Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux made history in 1858 by winning a design competition meant to establish the first major, landscaped, public park in the United States. This 750 acre facility, located at the center of Manhattan Island, would go on to become the most famous and recognizable public park in the world… Central Park. Although it was conceived and built over 150 years ago, the open space and diverse greenery the park offers created a template used countless times since as a means of offering respite from the hustle and bustle of the cities that surround them. As a result, parks provide numerous health benefits for their visitors on both a physical & psychological level, in addition to helping the surrounding environment. These positive attributes can be applied to all open spaces, or green areas, throughout cities around the country, including those right here in Los Angeles, and underscore the importance of open space preservation everywhere.
Studies have shown that open space / green areas within urban environments have the following positive effects on those who visit them:
- Improved personal health by promoting visitors to partake in various physical activities, such as walking, biking, and jogging.
- Reduced stress levels and lower reports of clinical depression by offering visitors calm, serene areas that exist in contrast to the hectic pace of the city itself.
Furthermore, the physical environment directly benefits from these areas in the following ways:
- By providing a habitat for native flora and fauna to thrive, despite overwhelming human development.
- Help to reduce the “heat island effect” caused by buildings, roads, and other types of infrastructure.
- Help regulate local microclimates and water cycles, especially runoff.
The Coalition for Responsible Equitable Economic Development (CREED LA) proudly supports environmentally-responsible projects throughout Los Angeles that not only have a positive impact on the local community, but support LA’s working families as well. Creed LA fights to ensure that developers pay fair wages to all the hard working construction professionals throughout the industry while simultaneously providing them with quality health care, continued training, and trustworthy retirement plans. To learn more about how our non-profit organization supports those building a better, greener world for us all, contact CREED LA at (877) 810-7473.