A green space is land which is covered, at least partially, with vegetation such as grass and trees in an environment which is otherwise urbanized. They are often found in the form of parks, gardens, woods, meadows, etc. These spaces serve to incorporate a more natural environment into urban areas and are often used to enhance the aesthetic of their surrounding atmosphere. Designated green spaces are particularly important in areas which would otherwise be completely devoid of nature, such as large cities and other urban environments.
A popular place to find green spaces is on a college campus. Universities boast of their green spaces on their websites, as they are often a selling point to potential applicants. Indiana University has a section of their website labeled “Visit Campus”, where they mention several of the most popular green spaces on campus. This website is most often looked at by prospective students and their parents. The website describes how a student may find value in these areas with statements such as, “Enjoy a picnic on the bank of the Campus River” and “Experience a moment of Zen in the Commemorative Garden at the Indiana Memorial Union”. On their news page they link several articles which list Indiana University as being one of the most beautiful college campuses in the United States (Keck, 2017). This clearly shows that universities place a large amount of value on the green spaces within their campuses, and for good reason.
Several studies have been done on the relationship between the use of campus green spaces and student academic success and overall perception of life. The resounding conclusion is that students who take advantage of the natural areas on campus report a higher quality of life and increased academic success. A 2008 study which looked at student use of green spaces on campus found a statistically significant correlation between green space users and several different measures of quality of life. This study measured quality of life both in an affective domain as well as a cognitive domain (McFarland et al., 2008). The affective domain surveyed how students felt about their educational quality of life in terms of experiences, while the cognitive domain surveyed how students felt about their education in terms of conceptual understanding of course material. Participants in this study were also asked about how they feel in regard to their life in general and were asked to directly rate their personal perceived quality of life. Students who used green spaces scored higher on the provided Likert scale in all positive categories as compared to students who did not take advantage of green spaces on campus.
Another study from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health sought to understand the relationship between students’ usage of green spaces and their overall health and well-being. The table below shows some of the results of this study.
Figure 1: Data Table (Holt, 2019)
This data shows a direct correlation between overall green user score and measure of well-being in all measured categories: feelings of happiness, low perceived stress, and high quality of life. The study found significant value in green spaces used restoratively to recuperate from daily stressors, evoking positive emotions, being an “identity-creating element” of the campus, and as a place for social gathering (Holt, 2019).
And so, it makes sense why colleges would boast of their campus’s beauty on websites viewed by potential applicants. Not only do these green spaces add to the aesthetic and beauty of the campus, but they also significantly ameliorate the lives of the students who use them. Applying what is already known about the impact of green spaces specifically to the Indiana University student population can provide important insight into the value that the IU campus holds for the students enrolled here. I chose to interview IU students about how they use green spaces and their perceived quality of life, health, and overall well-being to get a data set which specifically represents the IU student population.
It is important to note that not all green spaces are equivalent, and the differences between types of green spaces are significant. These types can often be categorized by the amount of human intervention: ranging from largely undisturbed areas to more urbanized or manicured areas. A 2018 study defined different types of green spaces by their levels of biodiversity, including what they described as “anthropogenic surfaces (such as playgrounds, sports courts, buildings, and paths), tree cover, amenity grassland, scrub/shrubs, unmown grassland, rough grassland, and waterbodies” (Wood et al. 2018). This study found a correlation between the “restorative benefit” in terms of human health and the biodiversity level of the green space. This begs the question of whether manicured green spaces hold a significant value for college students, especially in comparison to areas such as Dunn’s Woods which are largely left undisturbed.
To collect significant and useful data on this, students were provided with a list of the green spaces on the IU campus and were asked to choose their favorite. Prior to surveying I categorized each area into a particular type of green space based on their level of human-disturbance to see which category students would find the most value in. I decided to use a Likert scale for my data collection, as many other studies mentioned above had as well, as it allows for a greater range of responses while still providing easily comparable data. Likert scales are useful tools to measure participants’ agreement with a particular statement, frequency of actions, or ranking in importance (McLeod, 2019). They are used often in surveys such as the one I created because they allow participants to express a range of opinions.
Included below are some images I have taken of the green spaces available to students on the Indiana University Bloomington campus. These showcase just a few of the areas at Indiana University which incorporate nature into the campus. Both images were taken on a walkway which passes through the pictured green space.
Figure 2: Bridge crossing the Campus River
Figure 3: Conrad Prebys Amphitheater
As stated above, green spaces on college campus have been proven to be hugely beneficial for the health and well-being of the students who inhabit them. Indiana University is well-known for having a campus with many natural areas, which is often seen as one of its major attributes for prospective students. The Indiana University Bloomington campus stretches across just under 2000 acres of land (“Indiana University – Bloomington”, 2020). As shown in Figure 7 below, much of that acreage is filled with some sort of vegetation, whether that be grass-lined paved walkways, large expanses of open area, bodies of water like the Campus River, or carefully placed picturesque flowerbeds throughout the campus.
Figure 4: Flowerbeds surrounding the IMU
Figure 5: Flowers surrounding the Sample Gates: common photo background
There are very few areas which are completely void of vegetation. Because of this, students have access to green space almost everywhere on campus. The university takes great pride in the appearance of the campus, but the question remains whether or not students are actually significantly benefiting from these green spaces throughout.
Figure 6: Indiana University Bloomington campus map
In an attempt to answer this question, I sent out a survey to around 70 individuals who currently attend Indiana University, specifically on the Bloomington campus. This survey asked several questions, including those about demographics (year in school, whether the individual lives on campus, etc.) as well as their personal relationship with green spaces on campus. This relationship was explored by asking questions such as how the surveyed individuals personally utilize green spaces most, which green spaces are their favorite and why, as well as their perceived value of green spaces specifically as an environment for studying. I also asked participants to note their level of school-related stress on average throughout the year as well as their overall perceived quality of life.
From this survey I noted several trends in answers. Of the individuals who responded to the survey, a large portion of respondents were upperclassmen, and the majority (65.7%) did not live on the IUB campus. When presented with a Likert scale from 1-5 (no stress to extremely stressed) to rate their perceived level of school-related stress throughout the year, all but two participants rated their stress level as a 3 or higher. In correlation, the vast majority of participants rated their utilization of green spaces as a 3 or below on the provided Likert scale, with 1 being “never” and 5 being “daily”. However, despite most individuals only utilizing green spaces on occasion, the majority of participants did note finding significant value in studying outdoors while surrounded by nature.
The survey also asked participants how large of a role the appearance of the campus played in their decision to attend Indiana University Bloomington. Although many participants did not make frequent use of the green spaces, as stated above, 29.9% of participants noted the appearance of the campus playing a large role or being a major factor in their decision. On the scale of 1-5 (no importance to major consideration), 76.2% rated the appearance of the campus as being a 3 or higher in level of importance for their decision to attend IUB. This explains why IU uses the appearance of the campus as a major selling point to prospective students, by making it a prominent feature on their website.
There are different types of green spaces accessible to students on the Indiana University Bloomington campus. Some areas are manicured by the university, such as the arboretum, Prebys Amphitheater, and the Indiana Memorial Union Garden. These spaces contain nature but are kept neat and picturesque or are surrounded by man-made structures like patios, buildings, or stages. On the other end of the spectrum, the campus also has spaces such as Dunn’s Woods and the Jordan River that are largely undisturbed (with the exception of walkways throughout). The campus has a middle ground as well, green space which is moderately manicured but in a way which still maintains some semblance of the natural environment, such as Dunn Meadow.
Figure 7: Indiana Memorial Union as seen from Dunn Meadow
When asked to choose a favorite type of green space from the 3 types described above (highly manicured, moderately manicured, and largely undisturbed), 46.3% of participants chose largely undisturbed areas, with Dunn’s Woods being noted most often as a personal favorite. Participants were given the option to provide a reason for their choice, which 53 of 68 participants chose to do. Many described their preferred area as being “relaxing” or “making them happy”, as one participant stated: “walking through Dunn Meadow and just seeing all the nature is very pretty, it helps one relax when seeing it”. Many other responses contained positive phraseology as well, using words such as: beautiful, calming, serene, untouched, and secluded to describe the chosen green space. One participant wrote that their preferred green space is: “peaceful and provides a break from the campus atmosphere”. Another participant simply wrote: “squirrels”.
Figure 8: Survey results distribution
These overall results are consistent with data from several other similar studies. A significant correlation between a higher level of biodiversity, which would be expected from the undisturbed areas, and restorative benefits has been found in previous research (Wood, 2018). This finding supports the data collected, as many students reported finding more value in areas which would be expected to have a higher level of biodiversity, such as Dunn’s Woods (Wood et al. 2018). This is evidenced by the large number of participants who chose their favorite green space because of the animals and wildlife which inhabit the area. Other studies have also found similar effects as those stated by our participants, such as green spaces promoting calmness as well as evoking positive emotions such as happiness (Foellmer, 2021). Overwhelmingly, it has been found that interaction with green spaces improves the mental health and well-being of students (Holt 2019).
This research should be of importance to the university, as green spaces impact the health of students significantly. My findings show that many students aren’t getting much use out of the green spaces, which may be something the university should aim to correct. As shown in Figure 9, although 76.1% of participants found value in studying outdoors (rating 3 or above on the Likert scale), only 23.9% of participants noted studying as a major use of green space on campus (Figure 10).
Figure 9: Perceived value in green spaces for studying
Figure 10: Student use of green space by category
It should be noted that the data collected so far does have limitations, as not many students reported getting a substantial amount of use out of green spaces. The sample size is fairly small, so in order to see a full correlation, more students should be polled. That being said, significant trends are seen even with a smaller polling group.
A potential way to get students to use green spaces more often may be setting up more tables throughout areas like the arboretum or Dunn Meadow, as it would make it easier for students to study in those locations. Students tend to use areas which are more apt for studying, such as the rooftop on Goodbody at Memorial Hall. By adding picnic tables to these more undisturbed areas, students would have a more comfortable studying environment without having to disrupt the natural environment too greatly. Since so many students utilize green spaces on campus primarily for leisure, the campus could also work to make these spaces even more available and easily used by students. An example of how this could be implemented could be a hammock-rental service available to students. During the warmer months students can be seen with hammocks all around campus, but many are unable or unwilling to spend the money to purchase their own. If the university provided the supplies for rental, more students would have access to this specific use of green space.
Additionally, the university could oversee the formation of some type of club which would encourage students to spend time outdoors on campus. There are clubs which encourage outdoor activities, but one created with the specific purpose of urging students to get the most out of the many green spaces IU has to offer could be beneficial. My survey results, specifically the data showing that relatively few students are using green spaces regularly despite a majority of students reporting that they find significant value in green spaces, leads me to believe that students would make better use of these spaces if they were given a push in the right direction.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the university has made strides towards encouraging students to spend more time outdoors. Although this isn’t directly in an attempt to get students to utilize green spaces more often, but rather as a safety precaution to encourage social distancing, students do seem to have been spending more time outdoors than in previous semesters. An early example of this was seen in the beginning of the Fall 2020 semester when the university set up several tented dining/social gathering areas to give students safe places to get-together while mitigating the spread of the virus (Johannesen, 2020). Although these areas were set up as a response to the pandemic, the university could continue to offer similar outdoor areas in future semesters.
The university made a good call in setting up these areas, as spending more time outdoors has been shown to improve individuals’ well-being throughout the pandemic. This makes sense considering the benefits of spending time in nature as discussed in the previously mentioned studies, such as decreased stress levels, increased feelings of happiness, and improved overall quality of life. A study specifically focusing on time spent outdoors during the pandemic found that participation in outdoor activities correlated with improved “subjective well-being” (Jackson et al., 2021). This study in particular focused on adolescents, but did speak to the significance of continuing participation in outdoor activities as a way to cope with increasing stress levels throughout the lifespan. Another study found that individuals who increased their time spent outdoors throughout the pandemic reported lower stress levels and better mental health, as compared to individuals who decreased time spent outdoors as a result of the pandemic (Cindrich et al., 2021).
Although these studies don’t directly relate to green spaces on college campuses, they do support the idea of time spent outdoors surrounded by nature as being restorative and beneficial. The exact reason for this may vary, but could be explained by increased exercise, increased vitamin D, increased serotonin from sunlight exposure (Sansone, 2013), increased social interaction, increased exposure to micro-organisms, etc. (Twohig-Bennett, 2018). These factors don’t only affect mental health either, increased time spent outdoors has also been linked to several physical health benefits as well. Some of these include reduced blood pressure, reduced heartrate, improved pregnancy outcomes, decreased risk of stroke and type II diabetes, and more (Twohig-Bennett, 2018). In contrast, inadequate exposure to green spaces and natural environments is associated with attention deficits as well as poor working memory and “cognitive flexibility” (Schertz, 2019).
This project changed a bit throughout the semester due to some unforeseen challenges, but the data collected is, in my opinion, significant and useful nonetheless. That being said, there is a lot of opportunity for further research on this subject. Although I didn’t end up being able to poll students from another university such as Purdue, I think being able to compare two different types of campuses would be valuable to see how the overall presence of green space affects students. Indiana University has more natural areas on its campus than Purdue does, as Purdue is mostly paved and urbanized. Previous studies have found that individuals who live in less urbanized areas tend to have better perceived health than those who live in largely urbanized areas (Maas, 2006). Further research could also involve sending the poll out twice throughout the school year: once while the weather outside is nice and green spaces are still being actively used on campus, and another time later in the semester as the weather becomes colder and outdoor areas on campus become less-frequently used. This would allow for a direct comparison between green space use on student well-being within the same campus as well as how not being able to access green spaces affects students who otherwise find value in them. If I could do the project over again, I would add a question on the survey asking students why they do or do not utilize green spaces on campus regularly. Asking this could provide insight as to how the university can improve these areas or encourage students to use them more frequently. Finally, asking students to compare their usage of green spaces before and after the COVID-19 pandemic could be interesting as well, since the university did make more outdoor accommodations as a result of local mandates and social distancing regulations. It would be interesting to see whether students spent more time outdoors to escape being cooped up in their homes all day or whether students being sent off campus caused a decrease in time spent outdoors with classes being online.
If the survey results weren’t anonymous and contact with participants could be maintained, it would also be interesting to see if individuals who did not report high usage of green spaces would be positively affected by increasing their use of such spaces. Previous studies do support the hypothesis that they would see a positive change in stress-levels, overall quality of life, etc., but seeing the data specifically from IU students could be more meaningful. Additionally, since many students reported preferring largely undisturbed areas, but the majority of participants also did not report using green spaces regularly, it would be interesting to see if their preferences changed as they utilized these spaces more frequently. As previously mentioned, the largely undisturbed areas such as Dunn’s Woods and Jordan River do not have many designated spots for students to sit and study. If participants were using these spaces more often, I wonder if they would begin to prefer spaces which are more apt for studying.
Overall, the benefit of green spaces on human health and well-being is undeniable. In urbanized areas, such as college campuses, providing access to green space is hugely important for the health of the student population. These green spaces may come in all different shapes and sizes, with varying levels of biodiversity and human intervention, but all provide at least some benefit to those who take time to utilize them. That being said, just simply providing a population with green spaces doesn’t necessarily mean that they will be utilized. For universities like IU, which place great importance on the appearance of their campus, encouraging students to actually make use of the beautiful natural areas on campus is something that could still be improved. Although we have seen an overall increase in time spent outdoors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the results from the conducted survey show that most students are not spending a great deal of time outside while on campus.
That being said, although students may not be intentionally setting aside time to sit and study or relax outdoors, the fact that the entire campus is adorned with grassy areas, flowerbeds, a flowing river, and a huge number of trees means that students are reaping some benefits of exposure to nature simply walking from class to class. As one participant stated, “I have one class on one side of the woods and another on a different part, so its nice getting out of a tough chemistry class and emerging to the beautiful woods on a pretty day”. Being able to use the walk between classes as a time to relax and decompress is invaluable to the overstressed student population. We are lucky to be able to study on such a beautiful campus, and we would all benefit from taking a moment to sit outside and admire it from time to time.
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