Healthy City, Healthy Landscape: Promoting Stress Recovery through Changing Urban Environment

Abstract

'Healthy City, Healthy Landscape' concerns how the built environment and urban landscapes can influence the psychological, physiological, and social health of individuals and lead to more sustainable cities. Through planning and designing physical spaces and landscapes, we can promote healthy and sustainable lifestyles and create clean, safe, pleasant, and equitable environments for people. Two important statements serve as the foundation for 'Healthy City, Healthy Landscape.' First, in 1948, the World Health Center defined health as 'a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.' Second, in 1992, the United Nations published the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and claimed 'Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development. They are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature.' These statements provide justification for our work. China faces serious environmental problems that are leading to human health decline. Empirical evidence indicates that Chinese citizens' health is rapidly declining, caused in part by environmental degradation, social competition, and unhealthy lifestyles. A stressful urban environment and lack of green space can lead to increased rates of stress, depression, and anxiety. A recent study published in 2013 estimated that more than 30 million Chinese citizens suffer from depression. Approximately 90% of these citizens are not diagnosed and treated, which may lead to more serious symptoms and even suicide (China Research &Intelligence, 2013). This work will introduce the mechanism on urban environment influence human’s mental stress status and discuss on potential design strategies and solutions on promoting stress recovery.