The mental health benefits of living near urban parks disappear once you live above the 13th floor of a building.
March 31, 2026
Original Paper
Residential Floor Level as a Potential Modifier of Green Space and Cognitive Function Associations in Older Adults
SSRN · 6484817
The Takeaway
Urban planners often assume that adding green space helps everyone, but this study of high-density housing found that the cognitive benefits of trees and grass peak for residents on middle floors (8–13). For those living on the 14th floor or higher, the physical distance from the ground creates a 'vertical disconnect' where the benefits of nature proximity actually turn negative.
From the abstract
Understanding the relationship between urban green space and cognitive health is vital for age-friendly planning, yet evidence remains inconsistent. This cross-sectional study investigates residential floor level as a spatial modifier of these associations within the high-density vertical environment of Wuhan, China. Analyzing 2,628 older adults (aged ≥65), we quantified multi-dimensional green space exposure—NDVI and street-level trees, grass, and low vegetation—within 500-meter residential buf