Recreational Space

People are increasingly acknowledging the influence humans have on the well-being of the planet, as the growing interest in environmental preservation evidenced by the green movement attests. The converse of this, that the environment significantly influences human health and well-being, is equally true. One arena that evidences the sundry ways in which physical environmental characteristics can influence human health is recreational space. Indeed, recreational space can impact personal health in several domains. The World Health Organization's definition of health explicitly encompasses more than the mere absence of disease and subsumes physical, mental, and social well-being. Recreational space is linked with well-being in each of these areas.

Recreational spaces include gardens; athletic fields and courts; open grass or sand spaces; paved and unpaved trails for walking, biking, ...