The Importance of Community Green Spaces

Launching into 2024, resolutions to be active and healthy are filling our schedules in hope that our new habits will stick. As we shift our focus from holiday busyness to personal well-being, we look to helpful tools to motivate us and keep us healthy. Between retail careers, 9-5 office jobs, and work from home positions, the majority of our days are spent indoors, too busy for our own good or glued to a desk for hours on end. Many people jump to purchase a gym membership as their first big step, while the key to regaining our healthy habits may lie just outside the front door.

Finding the time and space to take a breath of fresh air and slow down our minds can feel like a luxury that few can afford. Realistically, however, spending time outdoors is crucial to our well-being, physically, mentally, and socially. Unsurprisingly, access to outdoors spaces ranked in the top five sought after amenities for renters nationwide. Through an array of studies, urban green spaces have proven instrumental in bettering our daily lives. Property owners specifically can provide holistic enrichment to their residents' lives by providing apartment complex landscaping within their own communities. Not only do these amenity spaces beautify the property, but they boost resident happiness and create a direct, positive impact on the local environment.

Personal Well-being

It is a well known, highly researched fact that time spent amongst nature can help to improve our overall well-being. The National Recreation and Parks Association clocks the number at 20 to 30 minutes of daily outdoor activity to begin effectively improving our mental state and physical wellness. 

Physical

The great outdoors provide our bodies with a multitude of benefits! As we know, sunlight is a major key in our body’s process of creating Vitamin D. Vitamin D is a foundational component which gives us structural strength, higher immunity, and supports the absorption of minerals such as calcium and phosphorus. 

North Pointe Villas offers lush green landscapes along winding leisurely walking paths.

Aside from sunshine, the very air we breathe is full of plant produced elements to sustain our bodies and minds. Vegetation filters the air, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. Open spaces such as the lush tropical landscape at North Pointe Villas, allow us to breathe in the healthy level of oxygen to keep our bodies functioning in top shape. In addition, plants give off phytoncides, which are airborne organic compounds with anti-fungal anti-bacterial qualities. Increased exposure to phytoncides promotes white blood-cell creation, helping the body to fight infected cells. Some evidence suggests that living in proximity to green spaces can help you to create resilience to viral infections and to live longer! 

Spending time outdoors has also been shown to improve exercise and sleep. The simple act of going outside can immediately increase your mental motivation to be active. If you’re looking for a catalyst to accomplish your resolutions, start with a leisurely stroll through your apartment's landscape and allow the natural motivation to build. As you take in more sunlight, your body’s internal clock will also begin to realign, leading to improved sleep patterns. Between increased activity and a healthier sleep schedule, spending time in nature indirectly contributes to maintaining a healthy weight.  

Mental

Beyond our physical well-being, greenery can also contribute to better mental health.  Restorative spaces such as Casa Sierra’s koi pond, are natural environments that can directly contribute to mental relaxation and restoration. Just 20 minutes in nature each day is enough to provide noticeable relief from stress, fatigue, and irritation. Exposure to plant life equips our minds to respond to stressful situations. Research has found that the inclusion of plants in small spaces such as an office can reduce irritation and enhance focus. In addition to improving our mood, time in nature can contribute to better cognition, memory, creativity, and productivity. 

Environmental Impact

Units at Strada Apartments face a courtyard arched by fanning palm trees and towering eucalyptus.

Air Quality 

Urban vegetation does not just impact the health and well-being of individuals, but also that of the local environment. As mentioned, greenery, especially trees contribute to better air quality by reducing carbon output and releasing oxygen. Additionally, plants release moisture and cool the air much like the function of an air conditioner, creating a pleasant atmosphere. As apartment communities opt for gardenscaping in place of concrete or asphalt, the greenery allows for cooler overall temperatures, benefiting not only the community, but also the local atmosphere. 

Biodiversity

Caring for our environment means also supporting our local ecosystems. Inclusions of plant varieties increases biodiversity, directly contributing to a better environment. Trees and bushes can become home to migratory birds. Ground covering plants provide shelter to lizards and other native fauna. Flowers add a pop of color to the community while inviting pollinators such as bees and butterflies, which are foundational to a thriving ecosystem. Increased numbers of community green spaces means a healthier environment and an overall healthier neighborhood.

Fostering Community

Just as green spaces can improve individual wellness and the health of the environment, they can also foster social engagement and community. Gardenscapes beautify a property, which creates an inviting and appealing environment. Community green spaces provide a welcoming atmosphere, which invites guests to visit with residents. With a beautiful outdoor environment, residents will be more inclined to spend time in the common areas of the community, allowing for more opportunities to meet neighbors and engage in social gatherings and events.  

Noise Reduction 

Westlake Village boasts soft grassy knolls dotted with vibrant green trees, offering pleasant afternoon shade.

Lots of vegetation also likely means that your home will be more peaceful due to noise reduction. The more asphalt and concrete surfaces within a property, the more sounds tend to reverberate. By contrast, lawns, gardens, and tree groves effectively absorb sound waves. Large landscapes, such as Strada Apartments’ foliage lined courtyard, lessen disruptions and create greater satisfaction with the home and neighbors.

Crime Reduction

There is evidence to show that urban green spaces are directly correlated to community crime reduction. Contrary to popular belief, they do not create more opportunity for crime. Instead, as plants contribute to reduced stress and irritation, community parks and landscaping design can help to mitigate tendencies toward violent behavior. Additionally more people spending time outdoors means more surveillance of the community, deterring potential criminals from targeting the area. 

Accessibility

Green amenity spaces are vital portions of our communities. However, millions of Californians do not have access to safe natural environments, particularly in low income areas. As discussed, open spaces help to reduce stress, mitigate violent behavior, and create a healthy living environment. Fortunately, in October of 2022, California enacted the Equitable Outdoor Access Act (AB 30) which ensures expanded access and increased funding for parks and open spaces, especially in areas where resources are lacking. Apartment communities play a crucial role in supporting these efforts by providing lush greenery within the property. At QRM, our affordable communities are landscaped with beautiful, manicured courtyards and gardens. At Sycamore Court in Garden Grove, a contemporary desert landscape surrounds a large pool and playground, complementing the chic minimalist palette of the building exterior. Pebble Cove Apartments in Anaheim boasts a flourishing and bountiful garden at the center of the community, providing leisurely walking paths through the community.

Our company values sustainability and community dedication, which we proudly display through our provision of beautiful safe communities decorated by expertly maintained landscapes. We believe in contributing to our local environment while providing the quality living to our residents equally to our conventional and affordable properties, as part of our Quality Driven Management strategy.