ABSTRACT
Human appropriation of natural resources has led to an unprecedented biodiversity crisis that conservation efforts are not managing to contain. Since human activity is driving this crisis, the solutions to it will largely depend on our actions in the future. Urban development is possibly the greatest example of human-induced environmental degradation, leading to some of the highest species extinction rates while isolating the majority of the world population from nature. The extinction of experience is recognized as a major contemporary social and environmental issue. Numerous studies have demonstrated the wide range of health and well-being benefits associated with the exposure to or interaction with nature. City planners have long ago grasped the importance of these green spaces to improve the quality of life of city dwellers. Consequently, they integrated manicured nature in the form of parks and gardens in the urban fabric, designed to reflect aesthetic values and to provide recreation.
