Forum Index > Full Moon Saloon > If You Live Near A Park, You're More Likely To Be Happy
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hiker1
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hiker1
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PostSun Apr 27, 2014 2:57 pm 
If You Live Near A Park, You're More Likely To Be Happy
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If you want to be happy, living near a park could be a good idea. More and more research shows a relationship between green space and higher levels of mental health. The latest comes from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Researchers looked at 2009 survey data that asked 2,500 residents about depression, anxiety, and stress. They next analyzed 229 neighborhoods for vegetation cover. Those places with more trees tended to be happier, and the association was "significant and sizable," according to a paper discussing the results. In fact, the relationship of happiness to trees was similar to well-known correlations, like unemployment. "The most interesting thing is that decreased symptoms attributed to green space were similar to decreases observed for other important determinants of mental health, including insurance status and income," wrote Kirsten Beyer, an assistant professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin, in an email. The paper shows the difference in well-being levels between areas with zero tree canopy cover and 100% canopy cover was greater than the well-being difference between someone having and not having health insurance. The research, which is published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, could provide further reasons to invest in green space, the authors write. "Our work indicates that 'greening' could be considered a potentially low-cost, high-return investment among urban and regional planners to positively influence population mental health," they say. In other words, don't just invest in parks because they look nice and offer exercise for joggers. Do it to make people feel better, too.

falling leaves / hide the path / so quietly ~John Bailey, "Autumn," a haiku year, 2001, as posted on oldgreypoet.com
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wolffie
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PostThu May 01, 2014 9:39 am 
They lidded the reservoir in Maple Leaf (north Seattle) and made a grassy park from which you can see the Cascades, Olympics, Rainier, downtown, Space Noodle... and Chimney Rock. They've put tickytacky townhouses and McMansions on all the rest of the open space in the neighborhood. They tear down lovely single family houses to do so. They build on lots too small for a doghouse. [sigh] Seattle used to be a relatively nice place to live.

Some people have better things to do with their lives than walking the dog. Some don't.
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Riverside Laker
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PostThu May 01, 2014 11:30 am 
I grew up across the street from Laurelhurst Park in Portland. I think the hippies living in the park had the best attitude.

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treeswarper
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treeswarper
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PostThu May 01, 2014 11:40 am 
I have trees all around me. Don' need no stinkin' park cuz then I'd have to share it.

What's especially fun about sock puppets is that you can make each one unique and individual, so that they each have special characters. And they don't have to be human––animals and aliens are great possibilities
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Ingunn
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PostThu May 01, 2014 11:44 am 
up.gif up.gif My mental health improved considerably when I moved to a house with a backyard surrounded by trees (and access to a gravel trail two blocks away).

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DIYSteve
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DIYSteve
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PostThu May 01, 2014 11:56 am 
It's spring bird migration season, so I'm doing my daily morning birdwatching jog zigzagging the trails through Schmitz Preserve Park. It's an 8 minute jog from our house, and spending time there on a regular basis definitely improves my quality of life. I also try to jog the Longfellow Creek Legacy trail every week or so.

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n16ht5
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PostFri May 02, 2014 3:56 pm 
treeswarper wrote:
I have trees all around me. Don' need no stinkin' park cuz then I'd have to share it.
I love coming home to this view. I'd be stressed out living next to a park full of people

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tmatlack
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PostMon May 05, 2014 2:57 am 
Most cities are woefully short on Level of Service for parks, open space, and public access to places like lakes, greenbelts, etc. Developers throw in a few tot lots in the subdivision as part of the density upzone, and then deed those things to the cities to maintain. Seattle is contemplating a park district/bond for a backlog of maintenance. As usual, it will be the lower socio-economic populations who feel the park squeeze 1st; they can't afford their own "space." No more playgrounds, b-ball courts, swimming pools, beach access, etc. Tom

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Randito
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Randito
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PostMon May 05, 2014 9:33 am 
My dog is certainly happy with the squirrel infested park near my house in Seattle suburbs. My sons dog really likes Prospect Park a few blocks from his appartment in Brooklyn.

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Bryan K
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Bryan K
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PostMon May 05, 2014 2:48 pm 
Not only do I live near a park, but I live next door to a zoo too. I love hearing the monkeys, cranes and the occasional lion's roar :=)

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509
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509
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PostMon May 05, 2014 6:02 pm 
My home and vacation cabin are both next to "parks". It is lovely to wake up at 2:00 am to vehicles racing up and down the street. My fishing boat went missing from my driveway a month ago in the middle of the night. We deal with garbage thrown into our yard. The trailhead needs to be checked for "stuff" before the dogs can go off leash. The vacation home is usually not to bad, but hardly anybody knows about that "park". Am I a happy camper being next to a park?? I love parks, but like with anything if you don't take care of it....it gets trashed.

Retired Forester....rambling round www.usbackroads.blogspot.com
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sarbar
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sarbar
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PostTue May 06, 2014 10:52 pm 
We moved last week, to what my middle son calls "Momma's Dream Home". I now live with our property on the Green to Cedar River Trail. I can hear people going by, but we are fenced, and the trail sits low where it passes us. We also have a veil of blackberries between the trail and our fence. It is what I have longed for: in town, yet the feeling when I sit outside that I am out there. And the bonus is my blueberry plantation came with me lol.gif I couldn't live happily in a city, just too many people! And not enough space to be surrounded by trees and animals.

https://trailcooking.com/ Eat well on the trail.
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