Urban oases – from the city to your living room

Lunch in the park, an after-work stroll along the lake, a Sunday hike through nearby woods. To hear birdsong, to enjoy the views of nature, to decompress. There, surrounded by natural beauty, we breathe in and fill up with energy. For many of us, the importance of green spaces in cities took on new importance through the COVID-19 pandemic. Green outdoor areas became places to escape after a long day, offering a bit of variety to balance the tediousness of working from home. Balconies, parks and courtyards were the only places left for meeting with others and socialising. The benefits of plants and green landscapes also proved alluring during this time. Numerous psychological studies have proven the positive effects of nature on the psyche. Green spaces mean regeneration for the mind and body.

Stress and the city

This is especially relevant as more and more of us take to cities. More than half of the world’s population now lives in urban areas. The United Nations forecasts that, by 2050, more than two thirds of us will live in urban areas. City dwellers, however, are at higher risk of psychological disorders. The research of Berlin-based psychiatrist and stress researcher Prof. Mazda Adli indicates that the likelihood of succumbing to depression is 1.5 times larger in cities. Anxiety disorders appear 1.2 times as frequently. A clear difference is seen in cases of schizophrenia: the risk for urban dwellers is twice as high as for those in rural areas. Adli attributes this to the higher stress levels to which urban dwellers are subjected. He calls this form of stress "social stress", describing it as the product of social density combined with social isolation. Too many people in close quarters, but nevertheless lonely. What do cities need to make them worth living in and keep their inhabitants from falling ill?

Urban green spaces for well-being

Open spaces and green areas play a decisive role in the shaping of a city and the quality of life it offers. Urban oases help people to dispel personal stress for physical and mental regeneration. However, these alone will not eliminate social stress. A healthy and vibrant city needs green spaces for leisure, but also meeting spaces that facilitate social interaction. Places for stimulation and interaction are just as important as those that offer relaxation and solitude. Public green spaces should invite people to go out and meet others. The events, meet-ups and various forms of social contact they encourage counteract the social isolation that many city dwellers experience. Sustainable and forward-thinking urban planning means allowing for uses across a variety of demographic groups as well as across generations. Parks for relaxation, playgrounds or recreation areas used by both young and old alike, urban gardens where city dwellers plant vegetables together. The cities of tomorrow are places where the health and well-being of their inhabitants are actively promoted by their urban structures and architecture.

For a better urban climate and more biodiversity

Green spaces have a significant impact on urban microclimates. Urban vegetation can reduce temperatures by providing shade, cooling through evaporation and absorbing the sun's rays so that building façades and their interiors stay cooler. Another important ecosystem service is that the vegetation in urban green spaces binds CO₂ whilst producing oxygen. In addition, plants filter dust and contaminants from the air, helping to improve air quality. An immense advantage in light of the high volume of traffic and airborne particulate pollution in cities. Green areas help to hold rainwater in times of heavy precipitation, acting as relieving buffers for urban sewage systems. And: the more green sites and vegetation present, the more sounds are dampened, thus reducing noise levels – and that's just as beneficial for human inhabitants as it is for the many bird and insect species thus able to reclaim their old habitats.

Vertical gardens

Cities are sporting more and more green roofs. Here, too, the marriage of plants and architecture provides both beauty and function. The plants on the roofs use the rainwater collected in the substrate to grow. The evaporation of this water cools the environment in summer. In winter, the roof vegetation acts as insulation. It also protects the roof structure from the elements and can even double its life expectancy. And that's practical.

Urban green roofs are practical in another way: they provide the inhabitants with a place to tend gardens. Small herb gardens on balconies are being supplemented by vegetable garden beds on urban rooftops with space for growing food. The roof of the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles exhibition centre currently holds a giant rooftop farm – even said to be the largest in the world. Large-scale projects like this are referred to as "vertical farming"; on a smaller scale, it's known as "urban gardening." Urban gardens are food sources and leisure spots in one. These new oases of tranquillity are increasingly becoming an important element of stress reduction. They foster neighbourly interaction and contribute to liveable residential communities.

Green homes

We not only feel the need for green oases in the city, but in our homes as well. In Switzerland, people spent more time in gardens last year than ever before: gardens are booming, independent of space and budget. An analysis by prontopro.ch, an online service portal, shows that the demand for gardening and plant care services has grown 27% since the first lockdown. People are spending money on their houses and gardens instead of on travel. Whilst the upturn in house plants comes as no surprise, plants in interior spaces are also known to improve air quality, increase well-being and help to reduce stress.

Whether in personal living spaces or out in city squares, we can't seem to get enough green. Ideally, we'll soon be enjoying it again together with others – lunches in the park, day trips in the country and backyard barbecues.

Switzerland’s loveliest urban oases