Campus Environment + Student Well-Being at the University of Wisconsin- Madison by Kyle James Mills

THE CAMPUS ENVIRONMENT + STUDENT WELL-BEING A UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN CASE STUDY AUTHOR: KYLE MILLS AND ARIANNA NETZKY SENIOR CAPSTONE Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Bachelor of Science in GEOGRAPHY Department of GEOGRAPHY College of LETTERS AND SCIENCES University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI December 19 , 2013

CONTENTS

OBJECTIVE

ABSTRACT

WHAT’S HEALTH?

MENTAL HEALTH

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

ENVIRONMENTS + HEALTH

HISTORICAL PRECEDENTS

THE POWER OF NATURE

THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

CASE STUDY: UW-MADISON

SITE INTRODUCTION

UNDERGRADUATE LIFE

METHOD

RESULTS

CONCLUSION

SOURCES

54 3

ABSTRACT This study supports claims about the links between humans and their environmental condition. The positive and negative effects of stress in everyday life, no matter how trivial or dramatic, influence everyone. Analyzing the dynamic mood states of undergraduates at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, startling trends emerged. The most urbanized corridor on the University of Wisconsin - Madison has up to a 10% negative effect on students well-being and is especially detrimental to members of the community in a compromised mental state. The campus should take steps to include more variation in dense urban corridors and embrace the pedestrian experience in these places to accommodate the majority of campus commuters and support their health and well-being.

WHAT'S HEALTH?

The World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Health is a resource for everyday life, not the object of living. It is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources as well as physical capabilities” (World Health Organization). However, in today’s society, “urban living characterized by crowding, traffic, overload of information, excessive stimulation, and lack of peace and quiet, is considered very stressful. Feelings of stress, anxiety, and worry have been shown to have negative impacts on both physical and psychological well- being of humans” (Han 2002, 210). The “physical and psychological ailments caused by the hassles and distress of everyday life, no matter how trivial or dramatic, influence all members of society” (Han 2002, 210). “Historically, the widespread diseases fought by society were primarily contagious infections and ill-health caused by confined quarters and general sanitary problems” (Grahn et al. 2003, 2). However, in the present day, Americans are experiencing illness and mortality from ailments that have not traditionally impacted society. Most of these dispersed diseases, including asthma, allergies, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, anxiety, and suicide, develop from poor mental health and lack of physical activity (Jackson 2002, 192). “Modern society is increasingly aware that humans and culture are components of the natural environment, and that human health is inextricably linked with environmental condition” (Jackson 2002, 191). In other words, the built and natural environments in which individuals or groups work and live directly affect their mental and physical health (Dannenberg et al. 2003, 1505).

MILLS + NETZKY

BS in GEOGRAPHY

SOCIETY MENTAL HEALTH

As revealed in medical records, stress and stress-related illnesses have increased dramatically among adults and children in Western societies (Grahn et al. 2003, 1). “During recent decades, people have more frequently reported illnesses caused by stress, and they often report experiencing lingering periods in which they cannot control their everyday life. To a greater extent than before, ill health problems are affecting professionals, who report long periods of sick leave” (Grahn et al. 2003, 1). “Stress can be defined as resulting from interactions between individuals and their environment that are perceived as straining or exceeding their adaptive capacities, and threatening their well- being” (Stigsdotter et al. 2011, 295). “Mental health is strongly affected by stress in many different ways, and if stress is sustained for an inappropriately long time without the possibility of restoration, reactions become dysfunctional with the risk of causing seriously harmful effects on all vital organs” (Stigsdotter et al., 295). In general, humans can manage reasonable amounts of stress and can also manage substantial stress for a limited period of time; however, there must be opportunities for recovery (Grahn et al. 2003, 2). “Sustained stress over a long period, often several years, in which time for recovery has been scarce or absent, may have severe harmful effects. Stress may be deleterious to, for instance, the cardiovascular system and central parts of the hormonal system, and depression due to exhaustion may occur” (Grahn et al. 2003, 2). In human beings and animals, the autonomic nervous system is that part of the nervous system that cannot be controlled by will and that regulates fundamental vital processes such as blood circulation and breathing:

“The autonomic nervous system can be said to adapt an organism’s internal environment to its external one. It co-operates constantly with the rest of the nervous system (the cerebrospinal nervous system) to allow information from the surrounding world to be adequately translated into internal autonomic reactions as well as into external behavioral reactions, such as movements and linguistic expressions. The emotional centers of the older part of the brain are directly linked to the autonomic nervous system. Feelings of stress, such as the feeling of being chased, harassed and of not being able to control a situation, have therefore a direct effect on pulse, blood pressure, intestinal functions, and so forth. Various bodily products, such as hormones that are secreted under stress, are broken down and dissipate more rapidly when one takes a walk. If one remains still, on the other hand, increasing amounts of stress hormones are accumulated, affecting the whole body negatively through deleterious effects on, e.g., digestion, blood pressure, pulse and breathing. These lingering stress hormones also make it harder to relax and sleep” (Grahn et al. 2003, 2-3).

“For individuals experiencing stress or anxiety, most unthreatening natural views may be more arousal reducing and tend to elicit more positively toned emotional reactions than the vast majority of urban scenes, and hence are more restorative in a psychophysiological sense” (Joye et al. 2011, 262). The enduring connection between nature and human’s senses, emotions, and cognitions simplifies to a matter of communication in nature-assisted rehabilitation (Thompson 2010, 193). “Many psychiatric diseases in particular are strongly associated with prolonged and incorrect stress reactions” the most frequent of which “are depression and fatigue syndromes” (Stigsdotter et al. 2011, 296). Depression affects all ages and can be relieved through “improved social connections…and exercise” (Wolf et al. 2010, 4). “71 percent of people found a reduction in depression after going on an outdoor walk versus a 45 percent reduction by those who went on an indoor walk” (Wolf et al. 2010, 4).

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

The current generation of youth “may be the first generation at risk of having a shorter lifespan than their parents” (McCurdy et al. 2010, 102) due to reduced levels of physical activity. So few people in the United States engage in regular exercise “that our sedentary lifestyles and related health problems are now characterized as epidemic, in both the popular media and academic literature” (Krenichyn 2005, 632). The surge “in sedentary indoor lifestyles has contributed to chronic conditions such as: “obesity, asthma, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and vitamin D deficiency” (McCurdy et al. 2010, 102). Quality of life in the United States today can be attributed to a number of factors – “lack of time and busy schedules…making it increasingly difficult to want to or be able to be active” (Krenichyn 2005, 632). “Regular physical activity has been shown to improve both physical and mental health” (Stigsdotter et al. 2011, 295). The US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) defined physical activity guidelines which state “regular physical activity helps build and maintain healthy

bones and muscles, reduces the risk of obesity and chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, reduces feelings of depression and anxiety, and promotes psychological well-being” (McCurdyet al. 2010, 107). In a report by the U.S. Surgeon General found engaging in regular physical activity yields health benefits: “Reduced risk of premature death; reduced risk of coronary heart disease, hypertension, colon cancer, and non-insulindependent diabetes; improved maintenance of muscle strength, joint structure, and joint function; reduced body weight and favorable redistribution of body fat; improved physical functioning if they suffer from poor health; and healthier cardiovascular, respiratory, and endocrine systems” (Gies 2006, 7). “Despite the well-known benefits of physical activity, only 25 percent of American adults engage in the recommended levels of physical activity, and 29 percent engage in no leisure-time physical activity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” (Gies 2006, 7). Currently, obesity “reduces US life expectancy by one-third to three-fourths of a year…[predicted to increase in the coming decades] by two to five years” (Gies 2006, 8). Another study found “approximately 300,000 premature deaths per year in the US were attributable to obesity and overweight” (Gies 2006, 8) and by the end of the decade, more people will die prematurely of obesity “than the number of people who die from

smoking” (Gies 2006, 8). Obesity and overweight were responsible for $117 billion in expenses in 2000 (Gies 2006, 8). “People who are obese suffer increased risk of high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, congestive heart failure, stroke, gallstones, osteoarthritis, some types of cancer (such as endometrial, breast, and prostate), complications of pregnancy, poor female reproductive health (such as menstrual irregularities, infertility, and irregular ovulation), and bladder control problems. They also suffer great risk of psychological disorders such as depression, eating disorders, distorted body image, and low self- esteem” (Gies 2006, 8). In 2003-4 the CDC reported “66.3 percent of U.S. adults aged 20 and older were obese or overweight”, a 10.3 percent increase over the 56 percent falling into these categories between 1988-94 (Gies 2006, 7). “Parental obesity more than doubles the risk of a child becoming an obese adult” (Gies 2006, 103). Unsurprisingly, “the percentage of children and adolescents who are overweight has quadrupled and trebled since the early 1970s; 18.8 percent of children aged 6-11 and 17.4 percent of adolescents aged 12-19 are now seriously overweight” (Gies 2006, 7). “For every additional hour spent outdoors, physical activity increased by 27 minutes a week and prevalence of overweight dropped 41% to 27%” (McCurdy et al. 2010, 108). A study of five multimodal trails in Nebraska found “the average cost per user in 2002 was $235, but resulted in medical cost savings of $622 per person from engaging in physical activity” (Younger et al. 2008, 518). 11

In the last 43 years, “children have lost roughly 12 hours a week of free time, including a 25% decrease in play and a 50% decrease in unstructured outdoor activities” (McCurdy et al. 2010, 103). The rise in electronic media has “decreased time for unstructured free play… [that] allows children to use their creativity and imaginations while building dexterity and physical strength” (McCurdy et al. 2010, 103). Naturedeficit disorder, coined by Richard Louv, suggests “children miss out… on growth opportunities when they are not allowed to explore the relative edges of society” (Gies 2006, 17) instead satisfied with alternative forms of entertainment. With the rise in electronic entertainment media, video game, and Internet use, “per capita visits to US national parks have decreased since 1987” (McCurdy et al. 2010, 103). In fact, “only 35% of high school students met currently recommended levels of physical activity in 2005” (McCurdy et al. 2010, 103). By “offering a natural environment with which children can interact at school may stimulate activity in greater numbers… [since] asphalt and turf grounds are only conducive to certain activities…which not all children may be interested in or able to play” (McCurdy et al. 2010, 108). Play helps develop“muscle strength and coordination, language, cognitive

thinking, and reasoning abilities” (Gies 2006, 17) in children while “running boosts the growth of new nerve cells…concentrated in a part of the brain called the hippocampus, which plays a role in memory formation, including spatial learning – locating objects in the environment – and the ability to consciously recall facts, episodes, and unique events” (Gies 2006, 17). “Children who lived within a kilometer of a park facility that contained playground equipment were almost 5 times more likely to be classified at a healthier weight than children without accessible playgrounds” (McCurdy et al. 1010, 108).Populations with high exposure to green space not only exhibit healthier regular physical activity levels, but also lower mortality rates (Mitchell et al. 2008, 1657). “The five year survival rate of senior citizens was shown to increase with more space for taking a stroll” outdoors near their residence (Thompson 2011, 194). People may be discouraged from outside activities, or even going outdoors at all due to “lack of access to quality natural environments… which can contribute to seasonal affective disorder (SAD), limit production of vitamin D through lack of sunlight, disrupt circadian rhythms and lead to insomnia” (Thompson 2011, 194).

HISTORICAL PRECEDENTS

HEALTH + ENVIRONMENTS

The environments in which humans live “can directly affect their mental health. Positive effects of different types of natural environments, such as green space, include improved social and cognitive functioning and decreased violence” (Dannenberg et al. 2003, 1505). People throughout history and across global cultures “have considered access to some form of “nature” as a fundamental human need and attractive, green and well-watered landscapes as an essential constituent of the ideal, healthy environment…supporting us at every level in our wellbeing” and is important to “landscape planning and design to provide therapeutic places for people” (Thompson 2011, 194). “Access to nature and attractive green spaces has been a recurring theme in descriptions of therapeutic environments associated with a healthy lifestyle” from the picturesque debates of the 18th Century, to the urban park movement of the 19th Century, and intocontemporary debate on the public health benefits of salutogenic environments in the context of modern urban lifestyles (Thompson 2011, 187). “Biblical and Koranic descriptions reiterate the theme: a garden containing four rivers of life and abundant vegetation” characterizing the “healthful nature of the garden” that “supports human

beings in every way” as an “ideal kind of landscape for living” (Thompson 2011, 188). Healing temples in ancient Greece were chosen with nature and aesthetic in mind, “generally associated with a natural protection of hills, with a clear spring of water, and a sacred grove of trees” (Thompson 2011, 188). Monastic traditions of mediaeval Europe included “meadows and gardens for the recreation of the sick”, recognizing the “restorative and preventative health benefits to be obtained from the gardens and the wider landscape for the healthy as well as the sick” (Thompson 2011, 189). “Access to the open air” advanced monks’ “internal devotion” and “intellectual development” (Thompson 2011, 189). Monastic and medieval traditions focused on “bodily engagement with the landscape” for restoration from physical and mental exertion, compared to the Greco-Roman’s emphasis on the “mental and spiritual benefits of the environment” (Thompson 2011, 189). The English Landscape Garden of the 20th Century focused on the dichotomy of the “awful, vast and overwhelming” character of sublime landscapes and the “amusing, varied and playful” character of the picturesque. The picturesque was said to “redeem the effects of the sublime by ‘loosening the iron bonds with which astonishment chains up” the brain’s faculties (Thompson 2011, 189). Following the aftermath of the first major cholera epidemic in England, the 1833 Select Committee on Public Walks “informed Parliament of the need for recreational spaces in urban areas” urging the enactment of new policies requiring “every town to establish a public walk or park to improve healthy conditions” (Thompson 2011, 191). Through the sale of surrounding plots, the local governments acquired a sufficient sum to purchase the land for the park, benefiting “notonly those wealthy enough to afford a plot with a view of the park but also the general public, to whom the park was open” (Thompson 2011, 191). The parks movement placed more emphasis on “the physical health and prevention of disease as the primary aim of access to parks and green space” contributing to “character formation and citizenship” of the urban

working class (Thompson 2011, 191). Olmstead and his contemporaries argue “the health benefits of parks… [brought together] earlier, 18th century ideas about mental relief… [as well as] the more pragmatic desire to counter disease and physical ill-health” (Thompson 2011, 192). He believed “overexposure to the artificial sights of the city would lead to ‘excessive nervous tension, over- anxiety, hasteful disposition, impatience and irritability’” (Thompson 2011, 192) torturing delicate urban dwellers, to whom parks are “most immediately beneficial” (Thompson 2011, 192). The contemporary debate on public health and the environment reveals “modern society is increasingly aware that humans and culture are components of the natural environment, and that human health is inextricably linked with environmental condition” (Jackson 2011, 191).

THE POWER OF NATURE

From a biopsychosocial perspective on health, restoration is defined as “the process of recovering physiological, psychological, and social resources that have become diminished in the efforts to meet the demands of everyday life” (Thompson 2011, 193). Instorative effects involve “deepening or strengthening the capabilities for meeting everyday demands” (Thompson 2011, 193), offering resilience against the negative effects of daily life. “Directed attention used in coping with complex patterns of daily life, including work, is a highly limited resource [and people] recover best in environments where this system can rest” (Thompson 2011, 193) and they can use an alternate type of attention – involuntary attention or fascination - which “the natural environment is particularly well-suited to supporting” (Thompson 2011, 193). Humans now face a health crisis “of alarming proportions as physical activity, obesity, and mental illness increase;” (Thompson 2011, 193) the landscape and environment may enhance health and prevent illness “at a fraction of the cost of post hoc medical intervention” (Thompson 2011, 193). “The struggle to pay attention in cluttered and confusing environments turns out to be central to what is experienced as mental fatigue” (Thompson 2011, 192). The natural environment has a special relationship to the four factors of restoration: “being away, extent (of conceptual exploration), fascination, and compatibility (with the need or desire of the moment)” (Thompson 2011, 193) noting that people suffering from mental fatigue “performed better on tasks afterward” (Thompson 2011, 193) confirming prior suspicions about the 18th century ideas about the landscape providing mental curiosity and 19th century beliefs about “access to parks [improving] the productivity of workers” (Thompson 2011, 193).

[including] parks and open spaces, street trees, backyards, fields, forests, pastures, cereal crops, and even golf courses” (Han 2003, 211) and “the soft fascination of natural environments… [provides] an aesthetic experience that invites attention but leaves room for reflection” (Thompson 2011, 193).

Wilson’s Biophilia hypothesis asserts that “people’s desire for contact with nature… [is] based on genetic fitness and competitive advantage: the natural environment is a resource vital to human well-being, physical and mental” (Thompson 2011, 193). The theory of habitat selection suggests “organisms gravitate toward environments in which they are likely to flourish” (Gies 2006, 16) which aligns with Wilsons Biophilia hypothesis. Animals trapped “in unsuitable habitats suffer social and psychological breakdown” (Gies 2006, 16) like humans in a similar position. “Peoples preference for greens and blues is because of the prevalence of these colors in environments conducive to survival for us historically as a species” (Thompson 2011, 193). Because of their long wave-length, blue and green are “low arousal colors known to relieve muscle tension and produce pleasurable moods” (Thompson 2011, 193). “Natural scenes encompass a great variety of outdoor settings…

“People in crisis seem to be more dependent on the nonhuman environment… [and] what is communicated by the emotional tone” of it (Thompson 2011, 193). The influence of a personal crisis “on self-reported mental health and attention was weaker among individuals who spent… time contemplating nature and wildlife” (van de Berg et al. 2010, 1205) and no difference “in the change [of perceived well-being] depending on the need for restoration” (Martens et al. 2011, 41) has been observed. An enduring connection with nature amplifies the instorative effects of natural environments, for “accumulating many short episodes, the view from a window can provide long-term contact with the natural environment” (van de Berg et al. 2010, 1205). These buffering effects offer improved resilience and decrease vulnerability against stress. “Views of nature can have emotional, physiologicwal, and behavioral effects in stress reduction… [and can be] experienced very rapidly” (Thompson 2011, 193): certain types of natural settings evoke positive affect and hold “attention, displacing or restricting negative thoughts and allowing autonomic arousal heightened by stress to sink to a more moderate level…[lowering] blood pressure, heart rate, and muscle tension” (Thompson 2011, 193). “Patients with a view of deciduous trees took fewer doses of strong pain medication than a group viewing a brown brick wall, [had] shorter postoperative hospital stays, and fewer postsurgical complications” (McCurdy et al. 2010, 111). After perceiving natural environments, people

“exhibit stronger cognitive performance and greater affective improvement… than after perceiving urban environments” (Martens et al. 2011, 37). Nature restores “the mental fatigue that occurs after prolonged concentration… [effortlessly engaging] the human mind away from daily stressors, offering opportunity for reflection and escape” (McCurdy et al. 2010, 109). Furthermore, “mental fatigue and ADHD may be linked to the same underlying mechanism in the brain… [and] natural outdoor activities reduced ADHD symptoms significantly more than activities conducted in built indoor settings” (McCurdy et al. 2010, 109). People “who spend 15 minutes walking in a natural outdoor setting… reported increased feelings of connectedness to nature, improved attention, positive emotional well-being, and an increased ability to reflect on a life problem” (McCurdy et al. 2010, 109). Fostering “a love of nature in children cannot only inspire them to protect the environment, it can also instill lifelong behaviors of an active lifestyle” (McCurdy et al. 2010, 112). Active engagement including walks or rides through an attractive landscape offered additional co-benefits of being an “appropriately balanced mental activity, neither too demanding nor too dull or predictable” (Thompson 2011, 189). “Exposure to natural environments can improve attention and decrease stress… [and is a] cost effective and easily sustainable” (McCurdy et al. 2010, 112) method of preventative health care.

THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Transportation and infrastructure is “the largest end-use consumer of energy…[affecting] human health directly through air pollution… and indirectly through physical activity behavior” (Younger et al. 2008, 517). Transportation was “28 percent of total US Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in 2006, of which 94 percent was from energy related carbon dioxide emisions” (Younger et al. 2008, 518). “Three aspects of the transportation sector contribute to GHG emissions 1) fuel efficiency of vehicles 2) carbon content of fuel and 3) vehicle miles traveled” (Younger et al. 2008, 518) the last of which is directly correlated to the density and organization of the built environment. “By reducing distances between destinations and decreasing vehicle miles traveled, transportation designs can be altered, thereby affecting injury [frequency] rates among drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists” (Younger et al. 2008, 518). Reducing time in automobiles “reduces exposure to busy traffic and “road rage” and decreases the likelihood of obesity, while simultaneously reducing GHG emissions” (Younger et al. 2008, 518). “Each hour spent in daily driving corresponded with a 6 percent increase in the odds of being obese, while each kilometer walked had a correlating 4.8 percent reduction in obesity risk” (Gies 2006, 11). Less dense developments outside of city centers “contribute to increased automobile dependence and decreased ability to [utilize multimodal forms of transit]” (Younger et al. 2008, 520) and “has the equivalent effect on [individual] health as aging four years” (Gies 2006, 11). When “comparing the most compact county, New York, [New York,] with the most sprawled, Geauga County, Ohio, researchers found that New York residents walked 79 minutes more per month and weighed 6.3 pounds less” (Gies 2006, 11). Designing “accessible, walkable, and safe neighborhoods with mixed land use, good connectivity, public transit options, and recreational facilities encourage people with limited mobility or special needs to stay physically active, independent, and involved in community activities” (Younger et al. 2008, 519).

Buildings “influence transportation and affect health through the materials utilized, decisions about sites, electricity and water usage, and landscape surroundings” (Younger et al. 2008, 517). Residential, commercial, and industrial buildings in the U.S. “account for 43 percent of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, with most 71%…caused by electricity consumption in residential and commercial buildings” (Younger et al. 2008, 520). With a lifespan of 70-75 years, “one fourth of existing commercial space was constructed prior to 1960… [and] similarly, one fourth of existing residential housing in 2003 has been built before 1949” (Younger et al. 2008, 520) long before contemporary concerns about energy efficiency and design principles coalesced. Renovation offers opportunities to promote these principles and “can encourage routine physical activity by providing accessible, attractive stairwells with clear signage and outdoor walking paths” (Younger et al. 2008, 520). “Addressing the underlying causes of escalating stress-related illness should be part of town and city planners’ work” (Grahn et al. 2003, 2). It is possible to “design an environment that contributes to a positive condition of health and well-being. Such an environment should preferably be easy to access, induce recovery, and provide the visitor with an opportunity for rest” and reflection (Grahn et al. 2003, 3). “Natural characteristics representing signs [of] maintenance… [that] allow visual access and movement [was] shown to be preferred” (Martens et al. 2011, 37). Experimental work using walk-order photographic stimuli reveals “density and low accessibility… to positively influence arousal and negatively influence pleasure” (Martens et al. 2011, 37). Oddly,ambient temperature does not influence the restorative treatment of the experience (Martens et al. 2011, 40). Urban green spaces offer considerable co-benefits to human health “reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels through direct sequestration and accumulation of carbon by trees and shrubs” (Younger et al. 2008, 522) and access to them decreases aggression and violence, improves mental fatigue, and increases social capital and community building.

“Trees in Atlanta remove 19 million pounds of pollutants annually, a service worth $47 million” (Gies 2006, 13). Natural elements, such as planters, gardens, green roofs, and water features can be integrated into landscape and building design to address mental health and cognitive function and reduce negative environmental impacts. “For example, the soft rhythmic movements of a trees or grass in a light breeze or the light and shade created by cumulus clouds, called Heraclitean motion, are movement patterns that are associated with safety and tranquility, aiding the development of a calm, stable mental state; lighting or space design that mimics Heraclitean motion could be incorporated into building design to create calm, peaceful areas that aid patients’ recovery or improve workers’ or students’ productivity. Bright daylight supports circadian rhythms, enhances mood, promotes neurological health, and affects alertness; increasing the use of natural light and reducing dependence on electric lighting can also significantly improve mental health and function. Design can also encourage learning and exploration by creating spaces that are not immediately interpreted but allow discovery through sensory exploration. Effective architectural design is not easy to achieve: built objects and spaces that are too complex at first glance can become daunting, overwhelming, and too

difficult to understand, while those that are easily scanned do not encourage interaction. If the built environment simulates the layered complexity of ecosystems, a person’s sensory systems will be engaged to explore and learn about the built object or space, which encourages cognitive function through a high level of visual fascination and mystery” (Martens et al. 2011, 37). To ensure the protection and creation of restorative environments, “both researchers and practitioners in environmental planning and design must understand the relationship between physical settings and recovery” (Han 2003, 210). Interdisciplinary cooperation across sectors is critical in the health promotion approach concerning the design and development of the built environment to mitigate negative health consequences associated with current design practices. Community outreach and involvement in the planning process is critical to success. It was discovered that: “More than 50 percent of households contained people with talents as artists, storytellers, painters, comic-book writers, and practitioners of theater and crafts. “When asked: How many of you would be willing to contribute your arts and culture to the park? - about 80 percent of the folks said, Of course we would - we’ve never been asked.” Rather than as

a client or a consumer, a resident should be thought of as “somebody who comes out of the door every morning cognizant of her or his resources, ready to join with other resourceful neighbors to do problem-solving and to do community building” (Gies 2006, 19). Throughout the twentieth century, “society worked hard to eliminate confined quarters and sanitary problems by raising the standard of everyday architecture. In Western society, town and city planning once more has the important task of diminishing the problems of today’s widespread infectious diseases. However, in addition to concerns about such diseases, “the town planner and landscape architect must also focus on stress-related illness” (Grahn et al. 2003, 2) afflicting its occupants and work to build successful, healthy communities.

CASE STUDY

UNIVERSITY WISCONSIN madison

SITE INTRODUCTION The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s “936-acre main campus is located on the beautiful shores of Lake Mendota, adjacent to downtown, and offers vast state-of-the- art resources to support teaching, research and campus life” (Board of Regents 2012, 11). Additionally, “the campus’s 420 buildings include approximately 1.9 million square feet of research laboratory space and one-half million square feet of classroom space” (Board of Regents 2012, 6).

LIVING ENVIRONMENTS

Pictures from left to right: 1. Lakeshore Path (http-//www.cmb.wisc.edu/sites/cmb.wisc.edu/files/Lakeshore_path11_2073) 2. Allen Centennial Gardens (https-//fpm-www3.fpm.wisc.edu/FPM_Portal/Portals/0/planninglandscape_graphic01) 3. Muir Woods (http-//www.news.wisc.edu/slideshow_photos/399/original_03Muir_Woods_blur09_9478.jpg?1371618834)

BUILt ENVIRONMENTS

Pictures from left to right: 1. Wisconsin Institute for Discovery at night (http-//demo.wiscwebcms.wisc.edu/images/Campus_night_pano11_1) 2. Library Mall (http-//photos.uc.wisc.edu/photos/6446/original/LibMall_spring_06_7883.jpg?1286779000) 3. Bascom Hall looking East towards the Capital (http-//photos.news.wisc.edu/photos/14211/original/aerial_UW_17-35mm11_6865.JPG?1320201304)

NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS

Pictures from left to right: 1. Elizabeth Waters Dormitory (http-//www.housing.wisc.edu/lizwaters/photos) 2. Student ‘Walk-up’ Unit (https-//fpm-www3.fpm.wisc.edu/FPM_Portal/Portals/0/planninglandscape_graphic01) 3. Student ‘High-rise’ Unit (http-//www.news.wisc.edu/slideshow_photos/399/original_03Muir_Woods_blur09_9478.jpg?1371618834)

UNDERGRADUATE LIFE

STUDENT BODY The present undergraduate enrollment at the University of WisconsinMadison is 29,119 students (Board of Regents 2012, 6). With challenging academic curricula, high-levels of community involvement, extensive campus-related activities, and personal social lives, Madison undergraduates are accustom to stress. According to University Health Services, “28% of UW- Madison students say stress contributes to lower grades” (University Health Services). Besides stress, students encounter other ailments such as attention deficit disorder, depression, anxiety, sleep deprivation, and body image issues (University Health Services).

Being an undergraduate student requires “focused, direct attention and high-level cognitive functioning” (Wolf et al. 2010, 2). However, manipulating the built environment of campus to contain more nature and less-stressful environments can have a positive effect at UW-Madison. For example, “when plants were added to a college computer lab, the study participants were more productive, with 12% quicker reaction times on tested computer tasks, and showed less stress” (Wolf et al. 2010, 2). In the same study, “participants reported feeling more attentive and better able to concentrate in the presence of plants” (Wolf et al. 2010, 3). In another study, “college students with more natural views from their dorm windows scored higher on tests of capacity to direct attention and rated themselves as able to function more effectively” (Wolf et al. 2010, 3). Finally, in an additional “study of college students, those who participated in a nature walk performed higher on a subsequent capacity to direct attention test than those who went on an urban walk or relaxed in a comfortable room with magazines and light music prior to the test” (Wolf et al. 2010, 3). The University of Wisconsin-Madison has both natural and urban environments, but the question still remains: does interaction with these environments effect undergraduate student well-being?

ASSESSING WELL-BEING METHOD

The objective of this experiment is to determine the well-being of undergraduate students in relation to their campus environment. A survey consisting of three sections was available online. It was created using Qualtrics Software and had a direct access link. The entirety of the undergraduate population at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (approximately 29,119 students) was invited to participate in this survey. Various distribution methods, such as social networking, classroom soliciting, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;pop-upâ&#x20AC;? survey stations. The data collection period was 30 days.

SIMPLIFIED POMS how are you?

To access affective states and feelings of undergraduate participants, a simplified version of the Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire was developed. The original POMS questionnaire “consists of 65 ﬁve-point scales (adjectives) measuring ﬁve dimensions: depression, anger, tiredness, power, and tension” (Karmanov et al. 2008, 119). “Each dimension is formed by the responses on six scales. Responses on each scale range from 0 to 4 according to how well the scale describes current emotional state (0 = not at all; 1 = a little; 2 = somewhat; 3 = quite a bit; 4 = very much). The total score on a dimension is derived from an aggregated score on its six subscales” (Karmanov et al. 2008, 119). However, in order to minimize the occurrence of incomplete surveys due to time constraints, the POMS questionnaire for this study was simplified to 20 five- point scales (adjectives). The original questionnaire was analyzed and a modified scoring method was determined.

PROFILE OF MOOD ASSESSMENT

WHO ARE YOU?

BACKGROUND INFORMATION The second section attempts to collect information regarding the participantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s background information that relates to this experiment. Standard questions regarding age, gender, and academic concentration are included. However, additional questions are asked to determine daily-life environments and habits. Some examples include how the participant accesses campus via transportation methods, if the participant has houseplants, and how often the participant exercises. Many of these questions were established after critical analysis and completion of the literature review proces.

where are you?

CAMPUS ENVIRONMENT The final section of the survey relates to the participantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relationship to the campus environment. Questions regarding topics such as traffic stressors, study locations, and use of natural spaces are addressed within this final section. These questions were established after critical analysis and completion of the literature review proces.

question generation In order to generate relevant and meaningful survey questions, we consulted our research. The table above displays a few examples of survey questions and the corresponding source. However, for the survey to have context, additional questions relating specifically to the University of Wisconsin-Madison environment were developed from observation. For example, two main vehicular corridors, University Avenue and Johnson Street, travel through the center of campus. Many students are required to traverse both of these four-lane, high occupancy roads daily in order to attend classes. Therefore, a question about stress and anxiety levels caused by these corridors was added to the survey. In all, our survey consists of 45 required responses: 20 POMS Survey questions, 10 background information questions, and 15 campus environment questions.

RESULTS

POMS AsSESSMENT SCORES

After our survey was completed, we compiled the results and assessed the affected mood profiles of our participants using the POMS assessment method. With a total of 119 responses, of those 93 were usable data. POMS assessment is a rapid, economical method of assessing transient, fluctuating active mood states. Our median score was 21, and no significant outliers were determined.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

We received more female participants than male, and 84% of participants were upper classmen. The populationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s concentration of study was skewed towards the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Letters and Sciences. Reported majors included: Landscape Architecture, Geography, Horticulture, Education, Global Health, Nursing, Animal Sciences, Public Relations, Human Development and Family Studies, Art, Classics, Biology, Engineering, Linguistics, Agronomy, and Computer Science.

ON a Scale of 1 -10, How healthy are you?

POMS SCORE After cross tabulating our self-reported health scores with the POMS mood assessment, the results revealed a 10% decrease in perceived health. This means that increased stress levels have a direct effect on perceived health. 87% of our respondents reported a perceived health above the median, which shows that participants are not entirely aware of the negative effects their stress has on their health.

SEASONAL CHANGE

The effects of seasonal change on mood have been well documented. In fact, 10-20% of Americans experience some form of mild winter-onset depression. Here in our practically arctic climate, it is no surprise that 48% of our participants experience moderate symptoms of seasonal affectedness. Especially since the data collection period was at the onset of the winter season. Students who experience the effects of seasonal change were more likely to have a unhealthy POMS score. The negative effects of seasonal change on our participants are reflected in the POMS mood profiles. Those who do not experience seasonal affectedness scored more positively in their mood profiles. Participants who did not know whether or not they were affected were evenly distributed across the data set.

Are you NEGATIVELY Effected by seasonal change?

HOW FREQUENTLY DO YOU EXERCISE?

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

81% percent of participants engage in physical activity at least once a month with 62% achieving minimal recommended amounts of activity. 27% , or 2% above the national average, engage in healthy levels of physical activity .

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that a difference of 100 calories of exercise per person per day, or a 20 minute walk, could eliminate Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s obesity epidemic. 76% of students engaged in an active form of commuting around campus, with an overwhelming 49% as walking pedestrians. Contrary to our expectations, Congestion was the top criteria for route selection for only 2% of the sample population. Efficiency was in first with 56% and Distance second, with 26%. Topographic Change was more important when selecting routes that Setting or Traffic.

WHAT is your primary transportation 'to' and 'within' campus?

RANK THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA IN IMPORTANCE WHEN SELECTING YOUR ROUTES TO CAMPUS?

CAMPUS CONDITIONS

DO THE CONDITIONS ON UNIVERSITY AND JOHNSON CAUSE YOU TO EXPERIENCE STRESS, ANXIETY, OR TENSION?

With 67% of undergraduate students not purposefully avoiding construction on campus, we were surprised to find that 55% of people felt stressed by the conditions of University Avenue and Johnson St corridors. Students with a negative mood state were more likely to be effected by the conditions in the corridor. This campus environment is the most heavily trafficked and constructed on campus, and the results were aligned with our hypothesis. 49

CONSTRUCTED

CAMPUS ENVIRONMENT

MAINTAINED

NATURAL

OF THE THREE LOCATIONS DISPLAYED , WHAT IS YOUR ...

What primary obstacle prevents you from spending time in this environment?

When asked about the most frequented environments on campus, only 35% of participants spent a majority of their time in their preferred environment. Not Enough Time and Too Far Away were the top reasons for not spending time in the preferred environment. Unfortunately, our results yielded no correlation between POMS Score and Type of Environment. However, this may be a result of confusion over what areas qualified as Natural Urban, Maintained Urban, and Constructed Urban and an altruistic trend in selecting oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s true preference for the most frequented environment. 51

This study supports claims about the links between humans and their environmental condition. The positive and negative effects of stress in everyday life, no matter how trivial or dramatic, influence everyone. Understanding the affects of the campus environment in relation to undergraduate students is a major component to daily success and overall student well-being. Our results indicate that there are common symptoms between individuals, and that further research should be conducted.

CONCLUSIONS

For example, the most urbanized corridor on the University of Wisconsin - Madison negatively affects a majority of undergraduates at the university and is especially detrimental to members of the community in a compromised mental state. Only as strong as its weakest link, the campus should take steps to include more variation in dense urban corridors and embrace the pedestrian experience in these places to accommodate the majority of campus commuters. Through appropriate corridor design, we can alleviate and buffer the stress effects of crowding, traffic, information overload, excessive stimulation, and lack of peace and quiet that currently characterize these spaces. However, expanding the population sample to include a larger, more diverse demographic would be an area for future research. Also, focusing on specific landmark areas seems to help the participantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cognitive imaging in regards to their emotional states during the time of use, and generalizations of environmental types diffused the correlation between environment and well-being. Education is the main component for progress. Developing nurturing spaces and places for collegiate students to study, learn, and live will only further expand the potential for progression of society. It is important that we realize that the forgotten minor details of our surroundings directly influence the past, present, and future.

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(IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE)

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KYLE MILLS + ARIANNA NETZKY Bachelor of Science in GEOGRAPHY University of Wisconsin - Madison