Visiting Urban Parks Makes People Healthier...but Wealthier?

Recent studies show that urban parks are healthy in surprising ways in addition to physical and emotional health, writes Jeff Caldwell of Litchfield Landscape Elements.

1 minute read

August 19, 2015, 6:00 AM PDT

By wadams92101


Studies have shown that urban parks have a positive effect on everything from physical health and fitness to cognition and memory, writes Jeff Caldwell, an urban parks enthusiast and manager at Litchfield Landscape Elements. But shopping impulse control?  

According to another study published in PLOS ONE, natural settings significantly improved impulse control. In this study, participants were asked to look at images from one of three categories: natural, urban and geometric shapes. After looking at the images, researchers asked each participant whether they would prefer a smaller amount of money immediately or a larger amount sometime in the future — $10 today versus $100 next week, as an example. Those who looked at natural images were far more likely to choose the larger amount of money in the future.

Jeff goes on to explore the reasons for the many and varied beneficial effects of urban parks.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015 in UrbDeZine

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

July 3, 2025 - Governing

White park shuttles with large Zion logo on side and red rock cliffs in background in Zion National Park.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”

Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

6 hours ago - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Chart of federal transportation funding comparing Biden and Trump administration spending.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden

Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

7 hours ago - Transportation for America

Close-up on yellow and black TAXI sign on top of beige car in central Munich, Germany.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence

Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.

July 15 - Bloomberg