Urban densification, access to green space, and well-being: Consequences of not owning private green space and crowded public green spaces

As cities grow and densify, it becomes less common for city dwellers to have a sizeable domestic garden, or a domestic garden at all. At the same time, the increasing population density means that (often also dwindling) public green spaces have to be shared with more fellow citizens. In this chapter, research on the potential consequences of these two trends on the health and well-being of city dwellers is discussed, with special attention paid to pathways involving recovery from stress. We then present the case study of domestic gardens, a type of green space that has received relatively little attention thus far in studies on the associations between green space and health. We also discuss the implications of crowding in public green spaces for health and well-being, a likely consequence of reduced amounts of green space per capita.