Dossier
Natural surroundings and health
Natural surroundings can benefit human health in many ways. Wageningen University & Research studies issues concerning the optimal design and management of natural surroundings, the impact of landscape and urban design on social safety and possibilities for using the existing natural surroundings to influence human behaviour.
Examples of how natural surroundings can contribute to human health
- Recovery from stress
- Promotion of social contact
- Ensuring optimal childhood development
- Stimulation of personal development and providing a sense of purpose
- As an impetus for exercise, reducing obesity
News
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Fewer health complaints among people with a green garden
- More greenery in domestic gardens is not only favourable for climate adaptation and biodiversity in cities. It also seems to have a major impact on... -
WHO stresses the importance of green spaces for mental health
- Green spaces are important to our mental health. With urbanisation on the rise, people living in cities have less access to green areas. At the same... -
How nature boosts the health of city residents
- Trees lining a street may encourage people to take a longer stroll or choose to bike to work. New research shows how access to natural areas in cities... -
Increased pollen in the air related to increase in coronavirus infections
- Global research has revealed that increased pollen in the air is associated with an increase in coronavirus infections. The SARS-CoV-2 virus may...
Recent publications:
- The Health and Wellbeing Effects of Forests, Trees and Green Space;
- The spatial distribution of microplastics in topsoils of an urban environment - Coimbra city case-study;
- GIANT LEAPS towards healthy and sustainable future diets by filling knowledge gaps on alternative proteins;
- Green Salutogenic Environments;
- Seaweed processing for feed.
All publications (1986 - present)
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Publications
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Therapeutic landscapes of stillness: creating affective sanctuary through practices of cocooning and immersing
Geografiska Annaler. Series B, Human Geography (2023) - ISSN 0435-3684 -
Urban green spaces and variation in cooling in the humid tropics : The case of Paramaribo
Urban Forestry and Urban Greening (2023), Volume: 89 - ISSN 1618-8667 -
Increasing green leafy vegetable consumption through street food dishes in Lagos, Nigeria
British Food Journal (2023), Volume: 125, Issue: 13 - ISSN 0007-070X - p. 516-537. -
Mansholt lecture 2023: Nature based approach for Europe
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How do different types and characteristics of green space impact mental health? A scoping review
People and Nature (2023) - ISSN 2575-8314 -
Practitioners’ perspectives on improving ready-to-eat food vending in urban Nigeria : a practice-based visioning and back-casting approach
Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems (2023), Volume: 7 - ISSN 2571-581X -
The Health and Wellbeing Effects of Forests, Trees and Green Space
In: Forests and Trees for Human Health: Pathways, Impacts, Challenges and Response Options - Vienna: IUFRO - ISBN: 9783903345201 - p. 78-124. -
The spatial distribution of microplastics in topsoils of an urban environment - Coimbra city case-study
Environmental Research (2023), Volume: 218 - ISSN 0013-9351 -
GIANT LEAPS towards healthy and sustainable future diets by filling knowledge gaps on alternative proteins
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Green Salutogenic Environments