Fast Fact Library

An analysis of the impact of greening 4,436 vacant lots in Philadelphia from 1999 to 2008 found that vacant lot greening was associated with residents' reporting significantly less stress and more exercise in select...

Branas, Charles C., Rose A. Cheney, John M. Macdonald, Vicky W. Tam, Tara D. Jackson, and Thomas R. Ten Have. “A Difference-in-Differences Analysis of Health, Safety, and Greening Vacant Urban Space.” American Journal of Epidemiology 174, no. 11 (November 2011): 1296–1306. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwr273.

In a study conducted in a Chicago public housing development, women who lived in apartment buildings with trees and grass immediately outside reported greater effectiveness and less procrastination in dealing with...

Kuo, Frances E. (2001). Coping with poverty: Impacts of environment and attention in the inner city. Environment & Behavior, 33(1), 5-34.

An eight-year longitudinal study of 3,173 children from 12 communities in Southern California suggests that if all children had commensurate access to parkland and recreation programs near their homes, over 9.5% of...

Berhane, Kiros, Brady, Kirby, Chang, Roger, Dahmann, Nicholas, Gilliland, Frank, Jerrett, Michael, McConnell, Rob, Reynolds, Kim, Su, Jason G., Wolch, Jennifer. (2011) Childhood obesity and proximity to urban parks and recreational resources: A longitudinal cohort study. Health & Place 17, 207-214.

High school students with views of green or natural landscapes showed consistently higher standardized test scores and graduation rates, with fewer occurrences of criminal behavior. This 2010 study focused on 101...

Matusoka, Rodney H. (2010). Student Performance and High School Landscapes: Examining the Links. Landscape and Urban Planning 97, 4: 273-282.

Memorial design can have an impact on war veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A study surveyed 62 Vietnam War combat veterans with PTSD before and after visiting Maya Lin’s famous memorial. Veterans...

Watkins, Nicholas, Frances Cole, and Sue Weidemann. (2010). The war memorial as healing environment: The psychological effect of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Vietnam War combat veterans’ posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Environment and Behavior 42(3), 351-375.

In a study of physically inactive adults in New South Wales, Australia, interesting scenery, including neighborhood aesthetics and greenery, and good street lighting at night, correlated with an increased amount of...

Merom, Dafna, Adrian Bauman, Philayrath Phongsavan, Ester Cerin, Mazen Kassis, Wendy Brown, Ben J. Smith, and Chris Rissel. (2009). Can a motivational intervention overcome an unsupportive environment for walking – findings from the Step-by-Step Study. Annals of Behavioral Medicine 38(2), 137-146.

A study in Philadelphia estimated that 196 premature, heat-related fatalities could be avoided over a 40-year period if a 50% Low Impact Development approach (runoff from 50% of impervious surface in the city is...

Stratus Consulting. (2009). A Triple Bottom Line Assessment of Traditional and Green Infrastructure Options for Controlling CSO Events in Philadelphia’s Watersheds. Office of Watersheds, City of Philadelphia Water Department, Philadelphia, PA.

Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) concentrate better after a walk in a city park than after walks in other urban settings.

Taylor, Andrea Faber, and Frances E. Kuo. “Children With Attention Deficits Concentrate Better After Walk in the Park.” Journal of Attention Disorders 12, no. 5 (2009): 402–9. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054708323000.

A British study found that the attributes of neighborhood open spaces (NOS) relevant to older people's life satisfaction were pleasantness, safety in and around the open space, and distance to it. Findings suggest...

Sugiyama, Takemi, Catharine Ward Thompson, and Susana Alves. (2009). Associations Between Neighborhood Open Space Attributes and Quality of Life for Older People in Britain. Environment and Behavior, 41(1), 3-21.