Fostering incidental experiences of nature through green infrastructure planning

TY - JOUR

T1 - Fostering incidental experiences of nature through green infrastructure planning

AU - Beery, Thomas H

AU - Raymond, Christopher M

AU - Kyttä, Marketta

AU - Olafsson, Anton Stahl

AU - Plieninger, Tobias

AU - Sandberg, Mattias

AU - Stenseke, Marie

AU - Tengö, Maria

AU - Jönsson, K. Ingemar

PY - 2017/11/1

Y1 - 2017/11/1

N2 - Concern for a diminished human experience of nature and subsequent decreased human well-being is addressed via a consideration of green infrastructure’s potential to facilitate unplanned or incidental nature experience. Incidental nature experience is conceptualized and illustrated in order to consider this seldom addressed aspect of human interaction with nature in green infrastructure planning. Special attention has been paid to the ability of incidental nature experience to redirect attention from a primary activity toward an unplanned focus (in this case, nature phenomena). The value of such experience for human well-being is considered. The role of green infrastructure to provide the opportunity for incidental nature experience may serve as a nudge or guide toward meaningful interaction. These ideas are explored using examples of green infrastructure design in two Nordic municipalities: Kristianstad, Sweden, and Copenhagen, Denmark. The outcome of the case study analysis coupled with the review of literature is a set of sample recommendations for how green infrastructure can be designed to support a range of incidental nature experiences with the potential to support human well-being.

AB - Concern for a diminished human experience of nature and subsequent decreased human well-being is addressed via a consideration of green infrastructure’s potential to facilitate unplanned or incidental nature experience. Incidental nature experience is conceptualized and illustrated in order to consider this seldom addressed aspect of human interaction with nature in green infrastructure planning. Special attention has been paid to the ability of incidental nature experience to redirect attention from a primary activity toward an unplanned focus (in this case, nature phenomena). The value of such experience for human well-being is considered. The role of green infrastructure to provide the opportunity for incidental nature experience may serve as a nudge or guide toward meaningful interaction. These ideas are explored using examples of green infrastructure design in two Nordic municipalities: Kristianstad, Sweden, and Copenhagen, Denmark. The outcome of the case study analysis coupled with the review of literature is a set of sample recommendations for how green infrastructure can be designed to support a range of incidental nature experiences with the potential to support human well-being.

KW - Journal Article

U2 - 10.1007/s13280-017-0920-z

DO - 10.1007/s13280-017-0920-z

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 28444643

SN - 0044-7447

VL - 46

SP - 717

EP - 730

JO - Ambio

JF - Ambio

IS - 7

ER -