by RH Matsuoka, R Kaplan

Landscape and Urban Planning 84:7-19

2008

Sixteen years of articles published in Landscape and Urban Planning are reviewed to provide insight into the broad spectrum of human dimensions and issues that are served by outdoor urban spaces. The 90 articles are classified into two major categories with three subcategories each: “Nature needs” include contact with nature, aesthetic preference, and recreation and play; “Human-interaction needs” include social interaction, citizen participation in the design process, and community identity. Two tables identify each paper according to its site type, type of need addressed, and country, and an appendix quotes from each study to summarize the major findings. The authors’ main conclusion is that the international scope of the articles indicates how important nearby nature is to human well-being.

Publication Type: Journal article
Keywords: contact with nature, design, human health and well-being, recreation, review, and urban nature