The Restorative Power of Natural and Built Environments: A mixed methods approach to restorative environments research

Over the last few decades research has shown how natural environments can promote opportunities for psychological restoration - particularly mood, attention fatigue and stress recovery. However, little is known about how restoration varies amongst different people and whether urban settings can also offer restorative opportunities. This study, therefore, provides new insights into how restoration varies across different settings, and how the process varies in different sections of the population. It offers six studies: two exploring short term restoration in adults and teenagers with good and poor mental health, one exploring longer term restoration ("instoration") in teenagers with behavioural difficulties, and three further studies exploring teenagers" relationships with place and the associated opportunities for health and wellbeing. Offering a range of innovative methods for restorative environment research, this study will be of interest to environmental psychologists, health geographers, landscape architects and those from other design disciplines, as well as health professionals.