Green Spaces and Places with Purpose
Waminda Parker

Building resilience using Nature Nudges for better Mental, Physical and Social health

Wunderlust is strongly embedded in all of us. We’re curious, and we seek different places and different ways of interacting and connecting to nature.

Green Spaces and Places with Purpose
Bespoke Nature Nudges enable us to better connect with nature and fulfill our Wunderlust.

The purpose designed trails with Nature Nudge enhancements will focus on Mental Wellbeing, Physical Wellbeing and Social Connection. The user will know they’re wellbeing is improved by monitoring their mental and wellbeing progress with the ConnectBetter App.

Leading global research supports the design of purposeful Nature Nudges. Transforming areas within existing national parks and pocket parks will benefit all Sydneysiders and provide qualitative and quantitative results for Government.

ConnectBetter App
The purpose of ConnectBetter is to increase the active engagement with nature, supercharge wellbeing and monitor the mental and physical benefits.

The existing Parks and trails will be improved with predesigned Nature Nudges to fit the purpose of the trail e.g. Mental, Physical or Social Connection.

Science and Nature
A Living Lab established at Macquarie University in early 2020 aims to understand how to supercharge the mental and wellbeing benefits of actively connecting with nature. The Living Lab findings form a scientific body of evidence to understand Nature Nudges, variables and the effects on alpha brain waves, the parasympathetic nervous system and behavior.

The learnings of this research will be drawn upon to create the Green Spaces and Places with Purpose for all Sydneysiders.