Just as we chose to go to the moonWe know it’s never too soonTo choose hope.

Concepts such as sense of place and place attachment involve the aesthetic, social, physical,spiritual, and psychological qualities of a location that influence one’s feelings of attachment andbelonging [117]. These intangible aspects of a physical space or place can be facilitated through contactwith nature [117,118]. Green infrastructure is linked with aspects of community health such as sense ofplace, community identity, and social capital [23,118,119]. For example, a study of two Marylandneighborhoods found that natural features and open space played a key role in community identity, senseof place, and place attachment [120]. Since physical activity can help to reduce symptoms ofdepression [121], exercising in green spaces can also enhance psychological well-being. Residents ofwalkable neighborhoods are more likely to know their neighbors and be socially engaged in theircommunity, compared to their counterparts in car-oriented suburbs [122].

Studies in Europe have also linked green infrastructure to lower stress, positive emotions [102–104],increased attention capacity, and cognitive capacity [23,105]. For instance, research out of the UKobserved that greater exposure to green space had an inverse relationship to the level of stress responses(salivary cortisol) for the unemployed [106]. Studies across the U.S show similar results related to copingwith stress [12,49,106,107], improving resilience [108–111], enhancing self-discipline [112], and

Heat-related illnesses were linked with an estimated $5 billion in U.S. health costsbetween 2000 and 2009 [78].Furthermore, heat stress can prompt physiological responses that cause thebody to become more vulnerable to illness [79]

Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death in the United States. They are influenced byfactors such as genetics, diet, eating habits, and physical activity. A 2013 report from the American HeartAssociation estimates that nearly 44% of the U.S. population (122 million people), will have some typeof cardiovascular disease by 2030

Also, studies suggest thatcommunities with limited park access may also have few healthy food options, which is a correlate ofobesity [67,68].Thus, the efficacy of green spaces in reducing obesity rates should be linked to factorsin the larger social milieu, such as access to healthy foods and outdoor recreation programs, which inconcert can promote greater health and well-being.

Physical inactivity contributes to 3.2 million annual deaths worldwide andincreases the risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease [51]

Important to the present discussion is that theecosystem services of green spaces can be irregularly distributed across urban spaces due to powerdifferentials between socially marginal groups and middle/upper income whites [30].

esearch suggests that greenspaces (e.g., parks, forests, green ways, and gardens) can alleviate some health concerns and promoteenvironmentally sustainable cities [2]. Green spaces may play a key role in the development ofenvironmental health disparities across socio-demographic groups

his paper discusses the link between green spaces and some of the nation’sleading health issues such as obesity, cardiovascular health, heat-related illness, andpsychological health. These associations are discussed in terms of key demographicvariables—race, ethnicity, and income

Abstract: Health disparities occur when adverse health conditions are unequal acrosspopulations due in part to gaps in wealth

Allowances....● The three lowest scores will be excluded from your classroom preparation quizzes (Bundle 1).● The two lowest scores will be excluded from your classroom participation activities (Bundle 2).● You have the opportunity to revise and resubmit one question from Mini-project 1 within oneweek after your initial submission is returned to you (Bundle 4).6

Take home mini-projects are ‘Open World’, which means you may consult almost any resource,animate or inanimate, EXCEPT for any other participant in this class, either directly or indirectly.

GradingThis Course uses Standard NCSU Letter Grading.I may lower these cutoffs, but I will never raise them.

You can expect eachclassroom preparation assignment to take about 2-3 hours.

This is a “flipped” course: students will complete a preparatory reading and quiz each week beforecoming to class on Tuesday.