Mental health benefits of urban green space are shaped by green spaceattributes, visitor characteristics and the activities they undertake

Access to green spaces is limited in urban areas and has proven benefits for the mentalhealth and well-being of residents. However, there remains a paucity of evidence as to howthese benefits vary based on a) the attributes of visited sites, b) the characteristics of visitors,and c) the activities undertaken during each visit. To address these evidence gaps, weanalysed 10,749 responses to the Adults’ People and Nature Survey (PaNS) for England,a national survey which gathers information on the location and self-reported mental healthbenefit of a recent green space visit. Our results suggest that women benefit more than men,and benefit varied between age groups – with those aged 40–54 years experiencing thegreatest improvement. Larger green spaces and longer visits were associated with greaterwell-being. Our model also indicates significant positive relationships between reportedmental health benefit and frequency of visits, living with a long-term illness, and the follow-ing visit activities: watching wildlife, picnicking, running/cycling, and walking. Seasonality wasimportant, with spring visits more likely to result in strong benefit. We identified significantinteractions between age and gender, and between visit duration and site area, whichsupports the conceptual framework that well-being benefits of green space access arisefrom a web of interrelating factors. Our findings highlight the need for policymakers andplanners to ensure urban residents have access to many types of green area to meet theirdiverse use requirements and mental health needs KEY POLICY HIGHLIGHTS ● Policy that aims to promote well-being by the provision of green space in cities and townsshould consider the role of site design alongside improving accessibility. ● Interventions that support wildlife in urban green spaces (e.g. habitat creation) canincrease opportunities for users to experience the increased benefit associated with watch-ing wildlife. ● Designing green spaces with attributes that facilitate walking, running, cycling and picnick-ing/eating can boost mental health outcomes. ● A larger site, with a greater selection of attributes that meet the diverse needs andpreferences of visitors, is likely to provide greater well-being benefit to users compared to a smaller site