Understanding the place of urban nature in the therapeutic landscapes literature: A scoping review

Global trends in urbanization, environmental degradation, and digital media consumption have ushered in major changes to the character of human-nature contact. In recent decades, it has been recognized that a growing share of human-nature contact has occurred in urban nature: portions of the non-human world in otherwise urban environments. An emerging body of literature has sought to highlight the potential for urban nature to act as a therapeutic landscape. To better understand the state of this literature, a scoping review was conducted to explore how the therapeutic landscapes framework has been applied to urban nature, specifically with regard to the relational dynamics shaping human-nature connection in an urbanizing world. A search of Scopus , Social Sciences Abstracts , and Web of Science was conducted to identify peer-reviewed, English-language literature which applied the therapeutic landscapes framework to an urban nature setting since 2016. The 52 citations identified through this search were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative thematic analysis. This review found that the urban nature settings were often situated on a spectrum from ‘wild’ to ‘cultivated’; that the therapeutic potential of urban nature was frequently attributed to its ability to provide a space for escape, embodied experiences, and socialization; and that users might face physical, social, or economic barriers to experiencing the therapeutic attributes of urban nature. Policy-makers and urban planners must ensure that urban nature is made available in a way that meets the needs of different human-nature relationalities and remains accessible to all population groups. • Therapeutic potential of urban nature was attributed to its ability to offer escapism; offer embodied experiences; and foster community connections. • Urban nature was found to exist on a continuum from ‘wild’ to ‘cultivated’. • Access to the therapeutic properties of urban nature was frequently mediated by physical, social, and financial barriers. • Well-intentioned efforts to improve the therapeutic potential of urban nature may inadvertently lead to it becoming less accessible.