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Urban Green Space, Green Exercise and Health Outcomes: Evidence from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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Urban Forestry and Arboriculture in Malaysia

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Abstract

Urban green spaces (UGS) are freely accessible private, communal or publicly owned areas in urban settings covered with vegetation and wetlands generally used for recreation. Physical activities (e.g. walking, jogging), leisure, and social gatherings in UGS bring positive health and well-being benefits. In this chapter, drawing evidence from two studies in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, illustrates respondents’ perception of the well-being outcomes of UGS. The respondents reported that the UGS (e. g. parks) provided a place for jogging, cycling, coming close to nature, meeting friends, and children’s opportunity for physical exercise. They believed that physical activities in UGS had a positive contribution to overall well-being through stress reduction, mindfulness, physical fitness, and body weight control. In light of the study results, we suggest that Malaysia can look forward to the promotion of and support for UGS as a crucial public health program.

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  1. University of Nottingham Malaysia, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia

    Tapan Kumar Nath

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  1. Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Design & Architecture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia

    Sreetheran Maruthaveeran

  2. Department of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    Wendy Y. Chen

  3. School of Forestry, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand

    Justin Morgenroth

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Nath, T.K. (2022). Urban Green Space, Green Exercise and Health Outcomes: Evidence from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In: Maruthaveeran, S., Chen, W.Y., Morgenroth, J. (eds) Urban Forestry and Arboriculture in Malaysia. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5418-4_20

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