Browsing by Subject "nature"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    Back to Nature for Good: Using Biophilic Design and Attention Restoration Theory to Improve Well-Being and Focus in the Workplace
    (2012-05-30) Green, Judith
    E.O.Wilson's biophilia hypothesis contends that "humans are still powerfully responsive to nature's forms, processes, and patterns." Relying on the strength of this connection, interior spaces can be created to promote physical well-being through the use of design elements that represent nature or aspects of nature. Since even brief exposure to nature has been proven to be beneficial, biophilic design, then, becomes a powerful tool in designing spaces where people work, learn, recuperate and recreate. Attention restoration theory builds on the foundation provided by biophilic design and goes one step further, suggesting that exposure to nature allows rejuvenation of focused attention. Therefore, the workplace is an ideal location for utilizing design principles that incorporate elements of nature.
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    Effects of Nature-Based Learning on Elementary Students’ Sustained Attention: An Exploratory Study
    (2024-05) Schumacher, Moss
    Nature-based learning (NBL) is a growing approach to education, and is backed by decades of research showing that when people spend time outside, they experience benefits to their physical and mental health, relationships, academic performance, and beyond. As this style of education gains traction, it is important to explore the impact it has on students. The present study looked at the impact of NBL on the sustained attention of 16 fifth grade students by evaluating their sustained attention ability directly before and after a NBL lesson and an indoor control lesson. Results showed that after students experienced a NBL lesson, they responded significantly faster on a sustained attention measure, as compared to the pre-lesson results and the indoor control lesson results. Implications of this research and further research recommendations are provided.
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    Nature as Impression for Dao: A Theory of Spiritual Tourism Development in Da Nang - Vietnam
    (University of Minnesota Tourism Center, 2013) Tran-Tuan, Hung; Gartner, William C.; Schneider, Ingrid E.; Erkkila, Daniel L.; Lawrenz, Frances
    This research aims to generate a theory of spiritual tourism using data from a site in Việt-Nam, the city of Đà-Nẵng. Given that this form of tourism is young for Da-Nang, the issue is how the city should develop its spiritual tourism offering in a determinative and authentic way for the efficiency of its environment, socio-cultural, and economic sectors. Academically, spiritual tourism theory is wanting. Development and discussion of the grounded theory is based on cultural, heritage, and spiritual tourism.
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    Nature as Impression for Dao: A Theory of Spiritual Tourism Development in Da Nang Vietnam
    (University of Minnesota Tourism Center, 2015) Tran-Tuan, Hung
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    Urban greenspace access: leveraging a novel metric to examine greenspace inequities and maternal mental health within Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota
    (2024-12) Prissel, Christine
    Urban greenspaces—human-made or naturally occurring areas that predominantly feature vegetation—have spurred an increase in local, federal, and international interest in promoting and enhancing public and environmental health. Urban greenspaces offer a range of potential benefits, including urban heat island and flood mitigation, carbon storage and sequestration, reduced air and noise pollution, increased physical activity, enhanced social cohesion and cultural exchange, and improved psychological and physiological health. These potential benefits position greenspaces as a possible cost-effective and efficient solution to urban challenges related to inadequate physical activity, poor mental health and well-being, and environmental concerns. Despite the growing recognition of the potential health benefits conferred by greenspaces, significant knowledge gaps persist. Advancing scientific knowledge necessitates improved quantification of greenspace access, addressing the legacy of structural racism and greenspace inequities, and investigating the impact of greenspaces on maternal mental health. This dissertation addresses these gaps through three interrelated studies conducted in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. Manuscript 1 developed the novel Urban Greenspace Access Score (UGAS), a composite metric that measures greenspace access based on three constructs: 1. Surrounding vegetation, 2. Proximity to and quantity of public greenspaces, and 3. Proximity to and quantity of semipublic greenspaces. UGAS was compared to four commonly used greenspace measures. Derived at a 100-meter resolution, UGAS was used to map greenspace access across Minneapolis and St. Paul and identify disparities in greenspace access. Data sources included the 2020 Metro Collaborative Parks, 2020 Generalized Land Use, US Department of Agriculture 2021 National Agriculture Imagery Program, and the 2015 Twin Cities Metropolitan Area Urban Tree Canopy Assessment. Manuscript 2 examined historical racialized practices and contemporary greenspace access inequities in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Specifically, this study examined the association between the intensity of racial covenants, Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) neighborhood grades, neighborhood race-ethnicity composition, and contemporary greenspace access. Digitized racial covenant data were obtained from Mapping Prejudice, HOLC neighborhood grades were obtained from University of Richmond’s Digital Scholarship Lab, and 2020 US Census demographic data were obtained from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series. Manuscript 3 investigated the association between greenspace access and postpartum depression among mothers in Minneapolis who had a singleton live birth between 2019 and 2022 using electronic health records from M Health Fairview. Post hoc analyses explored the associations between greenspace access, gestational age and preterm birth, highlighting broader implications for maternal and child health. Overall, this dissertation highlights the critical role of urban greenspaces in advancing health equity. The results provide evidence of greenspace deserts in Minneapolis and St. Paul, the enduring association between historical racialized policies and contemporary greenspace inequities, and a potential protective association between greenspace access and postpartum depression. These findings underscore the need for collaborative efforts between communities and urban planners to co-design and implement initiatives that ensure equitable greenspace access, ultimately improving public health. Our actions regarding urban greenspaces will arguably have a significant influence on the future health and well-being of our communities.
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    The View from the Road: Tourist Routes and the Transformation of Scenic Vision in Western Norway
    (2012-05) Tvedten, Kristian
    This paper explores how Norway’s National Tourist Routes are emblematic of the ways in which scenic landscapes are appropriated and patterned on a historical model of visual distinction. By privileging scenic vision above other interactions, these travel routes profoundly shape our aesthetic responses to the landscape. The paper explores the many dimensions of the Norwegian landscape through readings of travel literature and visual art and the ways in which these cultural forms come have evolved and transformed scenic tourism in Western Norway.