Looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city in your neighborhood park? For a true mental vacation, head for the park with the densest vegetation, writes Eric Jaffe.
Following up on a recent piece on the restorative powers of parks, Jaffe revisits the topic with new research in hand that gets at the question of "precisely how many trees it takes to recover the cognitive strains of urban life."
According to an article appearing in an upcoming issue of the journal Landscape and Urban Planning, a group of Finnish researchers found that, "perceived restorativeness in urban forests was strongly affected by
closure of view to the urban matrix through the forest vegetation. This
means that perceived restorativeness was higher inside the forest with a
closed (i.e. no) view to the urban matrix as compared to semi-closed
and open views."
"The most intriguing conclusion to be drawn here is that the size of an
urban park isn't nearly as important as the density of its vegetatio," writes Jaffe.
"Even when a nature site borders an urban road or housing development, it
can function as a restorative place so long as it offers easy access to
a dense interior. In other words, the ultimate goal is not to see the
city for the trees," he concludes.
FULL STORY: How Urban Parks Enhance Your Brain, Part 2

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Homeowners Blame PG&E for Delays in ADU Permits
The utility says it has dramatically reduced its backlog, but applicants say they still face months-long delays for approvals for new electrical work.

Rethinking Wildfire Defense: How a Landscape Approach Can Protect Neighborhoods
Post-fire analysis of the Eaton Fire reveals that a landscape approach — including fire-resistant vegetation, home hardening, and strategic planning — can help reduce wildfire risk, challenging assumptions that trees and plants are primary fire hazards.

Scientists Studying Artificial Reefs as Flood Mitigation in Great Lakes
Artificial reefs could offer a ‘softer’ flood management and erosion solution that doesn’t disrupt the flow of sediment.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Borough of Carlisle
Caltrans
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland