Built Environment News
Allies
Church Executive – March 01, 2008
Churches Encouraged to Connect Children with Nature
By Rachel Beach
The people who run the nation’s churches are being asked to “restore the connection between today’s children and nature” in the latest issue of Church Executive magazine. In addition to creating play environments on church grounds that incorporate more natural elements like trees and even wildlife, churches should consider restoring green play spaces within their communities as part of their ministries.
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Research & Studies | Health
The Austin Chronicle – June 11, 2010
Congress for New Urbanism Links Urban Design and Public Health
By Katherine Gregor
C&NN's Howard Frumkin and other presenters at the 18th national conference of the Congress for the New Urbanism cited data showing an association between development patterns, transportation patterns, and public health.
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Local | Access
Charlotte Observer – May 23, 2010
Reedy Creek Explorer Zone - Natural Play Setting Part of National Trend
By Karen Sullivan
New outdoor nature center in University City, N.C., gives kids an unusual place to play, reflects national trend for parks.
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International
Public Workshop – February 22, 2010
Berlin Children Build Their Own Three-Story Playground
By Alex Gilliam
There's a neighborhood in Berlin where children age six through sixteen build their own playground structures, including towers that rise three stories high. Even more impressive: parents technically aren’t allowed in the building area, and staff members only check on the kids intermittently.
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Research & Studies | Event
Natural Learning Initiative – February 16, 2010
Growing in Place Symposium Coming March 5
How can we plan and design a public realm where children find the physical and social stimulation necessary for healthy human development in consonance with the culture and ecology of the places where they live? That's the question participants will address in the Growing in Place Symposium to be held March 5 in Raleigh, North Carolina. [+]
Local
Big Think – December 30, 2009
New York Playground Designed to Combat Nature-Deficit Disorder
By Tobin Hack
The principal landscape architect of a new $3.8 million playground in New York City is being congratulated for consulting experts in cognitive development before deciding where to plant trees in the new state-of-the-art park. The experts noted that kids respond more creatively to natural environments than to excessively groomed ones, so the architect responded with a more complex layout to foster imaginative play.
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Research & Studies
Washington Post – November 17, 2009
Benefits of “Park Prescriptions” Noted in Washington Post
By Daphne Miller
Support within the medical community is growing for the the use of nature experiences as a healing aid. Physician Daphne Miller, writing in the Washington Post, notes that doctors around the country are medicating their patients with nature in order to prevent (or treat) health problems ranging from heart disease to attention deficit disorder.
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As part of our ongoing efforts to build the movement, the Children & Nature Network has published two new resources for leaders, organizers, and participants at the local, national, and international levels:
