Does what goes on in your brain change according to your environment?
Panos Mavros, Jenny Roe, Peter Aspinall and Richard Coyne think so.
They fitted some people in Edinburgh with a new type of EEG recorder, and monitored their brain activity during a 25 minute walk through 3 different areas of the city: a shopping street, park land and a busy business area.
The various brain waves recorded (alpha, beta, delta and theta) demonstrated…
…evidence of lower frustration, engagement and arousal, and higher meditation when walking through the park, and higher engagement when moving out of it.
No, really!
So how about promoting urban green space to enhance mood, and to encourage people to move more or engage in peaceful, meditative activity?
Conclusion: Outdoor open spaces are good for our health and well-being.
But we knew that didn’t we?
Maybe now, after these scientifically acquired findings, even more attention will be paid to incorporating these open spaces in future urban development planning?