To make a park better, growing evidence suggests that daily exposure to nature boosts our health, productivity and creativity.
Children in particular benefit greatly from regular intervals of time spent in natural environments.
These positive results underscore the importance of urban parks, oases within the built environment where humans can get out into nature and reap its benefits.
Within Montgomery County, there has been a push to ensure new developments offer the benefits of gracious public spaces where nature can continue to enrich our daily lives.
Leading the movement to enhance exposure to nature within urban environments is New York City, one of the densest places in the nation.
On the west side of Manhattan, the elevated, linear park called the High Line achieves this goal through creative reuse of industrial infrastructure.
This 1.45-mile greenway, built on an abandoned railroad spur, also offers many lessons for any community building urban parks.