Living in an urban area with green spaces has a better impact on mid to long-term mental wellbeing than winning the lottery, a study has suggested.

Researchers from the European Centre for Environment and Human Health (ECEHH) at the UK’s University of Exeter, found moving to a green space has a sustained positive effect for three years or longer.

In comparison, pay rises, promotions, or even lucrative lottery wins, only provided a 6-12 month boost to mental wellbeing before they returned to base levels.

The findings, which appear in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, suggest that access to good quality urban parks is beneficial to public health.

According to Dr William Bird, a GP and the CEO of Intelligent Health, it all comes down to human origins as outdoor hunter gatherers, a lifestyle our bodies are still in tune with.

“We’re not quite sure why, but constant stress seems to be offset by nature, which helps to recharge the biological batteries in our cells and stave off problems amplified by chronic stress, like obesity, smoking and drinking,” Dr Bird, who also helped set up the ECEHH, told Leisure Opportunities.

“The serenity, cleanliness, recreation opportunities and social interactions afforded by green space can all help us live longer by offsetting stress and anxiety – that’s why properties with pleasant views command higher price tags.”

Dr Bird cited a famous study by Kaplan and Kaplan on “Attentional Restoration Theory,” which found green spaces have a positive impact on concentration levels and health.

“Health authorities should make a contribution to green space preservation, as they benefit financially from the improvements to public health,” he added.

“Local authorities should also make green spaces a priority, as they are each totally unique and building on them will destroy the very fabric of communities.”

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