Neuroscience for Designing Green Spaces Contemplative Landscapes

Urban parks and gardens are where people go to reconnect with nature and destress. But do they all provide the same benefits or are some better than others? What specific attributes set some green spaces apart? Can we objectively measure their impact on mental health and well-being? If so, how do we use this evidence to guide the design of mentally healthy cities? The Contemplative Landscape Model unveils the path to answer these questions. Rooted in landscape architecture and neuroscience, this innovative concept is described for the first time in an extended format, offering a deep dive into contemplative design and the science behind it. In the face of the global mental health crisis, and increasing disconnection from nature, design strategies for creating healthier urban environments are what our cities so sorely need. This book delves into the neuroscience behind contemplative landscapes, their key spatial characteristics, and practical applications of the Contemplative Landscape Model through case studies from around the world. Landscape architects, urban planners, students, land managers, and anyone interested in unlocking the healing power of landscapes will find inspiration here.

Introduction PART 1: SCIENCE BEHIND THE CONTEMPLATIVE LANDSCAPES 1. Therapeutic Mechanisms of Urban Green Spaces 2. Brain Response to Contemplative Landscapes and Mental Health Implications 3. How to Benefit the Most from Contemplative Landscape Exposure? PART 2: CONTEMPLATIVE LANDSCAPE FEATURES 4. Character of Peace and Silence 5. Compatibility 6. Layers of the Landscape 7. Landform 8. Biodiversity 9. Color and Light 10. Archetypal Elements PART 3: EXISTING AND FUTURE APPROACHES 11. How to Design Contemplative Landscapes? Best Practices and Case Examples 12. How to Identify Contemplative Landscapes? CLM User’s Manual 13. A Vision of a Mentally Healthy City

Agnieszka Olszewska-Guizzo is a landscape architect and neuroscience researcher who conducted interdisciplinary research at the University of Porto, Portugal, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, USA, and the National University of Singapore. She is a co-founder and lead researcher at NeuroLandscape NGO and a fellow of the Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health.