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Nature as a Solution

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Biophilic Cities for an Urban Century

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Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the different ways that nature benefits people, sometimes called ecosystem services. We list the ecosystem services that are key in urban contexts, describing the servicesheds they operate within. We then focus on the evidence that nature exposure benefits health specifically, discussing a few key ecosystem services that are related to mental and physical health. We present the major theories for why exposure to nature reduces stress and provides mental health benefits. Finally, we present a brief history of natural infrastructure in cities and then compare the current amount of natural infrastructure with the amount research says would be ideal in the future.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Arlington, VA, USA

    Robert McDonald

  2. Charlottesville, VA, USA

    Timothy Beatley

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  1. Robert McDonald
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  2. Timothy Beatley
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Correspondence to Robert McDonald .

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McDonald, R., Beatley, T. (2021). Nature as a Solution. In: Biophilic Cities for an Urban Century. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51665-9_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51665-9_4

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Pivot, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-51664-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-51665-9

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

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