Greenery situated vertically has been found to act as a stress reliever, according to a study conducted by NTU Singapore
In a pioneering study led by NTU Singapore psychologists, the role of vertical greenery in mental health has been explored, offering additional impetus for city planners to adopt a 'biophilic design' concept. The study, published in the peer-reviewed academic journal Landscape and Urban Planning, can guide greening efforts in cities and has significant implications for the well-being of people living in urban areas.
The study, with the DOI 10.1016/J.LANDURBPLAN.2021.104127, was co-led by Sarah Chan, a Ph.D. candidate from the Interdisciplinary Graduate Programme at NTU, and Associate Professor Lin Qiu from the Psychology programme at the NTU School of Social Sciences.
The research involved 111 participants who were asked to walk down a virtual street with either greenery or only green painted walls. The findings suggest that viewing buildings with greenery (e.g., on balconies, walls, and pillars) may help buffer people against stress in an urban environment.
Interestingly, participants reported feeling less positive when walking through the street with buildings covered by only green walls, while those walking through the street with buildings covered by plants did not report feeling either more or less positive. This indicates that the presence of live plants may have a positive impact on people's mood in urban settings.
Moreover, the study found that the color green, in addition to green vegetation, may contribute to positive effects. This is a significant finding, as it provides evidence for the integration of nature into the built environment to promote mental health.
The study also aimed to guide city planning and design, particularly for high-density urban areas with land constraints. By using Virtual Reality (VR) to overcome the limitation of previous studies that did not consider the fact that the color green may have positive effects, the research team plans to investigate further the psychological impact of using nature in architecture, such as natural materials like wood compared to concrete.
The findings are particularly relevant in today's urbanised world, where city centres often experience warmer temperatures than less populated areas due to the 'urban heat island' phenomenon. Walls of greenery can help lower ambient temperature, reducing energy consumption from cooling systems and lessening the effect of this phenomenon.
In conclusion, the study provides compelling evidence for the integration of nature into the built environment to promote mental health and well-being. City planners and designers would do well to take note of these findings as they strive to create sustainable, liveable cities for the future.
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