Effects of Natural Environments on Human Well-Being

Dear Colleagues,

The natural elements of the environment that make up the green-blue infrastructure (GBI) offer a number of ecosystem benefits, such as climate change mitigation, microclimate regulation, air purification, carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat, etc. No less important is the impact of these elements on social and human mental well-being by improving health, enhancing social interactions, and offering respite. 

The beneficial impact of the natural environment on people has long been a topic of research. Ground-breaking at the time of its creation and still in use today, Rachel and Stephen Kaplan came up with their Attention Restoration Theory (ART)—a theoretical framework which explains our preferences for natural landscapes with an optimal level of attention that engages without being either overwhelming or underwhelming. In turn, Roger Ulrich’s theory of stress reduction states that contact with nature has a beneficial effect on our mental and physical health by reducing stress. 

Research on how the natural environments affects people covers a number of aspects. For example, some studies focus on the issue of landscape preferences and other related constructs. In this context, vegetation complexity, wildness, neatness of vegetation, vegetation density and development intensity of the park, suitability for recreation or diversity of vegetation have all been investigated. 

Natural forms of landscape in cities play a particularly important role for people. They significantly affect the quality of city dwellers’ daily life, offering them a taste of nature in the metropolis. Their role in preserving mental health and offering recreation possibilities was even more appreciated during the COVID-19 pandemic. More often than not, research related to the impact of natural forms of the urban environment on people typically focuses on recreational areas, such as parks, urban forests, and riverside areas. Other areas are less frequently studied—for example, areas overgrown with spontaneous greenery as a result of natural succession, forming areas of ‘urban wilderness’. These areas are often called informal green spaces, as they can provide a number of cultural ecosystem services, including recreational functions, despite having a different original purpose. Examples of such sites include former agricultural areas, areas along railway lines, post-military grounds (including historic fortifications), which offer a number of cultural ecosystem services—for instance, cultural diversity, spiritual and religious space, education, inspiration, aesthetics, sense of place or recreation and ecotourism. At the same time, however, fortified landscapes often have a significant natural and landscape significance in terms of providing nature-based solutions and enhancing urban biodiversity.

Looking to understand the impact of the environment on human well-being, we can and should analyse a number of aspects of this phenomenon that make up a multithreaded and complex system. Understanding these phenomena and mechanisms will help us predict the nature and strength of the environment's impact on people, and thus facilitate the management of environmental resources so as to optimise this impact. 

In this issue, we encourage authors to submit articles based on research on the impact of the environment on people from multifaceted perspectives, including ones less obvious and direct. We hope that such a broad discourse will enrich the scientific world’s awareness of the complexity and importance of this problem.

Dr. Aleksandra Lis
Dr. Justyna Rubaszek
Dr. Monika Ziemiańska
Guest Editors

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