The effect of urban greenspace on the surrounding community’s mental health. Did the long-term closure of East River Park effect the psychological well-being of its closest neighbors?

Abstract

There is much empirical evidence that supports a connection between Subjective Well-Being (SWB) and exposure to nature. There is further evidence that urban environments tend to cause stress and increase negative affect (NA) and decrease positive affect (PA) and that green spaces tend to increase PA and decrease NA, making the need for greenspace within urban environments all the more palpable. This study takes the case of East River Park’s (ERP) extended closure (for the purpose of increasing flood protection due to extreme weather) and compares local residents’ feelings about the park in its open condition and in its closed and under construction condition. This study found that, following the trend of other similar research, PA increased and NA decreased in the park’s open condition, and the opposite was true in the park’s closed/under construction condition. Direct questions about mental health revealed that 86% of polled residents thought that the closure effected the community’s mental health and of those, 85.4% believed that effect was negative. Finally, in qualitative analyses 96% of participants highlighted emotions related to PA when discussing their experience when the park was open and 90% of residents discussed emotions reflecting NA when the park was closed.