The impact of nature on urban residents' wellbeing

Abstract

With over half of the world’s population living in urban areas, interventions concerning human wellbeing are often targeted toward cities. Cities are often considered degraded due to their novel mix of native, introduced, migratory or cultivated plant and animal species. Interaction with nature has been shown to positively affect the health of inhabitants. I investigated how urban biodiversity affects the wellbeing of residents in the most populous cities of Australia (Melbourne and Sydney) and New Zealand (Auckland and Wellington). My study used vegetation (NDVI) and bird species richness, an online survey of urban residents that collected their human-nature interactions, nature value orientations, wellbeing and demographics, focus groups, and park surveys that incorporated ecological surveys with interviews of human park visitors. Results were considered with demographic indicators. I found links between objective nature and wellbeing. Most survey respondents were biocentric (natural-system focused) and had higher psychological wellbeing than anthropocentric (or human-focused) respondents. Focus groups built on these results by choosing survey respondents with a range of value orientations. Focus group participants outlined clear minimum standards of urban nature and stressed the importance of equal access by all urban residents. Park surveys revealed that people visited urban parks for a variety of reasons, and not all of them involved nature. Ecological studies found significant differences in biodiversity of urban parks across the four cities, but no association with the number of park users. Despite this, most people said that being in a park helped them to feel relaxed and happy. By incorporating biodiversity into their conceptual frameworks, governments and planners will be able to optimise urban environments for wellbeing. Outcomes of this project will inform urban policy, design and planning.