Highly populated areas are known to be more likely to cause wide variety of mental health issues. Overcrowding, violence and pollution all add to this negative environment. Living close to nature has been shown to alleviate many of these problems, but we recognize that it is not possible for all of us to live in that setting. Therefore, making our cities more nature friendly is the key to improving mental health of population. Living near water is especially beneficial, and creating artificial bodies of water should be something urban planners should focus on.

Key Takeaways:

• Living in populated places means a greater chance of mental health problems according to the studies.
• Being closer to nature has shown to increase people’s mood and overall mental wellness.
• The next steps in research are about exploring the link between living near water and greater health. So far the studies show a decrease in obesity and premature death when surrounded by blue.

“Given that even landlocked cities are built around water features like canals, rivers and lakes, our research aimed to uncover their health benefits, and how they could be repurposed to improve the mental health of people living in cities.”

Read more: https://theconversation.com/living-near-water-can-be-beneficial-to-your-mental-health-heres-how-to-have-more-blue-spaces-in-cities-150486