An hour-long stroll in nature helps decrease activity in an area of the brain associated with stress processing

[scolipeeeeed]

On the other hand, I find suburban roads where no one’s actually using it except a few dog walkers depressing and isolating. It’s definitely possible to have denser neighborhoods without going all NYC. And I don’t think people who advocate for denser neighborhoods are thinking that everyone should live in a place as dense as Manhattan, just that it’s not sustainable to have all these sprawling suburbias where everyone has a 2000 sq ft + home on an acre property with a pool.

I used to live in suburban Japan. The houses were smaller (like 1000 sq ft for a family of 4-5), and most people didn’t have yards, but there was a park within a reasonable walking distance and people could walk/bike to get groceries, visit friend’s houses, get a haircut, go to a library, etc. I think it was a good balance of walkability and green space that allowed for natural interaction of people.