Fast Fact Library

Conservation subdivision design, a greenfield development practice that utilizes site analysis methods to preserve significant portions of environmentally valuable land, was shown to produce a higher 5-year...

Bowman, Troy, Jan Thompson, and Joe Colletti. (2009). Valuation of open space and conservation features in residential subdivisions. Journal of Environmental Management 90(1), 321-330.

Well-designed integration of conservation features positively affects home values. In a study of 6 subdivisions in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, open space added an average of $462 to standard subdivision homes and $17,082 to...

Bowman, Troy, Jan Thompson, and Joe Colletti. (2009). Valuation of open space and conservation features in residential subdivisions. Journal of Environmental Management 90(1), 321-330.

Subjects recovered better from low-level stress when looking out a glass window at nature than when looking at a HDTV real-time display of nature through a plasma display, and recovered better when looking at the...

Kahn, Peter H., Batya Friedman, Brian Gill, Jennifer Hagman, Rachel L. Severson, Nathan G. Freier, Erika N. Feldman, Sybil Carrère, and Anna Stolyar. (2008). A plasma display window?—The shifting baseline problem in a technologically mediated natural world. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 28(2), 192-199.

Parks containing a paved or unpaved trail and parks with wooded areas were 7 times more likely to be used for physical activity than parks without such features. The size of the park and its distance from users'...

Kaczynski, Andrew T., Potwarka, Luke, Saelens, Brian E. (2008) Association of park size, distance, and features with physical activity in neighborhood parks. American Journal of Public Health 98(8), 1451-1457.

The combination of green roofs and green walls can lower ambient temperatures in typical "urban canyon"-like streets, achieving up to a 12.8˚C (23˚F) ambient temperature difference in an arid climate, and 8.4˚C (15...

Alexandri, Eleftheria, and Phil Jones. (2008) Temperature decreases in an urban canyon due to green walls and green roofs in diverse climates. Building and Environment 43(4), 480-493. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2006.10.055

Experiencing nature promotes recovery from crisis better than taking a walk or interacting with friends, and the benefits may be larger for those who are suffering the most. People with many experiences of nature...

Ottosson, Johan, and Patrik Grahn. (2008). The role of natural settings in crisis rehabilitation: How does the level of crisis influence the response to experiences of nature with regard to measures of rehabilitation? Landscape Research, 33(1), 51-70.

Children living in areas of New York City with more street trees have a lower prevalence of asthma, as indicated by a study of children aged 4-5 years in 42 health service catchment areas. The rate of early...

Lovasi, Gina S., James W. Quinn, Kathryn M. Neckerman, Matthew S. Perzanowski, and Andrew Rundle. (July 2008). Children living in areas with more street trees have lower prevalence of asthma. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 62(7): 647-649. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jech.2007.071894