Interesting article on city life and the brain

[PamNY]

There are a couple of things I would question about the article. I understand the benefits of green space; it's downright comical how passionate New Yorkers (including me) become over the tiniest bit of green space.

However, I don't think walking in NYC is anymore stressful than the driving that would be necessary in a rural or suburban setting. NYC is very, very entertaining and keeps me in a better mood than driving past miles of bleak strip malls. Also, I feel so much guilt in using a car -- cranking up this huge machine to purchase a spool of thread makes me feel as if I am personally destroying the planet.

I worry much more about crime when I'm outside the city -- I'm used to people, lights and police being everywhere I go. Parking lots in shopping malls terrify me, the more so if guns are sold in the store I'm going to.

Of course, that's just a matter of what one is accustomed to. It would be interesting to know if subjects in the studies cited were familiar with the urban areas where the research was conducted.

It's not entirely true that there's a "stark lack of nature" in cities. Pigeons, for example, are fascinating. Sparrows, the ultimate opportunistic nesters, are another example -- arguably more interesting to observe in an urban setting than in the woods. There probably is a stark lack of people who pay attention to such things.

I also question whether exposure to stores selling food leads to more eating. You get used to something you see ten times a day. I would think temptation would be greater for people who visit a shopping mall once a week.