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Does nature make us happier? A spatial error model of greenspace types and mental wellbeing

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  • Victoria Houlden

    (5994Newcastle University, UK)

  • João Porto de Albuquerque

    (2707University of Warwick, UK)

  • Scott Weich

    (7315University of Sheffield, UK)

  • Stephen Jarvis

Abstract

Exposure to nature is thought to benefit mental health and wellbeing. However, many studies consider greenspace as a single entity, which overlooks the potential significance of the various forms of greenspace, and natural greenspaces in particular. This study was designed to investigate the association between different types of greenspace and mental wellbeing. Drawing wellbeing and socioeconomic data from the Annual Population Survey (2012–2015), and shapefiles from the Greenspace Information for Greater London group, the amount of greenspace accessible within a 300 m walk of individual’s postcodes was calculated, and categorised according to type. Spatial Error Models were used to account for spatial patterns in the data. Natural greenspace was significantly associated with improved life satisfaction ( B  =   0.028, p 

Suggested Citation

  • Victoria Houlden & João Porto de Albuquerque & Scott Weich & Stephen Jarvis, 2021. "Does nature make us happier? A spatial error model of greenspace types and mental wellbeing," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 48(4), pages 655-670, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envirb:v:48:y:2021:i:4:p:655-670
    DOI: 10.1177/2399808319887395
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. van den Berg, Agnes E. & Maas, Jolanda & Verheij, Robert A. & Groenewegen, Peter P., 2010. "Green space as a buffer between stressful life events and health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(8), pages 1203-1210, April.
    2. Dolan, Paul & Layard, Richard & Metcalfe, Robert, 2011. "Measuring subjective well-being for public policy," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 35420, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    3. Mitchell, Richard, 2013. "Is physical activity in natural environments better for mental health than physical activity in other environments?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 130-134.
    4. Victoria Houlden & Scott Weich & João Porto de Albuquerque & Stephen Jarvis & Karen Rees, 2018. "The relationship between greenspace and the mental wellbeing of adults: A systematic review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(9), pages 1-35, September.
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    1. Chakrabarti, Sandip & Kushari, Triparnee & Mazumder, Taraknath, 2022. "Does transportation network centrality determine housing price?," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    2. Tianrong Xu & Nikmatul Adha Nordin & Ainoriza Mohd Aini, 2022. "Urban Green Space and Subjective Well-Being of Older People: A Systematic Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-29, October.

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