nature-based interventions strongly increase relaxation
Exact: SMD = 2.85
Nature-based interventions produce a very large increase in relaxation
The most striking finding was for relaxation, which showed a very large standardized mean difference of 2.85 (95% CI: 1.86 to 3.84) in favour of nature-based interventions. While this exceptionally large effect warrants some caution regarding potential publication bias, it strongly aligns with theories of stress recovery and attention restoration in natural environments.
and relaxation (SMD = 2.85; 95% CI, 1.86 to 3.84)
Related findings
30%
minimum greenery share for a favourable streetscape impression
Most people have a favourable impression of the streetscape when more than 30% of the view consists of greenery
Alenka Fikfak et al., 2024, Urban Science
physiological and psychological responses measured during urban walks
Psychophysiological responses of 29 subjects were analyzed in relation to urban street scene configuration and color
Chiara Maninetti et al., 2026, Frontiers in Psychology
large pre-to-post increase in feeling connected to nature after virtual nature exposure
Virtual nature exposure significantly increased nature connectedness with a large effect size
Elena Brambilla et al., 2025, JMIR Serious Games
Read more in
Healthcare
Urban Singapore's green mandate, sixty years in
Mandatory greening raises developer costs before it differentiates assets, and the most cited showcase numbers come from the architects themselves.
Workplace Pricing biophilia: what the evidence is worth
Read at the primary sources, the business case for nature in buildings is narrower than advertised and strong enough to act on.
More from The Built Review
Healthcare Built to Wake: How Hospital Noise and Light Undermine Patient Sleep
Of the two environmental levers on inpatient sleep, noise control is the better proven and the cheaper, while tunable lighting for the general ward is the one the evidence does not yet support.
Workplace Germany's missing indoor-air bill
France, Britain and Australia have priced bad indoor air. Germany's missing number is a political choice, not a methodological limit.
Housing What insurers don't ask about buildings
Health insurers price age, tobacco and zip code. Building quality is in no model, and the law is only half the reason.