Living near green space makes you 2.5 years younger, study shows

Being close to parks can help slow biological ageing, researchers say, adding that the findings have significant implications for urban planning

The newly reported benefits are in addition to known health improvements thanks to factors like increased physical activity and social interactions

2-MIN READ2-MIN

Exposure to green spaces has previously been linked with better cardiovascular health and lower rates of mortality. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 6:47am, 29 Jun 2023

City parks and green spaces help counter heat, boost biodiversity, and instil a sense of calm in the urban jungle.

They also help slow biological ageing, with people who have access to green spaces found to be on average 2.5 years biologically younger than those who do not, according to a new study published on Wednesday in Science Advances.

“Living near more greenness can help you be younger than your actual age,” said Kyeezu Kim, the study’s lead author and a postdoctoral scholar at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

“We believe our findings have significant implications for urban planning in terms of expanding green infrastructure to promote public health and reduce health disparities.”

Researchers found that people whose homes were surrounded by 30 per cent green cover within a 5km radius were on average 2.5 years younger biologically compared to those whose homes were surrounded by 20 per cent green cover. Photo: Shutterstock

Exposure to green spaces has previously been linked with better cardiovascular health and lower rates of mortality.