Health Benefits of Green Infrastructure
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Green infrastructure is the integration of nature and ecosystems in cities, towns, and regions to generate multiple benefits, such as clean air, better stormwater management, and public health. At the regional scale, it is a planned network of natural areas and open spaces, such as parks and nature preserves, river corridors, greenways and trails, and forests and wetlands. At the neighborhood and site scales, it includes parks, rain gardens, green streets, green walls and roofs, community gardens, and the urban forest.
Multiple social and environmental factors — in which green infrastructure can play a role — interact to determine a community's health. The three "pillars" of sustainability (economy, environment, and equity) provide a useful framework for understanding the health benefits of green infrastructure.
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