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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, and horseback riding; water features; playgrounds; picnic and group entertainment facilities; and space for cultural and educational programming. When established and maintained in urban settings, the health benefits of recreational space are undeniable. Recreational space provides a place for relaxation and relief from psychological stress, contributes to the safety of urban communities, and encourages physical activity (e.g., walking or bicycling for leisure or transport rather than relying on automobiles). Thus, recreational spaces not only provide physical, social, and mental health benefits but also confer additional economic and environmental health benefits.

Psychological Health

Recreational space provides salutogenic psychological/mental health benefits. Landscape architects have long recognized the importance of recreational space for the psychological health of urban populations. Contributing to mental health through fun and inspiration is an aspect of the mission statements of several park services. The California Department of Parks and Recreation strives “to provide for the health, inspiration, and education of the people,” and the National Park Service aims for its parks to supply “enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.”

The psychological benefits of open and recreational space have been a growing area of research since Yi-Fu Tuan published his theory of topophilia in 1974. Topophilia is a person's innate attraction to safe, open topography. Many safe, open environments, including outdoor and natural recreational spaces, are considered restorative environments (i.e., places that afford visitors a chance to reduce psychophysiological stress and to restore mental resources that have been drained by directed attention fatigue). Recreational space (especially natural, outdoor recreational space) has consistently been identified as a highly restorative environment. Recreational spaces provide individuals opportunities to be away from stressors and directed attention. These spaces also incorporate amenities and design elements that fascinate visitors and offer an extent or breadth of opportunities and aesthetics that are compatible with visitors’ needs. Among youth, use of natural recreational space is correlated with increased cognitive development. Recreational space also has therapeutic effects for individuals with attention deficit disorder.

Recreational space is especially effective in promoting psychological restoration because recreational spaces provide venues for participation in physical activity, which is also known to reduce stress and redirect attention in a beneficial manner, adding to the mental health benefits conferred by these naturally restorative environments. Participating in physical activity and visiting a recreational space is often a social event as well. Affiliating with a group of friends and/or teammates offers additional psychological health benefits.

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