is robbed.
Re: Living Near Trees, Not Just Green Space, Improves Wellbeing
#116It's not necessarily related to why living near trees improves well being, but I like the idea of Shinrin Yoku, or "forest bathing":
https://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20190611/forest-bathing-n...
Nice youtube mini-documentary:
Re: Living Near Trees, Not Just Green Space, Improves Wellbeing
#117This is another study that makes me wonder what the real cause may be. Areas with trees, in an urban setting, tend to be more expensive locations. So, is it the the trees, or the higher socio-economic status? In suburban and rural areas where trees are more common, even if the cost of living is low, everything is less dense, people tend to have larger dwellings at lower prices, etc. So, again, is it the trees or the…
They say in the article that the study corrected for a wide range of variables including age, income level, etc.
Did they correct for people’s behavior or skills that would cause them to choose one place to live over another? Living in a regional or rural area is within most people's means as long as relevant work is nearby.
Perhaps people who are more suited to the the sort of work that is more often done in densely populated areas are inherently more depressed.
Re: Living Near Trees, Not Just Green Space, Improves Wellbeing
#118Earlier quoted context omitted.
Manhattan has Central Park, which is a forest. Compare vs the suburban sprawl of modern design where it's an ocean of tract housing with stunted little fresh-planted trees and I'd say the reverse is generally true. I can see the argument for rural living, but not for modern suburbia.
Rural and small town living is the way to go for me. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone here defending the aesthetics of cookie-cutter suburbs.
To clarify, I meant 80s and 90s suburbs, not the godawful European-looking Stepford-wife monstrosities they build now. Suburbs with tree cover where you may or may not be able to even see the house next door. The kind where every house looks different because it was built by a different company and none of the lots are smaller than half an acre.
Re: Living Near Trees, Not Just Green Space, Improves Wellbeing
#119I’ve noticed that there is always a lack of trees in impoverished areas. It almost seems like the trees are deliberately cut down in favor of concrete in areas designated.
Re: Living Near Trees, Not Just Green Space, Improves Wellbeing
#120I’ve noticed that there is always a lack of trees in impoverished areas. It almost seems like the trees are deliberately cut down in favor of concrete in areas designated.
I've always assumed thats because trees can be time consuming, take a lot of space and can be expensive to maintain. Essentially, in a city, they are a luxury.