City dwellers with easy access to parks and green spaces say they have a better quality of life than those living without it, new research shows.
A study published in the journal Psychological Science has found people living in urban areas of the UK reported less mental distress and higher life satisfaction when they were living in greener areas.
The research was led by Dr Mathew White from the University of Exeter Medical School's European Centre for Environment and Human Health, in Truro, Cornwall.
Researchers found city dwellers such as those living in Exeter, Plymouth and Truro were happier with parkland, gardens or other green scenery nearby.
Dr White found individuals reported less mental distress and higher life satisfaction when they were living in greener areas.
"We've found that living in an urban area with relatively high levels of green space can have a significantly positive impact on wellbeing, roughly equal to a third of the impact of being married," Dr White said.
Researchers admitted they were "surprised" by the scale of the effects of living in a greener area in comparison to 'big-hitting' life events, such as marriage.
The findings indicated living near green spaces was associated with improvements in happiness equal to 33% of that gained from being married, and 10% of getting a job.
Dr White said: "These kinds of comparisons are important for policymakers when trying to decide how to invest scarce public resources, such as for park development or upkeep, and figuring out what 'bang' they'll get for their buck."
They examined data from a national survey following UK households over time – taking into account changes in participants' income, employment, marital status and housing type.
The study drew on 18 years of national survey data from over 10,000 participants to explore the self-reported psychological health of individuals over time and the relationship between urban green space, wellbeing and mental distress.
By using data gathered over time, researchers were able to rule out the possibility that people with higher levels of wellbeing simply move to greener areas.
Dr White added: "This research could be important for psychologists, public health officials and urban planners who are interested in learning about the effects that urbanisation and city planning can have on population health and wellbeing."
Despite its grey image, a study in 2006 found people living in Aberdeen were happier than other cities because they had access to large areas of green space. Another study in 2008 of more than 2,000 people at Texas State University in America found those who used campus green spaces more frequently rated their overall quality of life higher than those who used them less often.
The latest study, entitled Would You Be Happier Living in a Greener Urban Area? A fixed-effects analysis of panel data, is published in the Association for Pyschological Science's journal, the highest-ranked empirical journal in psychology.
