Study
Human FactorsHigh ImpactStrong effect

Urban green spaces with grass offer superior stress reduction compared to tree-filled or barren environments.

Exposure to a virtual reality environment featuring grass significantly enhanced positive affect and reduced physiological stress markers more effectively than environments with trees or concrete alone.

Landscape and Urban Planning · 2019

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Key Findings

  • 01The grassy environment led to the greatest increase in positive affect.
  • 02Both grassy and tree environments showed significantly lower skin conductance levels than the concrete-only environment.
02

Application

Design takeaway

When designing urban spaces intended for relaxation and stress relief, consider incorporating significant areas of grass for optimal psychological and physiological benefits.

How to apply

When designing parks, plazas, or even indoor biophilic spaces, consider the proportion and type of vegetation, with a focus on grassy areas for stress reduction.

Project actions

  • 01When designing a space for relaxation, think about what kind of natural elements to include.
  • 02Consider how different natural elements might affect people's feelings and stress levels.
03

Method & Evidence

AimTo investigate the differential restorative potential of grassy, tree-filled, and barren urban virtual reality environments on stress reduction.
MethodRandomised controlled experiment
ProcedureParticipants were subjected to a stress-inducing task, then immersed in one of three virtual reality environments (grass courtyard, tree courtyard, or concrete courtyard) for 10 minutes. Skin conductance levels and self-reported affect were measured before and after the VR immersion.
Sample89 participants
ContextUrban virtual reality environments

Variables

IVType of virtual reality environment (grass, trees, concrete)
DVSkin conductance levels, positive and negative affect scores
CVDuration of VR immersion, stress induction method, math test difficulty, noise level
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Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

  • +Randomised controlled design ensures a fair comparison between environments.
  • +Use of physiological measures (SCLs) alongside self-report provides a more comprehensive understanding of stress.

Limitations

Virtual reality might not be as effective as real nature. The study only looked at short-term stress reduction.

Reliability & validity

The use of a randomised controlled trial and objective physiological measures (SCLs) enhances the study's reliability and internal validity. However, the reliance on VR might limit external validity.

Think critically

How might the findings change if participants were immersed in these environments for longer durations, or if the VR experience was replaced with actual physical spaces?

05

Design Principles

"The presence and type of natural elements in an environment directly influence human stress levels and emotional states."

This research highlights the nuanced impact of different natural elements within urban design. Understanding which specific natural features, like grass, are most effective for stress mitigation can inform the design of public spaces, therapeutic environments, and even workspaces to optimize user well-being and cognitive function.

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What This Means for Your Design

Going to a park with lots of grass might make you feel happier and less stressed than a park with only trees or just concrete.

How to use in your project

  • 1.Use this research to justify the inclusion of specific natural elements in your design, explaining how they will reduce stress for users.
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Add to My Project

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Quick Cite

(2019). Trees, grass, or concrete? The effects of different types of environments on stress reduction. Landscape and Urban Planning. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.103654 Retrieved from https://designdex.org/study/b8fc5f51-b67f-46a0-a39d-f549c968126c/urban-green-spaces-with-grass-offer-superior-stress-reduction-compared-to-tree-filled-or-barren-environments

Paragraph starter

Research indicates that urban green spaces, particularly those featuring grass, can significantly contribute to stress reduction and enhance positive affect. A study by Huang et al. (2019) found that exposure to a virtual reality environment with grass yielded greater improvements in positive affect and reduced physiological stress markers compared to environments with trees or concrete alone, suggesting that specific natural elements have differential restorative potentials.

09

Source

Landscape and Urban Planning

Trees, grass, or concrete? The effects of different types of environments on stress reduction

journal · 2019

View source

Questions about this research

What does the research say about urban green spaces with grass offer superior stress reduction compared to tree-filled or barren environments?
When designing urban spaces intended for relaxation and stress relief, consider incorporating significant areas of grass for optimal psychological and physiological benefits. Evidence: Landscape and Urban Planning (2019).
Why does "Urban green spaces with grass offer superior stress reduction compared to tree-filled or barren environments." matter for design?
This research highlights the nuanced impact of different natural elements within urban design. Understanding which specific natural features, like grass, are most effective for stress mitigation can inform the design of public spaces, therapeutic environments, and even workspaces to optimize user well-being and cognitive function.
How can designers apply this research?
When designing urban spaces intended for relaxation and stress relief, consider incorporating significant areas of grass for optimal psychological and physiological benefits.
What were the main findings?
The grassy environment led to the greatest increase in positive affect.. Both grassy and tree environments showed significantly lower skin conductance levels than the concrete-only environment.
What research method was used?
Randomised controlled experiment with 89 participants.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2019 journal from Landscape and Urban Planning.
What should I do differently in my next project?
When designing parks, plazas, or even indoor biophilic spaces, consider the proportion and type of vegetation, with a focus on grassy areas for stress reduction.
What are the limitations?
The study used virtual reality, which may not fully replicate the sensory experience of real-world environments. The duration of exposure was limited to 10 minutes.
Is there evidence that grass affects design outcomes?
A virtual urban courtyard with grass was most effective at improving mood, while both grass and tree courtyards helped lower physiological stress compared to a concrete-only space. This research highlights the nuanced impact of different natural elements within urban design. Understanding which specific natural feature Source: Landscape and Urban Planning (2019).
Where does this stress research apply?
Urban virtual reality environments It sits within human factors research on designdex.org.

Related research topics

grass design research · evidence on grass · does grass improve design outcomes · stress studies for designers · grass and stress findings · human factors research evidence