A comprehensive study of 20,000 people published last June by the University of Exeter in southwest England found those who spend two hours a week in green spaces – local parks or other natural environments – are substantially more likely to report good health and psychological well-being than those who don’t.
Easy access to open space is a key part of the Irvine Master Plan, which provides 270 parks and thousands of acres of open space, making it a lot easier to get to that two hours in nature.
“It’s clear that Irvine is promoting health and well-being in the community,” says the Harvard- educated Dr. Sadiya Muqueeth of The Trust for Public Land, which ranks Irvine’s parks the best in California.