Study: Not All Green Spaces Are Created Equal

Tree canopies deliver the most benefits to health and social outcomes to neighborhoods.

1 minute read

August 1, 2019, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


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Tom Jacobs shares the results of a new study out of Australia and published in the journal JAMA Network Open.

While abundant green space has been repeatedly connected to all sorts of positive health and social impacts, the new study finds one kind of greenery the most beneficial of all: leafy green trees.

After describing the methodology of the study, Jacobs describes this key finding of the research: "The researchers report that living in areas where 30 percent or more of the outdoor space is dominated by tree canopy was associated with 31 percent lower odds of psychological distress, compared to people living in areas with 0 to 9 percent tree canopy."

Friday, July 26, 2019 in Pacific Standard

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