How are vulnerable populations exposed to restorative nature in the City of Vancouver, Canada?

While studies have shown that exposure to nature can help reduce stress and promote mental wellbeing, some research has shown that some characteristics of nature provide more psychological support than others depending on one’s state of wellbeing. City planning and urban forestry strategy need to consider the qualitative attributes of urban nature in the landscape in order to better support the different needs of the residents.

This study focused on restorative nature: nature elements that help relieve stress and alleviate mental fatigue. A novel measurement, Local Restorative Nature (LRN) index was developed to allow for a quantitative comparison of restorative nature across a landscape using data from remote sensing imagery and municipality’s geographical information system (GIS). Using the City of Vancouver as a case study, we assessed the distribution of restorative nature and investigated how various populations in the city, particularly vulnerable groups, are exposed to restorative nature.