Fast Fact Library

A study of 9,186 U.S. nursing homes found that increased tree canopy cover is associated with fewer depressive symptoms. This association did not vary by race or socioeconomic status of nursing home residents.

Browning, Matthew H.E.M., Kangjae Lee, and Kathleen L. Wolf. “Tree cover shows an inverse relationship with depressive symptoms in elderly residents living in U.S. nursing homes.” Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 41 (2019): 23-32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2019.03.002

According to a Michigan study based on salivary biomarkers, the greatest stress reduction benefit is achieved with 20 to 30 minutes of exposure to urban nature. Participants taking a "nature pill" of 20 to 30...

Hunter, MaryCarol R., Brenda W. Gillespie, and Sophie Yu-Pu Chen. (April 2019). Urban Nature Experiences Reduce Stress in the Context of Daily Life Based on Salivary Biomarkers. Frontiers in Psychology 10: 722. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00722

At least 40% canopy coverage is needed to achieve the maximum cooling effect of trees in offsetting the urban heat island effect at the scale of a typical city block, according to this University of Wisconsin...

Ziter, Carly D., Eric J. Pedersen, Christopher J. Kucharik, and Monica G. Turner. “Scale-Dependent Interactions between Tree Canopy Cover and Impervious Surfaces Reduce Daytime Urban Heat during Summer.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116, no. 15 (2019): 7575–80. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1817561116

Sites with inexpensive community-driven design interventions like colorful crosswalks and greenery in concrete lanes may be associated with higher levels of happiness, more trust in strangers, and greater sense of...

Negami, Hanna R., Robin Mazumder, Mitchell Reardon, and Colin G. Ellard. “Field Analysis of Psychological Effects of Urban Design: a Case Study in Vancouver.” Cities & Health 2, no. 2 (2018): 106–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2018.1548257