Study Finds Turning Blighted Areas Into Green Space Can Help Reduce Stress
By Marcy Norton
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Those ugly vacant lots in the city are more than just eyesores, they may be bad for your health.
A study by researchers at Penn Medicine found turning them into green space can help reduce physical stress.
Researchers at Penn's Perelman School of Medicine measured the heart rates of people walking by blighted areas. Later, the horticultural society planted grass and trees, and researchers re-tested heart rates of passersby after a few months.
Dr. Eugenia South says the response was notable.
"There was a significant drop in heart rate when people were walking past the greened vacant lots compared to the blighted vacant lots."
Though Dr. South says more research is needed, the results build on earlier findings, that people feel safer living near greened areas.
"There may be a relationship between the physical environment and the stress level that people are feeling and this has long term health implications."