Connection between urban green areas and visitors’ physical and mental well-being

Abstract

Frequent visits to urban green areas have been widely demonstrated to bring notable health benefits to city residents and helped them to maintain contact with nature. Empirical evidence strongly supports the positive influence of a green environment on the physical and mental health of the population. However, there is a lack of existing literature on the Western Balkan region, with no evidence of whether the impact of urban green spaces on health depends on the type and average amount of green space available. This paper examines the connection between the perceived benefits of urban green areas and the physical and mental well-being of visitors in two central municipalities of the city of Belgrade (Serbia). For this purpose the survey was conducted on two hundred residents of the municipalities of Vračar and Čukarica. The object of the survey was to explore whether residents who live in areas with more green spaces perceive better physical and mental health and spend more time outdoors. A t-test for independent samples showed that the respondents who value recreational activities like walking and common activities perceive more social benefits of a green space. The results indicate that urban green areas are recognised as suitable settings for running and jogging, but also refer to their potential for the alleviation of self-reported nervous problems and medication use, therefore supporting further research on this topic.