Nature in Cities

Birds sing and children squeal happily creating a barrier of sound between the beautiful park and the bustling city of New York. As a dad sleds down a partially snowy hill with his two daughters, the smell of churros lingers in the air and the brisk breeze cuts through thick winter jackets. The calm in Central Park creates community in the people; a huge Green Space at the center of New York City.

Central Park is a major hotspot of New York, with almost 42 million visitors annually (Complete Guide to NY Central Park). The park is 843 acres, 2.5 miles long and 0.5 miles wide and is open daily from 6am until 1am (Complete Guide to NY Central Park). Central Park is right in the center of the city, and because it is handicap accessible and animal friendly, has relaxing areas and activities like an ice skating rink and a zoo, it is a popular place to walk through on a New Yorker's way to work or school.

Green Spaces have been studied in cities to show how access to the environment helps people. Many of these studies focus strictly on the mental, emotional and physical benefits, and the role of Green Spaces in the urban space. They neglect to mention some people do not get ability to utilize these spaces.

There are no real papers I could find arguing negatives to Green Spaces, however I believe that there are issues around race, financial position and access to Green Space. Many of the papers fail to acknowledge or frame this subject with social and political issues. There are two major ways to understand Green Spaces, the first is from the physical and mental effects, and the second is from the political, ethical sphere. I will create a holistic comprehension of Green Spaces using both lenses. Are Green Spaces beneficial? If so, who do they benefit?

In the paper, Urban Green Spaces and Health Review Evidence, the multitude of authors and editors discuss the effects of urban environments and of Green Spaces in cities. The term Green Space is not common, and therefore the authors of this paper defined it as encompassing, "public green areas used predominantly for recreation such as gardens, zoos, parks, and suburban natural areas and forests, or green areas bordered by urban areas that are managed or used for recreational purposes," additionally, this includes anyplace with recreational water.

For many people, it is simple to have access to parks, “In urban areas, Black, Hispanic, or lower-income communities tended to be located closer to parks,” so those who are oppressed racially are seen to have benefits from

parks and Green Spaces. (Wen, 2013) This neglects to mention barriers. “ Neighborhood poverty and residential segregation can result in environmental inequalities (e.g. inadequate parks and open spaces) that prevent these communities from being active,” (Wen, 2013). Many parks in the inner city are filled with graffiti and unsuitable for children to be playing in. Additionally, in suburbia or places outside of the city have more access to hiking trails and full immersion of nature, versus the highly policed urban park.

The fact that many people are located nearby a park is true. However, the state of the park, the amount of time someone has to go to a park, and the safety of the neighborhood around it plays into how often people will visit. Therefore who will reap the benefits. Because of institutional racism, urban places are constantly watched, so parks can become more of a stress then somewhere where people can relax.

“Blacks, Hispanics, and lower-income adults are less likely than Whites and adults with higher incomes to meet aerobic physical activity guidelines,” (Win, 2013). This makes the point that while people of color in urban situations live nearer to a city than white people, many are unable to utilize that resource because of the condition of the park or amount of free time. I want to point out that this quote uses race as a singular aspect to a human, disregards the diversity in the hispanic populations, and it aligns the term POC directly with lower-income and white people with higher income.

The lower the class, the less ability people have to choose where to and how to transport themselves. For example as Cresswell writes, “the arrangement of seats on a trans-Atlantic flight is an almost perfect metaphor for an experiential politics of mobility. Upper, first, or connoisseur class provides you with more space, nicer food, more oxygen and more toilets per person, among other perks. Those at the back are cramped, uncomfortable, oxygen starved and standing in line for the toilet.” This also applies to Green Spaces. The lower the class, the less access to positive Green Spaces and the less likely those people will gain the benefits from those spaces.

Cities are made for richer people. In the article, “Most Cyclists Are Working-Class Immigrants, Not Hipsters,” Andrew Keatts describes the dichotomy between people who use bikes based on necessity and the people who are being coerced into riding because it has become a newer hipster trend.

Since it has become cool for wealthy people to bike, cities are finally trying to accommodate bikes. This again explores the ability to choose the type of transportation on privilege. Transportation and time to get to Green Spaces is necessary to contemplate, because the less affluent, the less ability and time a citizen might have to be able to get themselves somewhere in nature.

Green areas and urban Green Spaces are vital to a healthy population. In a city, the bustle of people and the honking of car horns can feel almost inescapable. The constant noise, the concrete, and the smells of the city may be nice for a time, but they have some real health consequences.

Mental health is an overwhelming concern for our nation, with 17.9% of adults, and 21.2% of woman reporting a serious mental condition (National Institutes of Health, 2016). More than 21% of children have a severe mental disorder (National Institutes of Health, 2016). "Mental health is negatively affected: mood and anxiety disorders are more prevalent in city dwellers... (this has) been widely attributed to the urban social environment (Lederbogen, 2011)". POC are 20% more likely to have mental illness than the rest of the population, 90% of suicide is in people with mental illnesses, and 40% of Native Americans between the ages of 15 and 24 die by suicide (Holmes, 2016).

Living nearby a green area and using it regularly has been proven to be very beneficial for mental health. However, it is important to remember that while many POC have access to parks, in many situations those spaces are less taken care of and positive. Therefore, mental health may not be as boosted by those Green Spaces.

To move is an integral part of our society. The first thing humans do in the morning is get get up and walk to grab a bite to eat, or take a shower. We drive, take the bus, bike or walk to get to work. Movement and the ability to move is common and unthought about; it is unappreciated. However, movement is a privilege.

Many elders find it difficult to maintain a healthy level of exercise (NHS, 2017). Having Green Spaces gives elderly people a stronger incentive to go outside. “Living in areas with walkable green spaces positively influenced the longevity of urban senior citizens independent of their age, sex, marital status, baseline functional status, and socioeconomic status,” (Takano, 2002). Kids, adults and elders all outside more because of open nature spots helps build relationships throughout age groups which is important for community building (Takano, 2002).

Green Spaces have been shown to increase exercise and possibly improve diets (Lee, 2015). The physical movement has more benefits and restorative qualities because it is outdoors (Lee, 2015). When people are around non-threatening natural stimuli, they become relaxed because of a parasympathetic nervous system response (Lee, 2015). There is a huge difference between direct attention, which is a limited resource, and wandering, involuntary attention, which is not depletable; for example, the involuntary attention fills a person up with wonder and improves cognitive performance, while direct attention can drain (Grubb, 2015). A key beneficial aspect of Green Spaces is the social capital gained and the communities formed through shared outdoor experiences (Lee, 2015).

The immune system is important to fight off infection and keep a healthy body. This system has a plethora of cells and organs working in tandem. To have a bad immune system, those components are not functioning properly and do not have the right vitamins, enough water, or enough protein (Diagnose Me, 2017). Being in Green Spaces has shown to help immune systems (Thompson, 2016).

Thompson may be wrong about boosting of immune system. When looking into what boosting your immune system means, I realized that the claim that it does so is less than believable. Many people have a good immune system. It has become a concept that is an over-sought for and marketized, but mostly unneeded fetish our society has. The most important thing to have a good immune system is to be a healthy individual, with exercise and a well rounded diet that has all of the important vitamins (Diagnose Me, 2017). Both mental and physical health has been shown to improve with Green Spaces in cities, so therefore immune systems will be boosted.

Some studies say that outdoor time can increase expression of anti-cancer proteins (Anand, 2008). “Only 5–10% of all cancer cases can be attributed to genetic defects, whereas the remaining 90–95% have their roots in the environment and lifestyle. The lifestyle factors include cigarette smoking, diet (fried foods, red meat), alcohol, sun exposure, environmental pollutants, infections, stress, obesity, and physical inactivity,” (Anand, 2008). Everything stated above about how Green Spaces help with physical activity, stress and diet points to how they can be beneficial for cancer prevention as well.

It is important to remember that not all green areas will help people mentally and physically, the state of the Green Space needs to be considered. Additionally, there are different effects both positive and negative for large spaces, like forests, and smaller ones, like a tree next to a sidewalk. Many bodies of water are polluted and will instill the skin with toxins. That means that those bodies of water are probably not as beneficial. The Climate Change crisis is changing our relationship to nature anthropocentrically, but also nature’s relationship with nature.

Unfortunately, the bustling, never sleeping, life of the city creates stress and has been shown in tandem with an increase in mental disabilities. Being in nature has been shown to be very positive for humans (Lederbogen, 2011). Green Spaces can help those with high stress levels by, “shifting them to a more positive emotional state”(Lederbogen, 2011). Parks, fields, and other outdoor areas have shown to have mental health benefits (Lederbogen, 2011).

People do not even need a real environmental experience. Even perceived greenness and nature areas help with mental health throughout "socioeconomic strata and gender"(Lederbogen, 2011). Nature helps with cognitive development in children, improved behavioral development and better memory (Lederbogen, 2011).

Another benefit of Green Spaces is the noise-canceling effect of plants (World Health Organization, 2009). Noise pollution is a, “major and increasing threat to human health...range of disease burden... is estimated at 1.0 – 1.6 million Disability Adjusted Life Years in the European Region,” (World Health Organization, 2009). Even if the vegetation does not decrease noise significantly, studies have shown that there is a strong placebo effect which psychologically reduces urban sounds (World Health Organization, 2009).

When people are around non-threatening natural stimuli, they become less stressed because of a parasympathetic nervous system response. There is a huge difference between direct attention, which is a limited resource, and wandering, involuntary attention (Sinnett, 2015), which is not depletable; for example, the involuntary attention fills a person up with wonder and improves cognitive performance, while direct attention can drain. Being in nature gives a stronger ability for people to wander into involuntary attention, helping improve cognitive abilities and connecting a human with their natural surroundings.

Being in nature has been shown to be very positive for humans. Green Spaces can help those with high stress levels by, “shifting them to a more positive emotional state” (Sinnett, 2015). Additionally, being in Green Spaces has shown to help immune systems (Sinnett, 2015). Some studies say that outdoor time can increase expression of anti-cancer proteins (Sinnett, 2015).

During extreme weather events, the non-porous concrete which covers city streets, either traps heat, or becomes hazardous with the snow. The amount of concrete in cities has urban areas warming faster than rural ones (Dixon, 2010). “Among the health risks associated with heat waves are heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Symptoms can include vomiting, diarrhea and fatigue. The most vulnerable include infants and children, pregnant women and elderly people with chronic medical conditions.

Outdoor workers and people living in poverty are also at risk,” (Dixon, 2010). Green areas, specifically parks and places with lakes or rivers, can cool down a city almost one celsius up to a kilometer away (Dixon, 2010). The trees help with shade, overall cooling, shelter from snow and provide a space for enjoyment in the outdoors (Dixon, 2010).

Without Green Spaces, there is less nature access. That means that one of the main points of exposure to natural spaces is through social media, like Instagram and Facebook. People are still drawn to natural scenes, scrolling through newsfeeds to "like" a picture of a landscape, however those images become removed from the individual.

"Television may function more specifically as a place where viewers confront their ideas of and relationships to the natural world," (Slawter, 2008). This inspires people to think about the environment and make connections with the natural world, however "television may offer a range of different views, but it also presents them in ways that can prevent viewers from acting," (Slawter, 2008).

The internet depersonalizes the wilderness from people's lives. "As with television theorists in general, environmental media scholars recognize that many people come to know the environment, learn about environmental issues, and construct understandings of human nature relationships through television viewing practices.

By presenting green consumption as environmental activism, TreeHuggerTV speaks to its viewers not as radical political protestors, but rather as the consumers the television format calls them to be," (Slawter, 2008). While television reaches a large audience, it pushes them not to do anything.

There are many factors that go into the politics and consequences of Green

Spaces. We touched on a few; access, class, mental and physical health, noise, stress, urban living, environment, technology and nature connection.

Green Spaces are important for health and connection to nature, they help with productivity and wellbeing. Green Spaces help give experiences and help create a connection to the environment. They give space for animals and are beneficial for urban areas during extreme weather events. Green Spaces let people be outside in the constructed natural environment. That's why they are important. 

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