Current affairs
	Kalevi Korpela University of Tampere, Department of Psychology, Finland, kalevi.korpela@uta.fi Ø List of selected publications:	Liisa Tyrväinen Finnish Forest Research Institute, P.O. BOX 16, 96300 Rovaniemi, Finland, liisa.tyrvainen@metla.fi, tel. +358 10 2114553, fax. +358 10 211 4401
	Matti Ylén , University of Tampere, Department of Psychology, Finland matti.ylen@uta.fi	Harri Silvennoinen University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forestry, Finland, Harri.Silvennoinen@joensuu.fi
	A growing body of epidemiological and psychological research shows the importance of the green residential areas for the well-being, physical health, and even longevity of residents. Preliminary findings requiring more rigorous empirical testing indicate that natural favourite places within the residential area provide urban residents with the opportunity to recover from daily stress and regain positive mood. More research is needed to find out also the social values that urban dwellers’ associate with 'their' green areas. These values and meanings of green areas have been relatively unknown in urban environmental planning and decision-making. Lastly, there is a lack of research to determine amenity benefits of green areas in monetary terms. New integrative, theoretical approaches are needed to analyse all these values and bring them into decision-making processes regarding urban land-use and green space planning. This research project aims to provide a theoretical integration and interdisciplinary understanding of urban green spaces from the psychological, sociological, and economic view points. We will test several noteworthy hypotheses empirically to gain evidence of the meaning of urban green areas to residents’ well-being. We will develop models and approaches to enhance the application of the research knowledge by planners and decision-makers. The key problems and hypotheses of the current project aim to: identify different types of uses and relationships towards urban nature, investigate the differences between population groups in the restorative benefits of different kind of green areas, investigate the relationship between restorative benefits, attachment toward green areas, and feelings of security and community, test the hypothesis of the association between noise sensitivity and the selection of residential natural places as favorite places, test the association between perceived health and the frequency of use of natural favorite places, and quantify the amenity benefits of green areas in monetary terms.
	Research Articles: (for links to the articles, see “List of selected publications” above) · Korpela, K. & Ylén, M. (2009). Effectiveness of favorite place prescriptions - A field experiment. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2009.01.022 · Korpela, K., Ylén, M., Tyrväinen, L. & Silvennoinen, H. (2008) Stability of self-reported favourite places and place attachment over a 10-month period. Journal of Environmental psychology. Doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2008.05.008 · Korpela, K., Ylén, M., Tyrväinen, L. & Silvennoinen, H. (2008). Determinants of restorative experiences in everyday favourite places. Health & Place, 14, 636-652. doi:10.1016/ j.healthplace.2007.10.008 · Liisa Tyrväinen, Harri Silvennoinen, Kalevi Korpela ja Matti Ylén (2007). Luonnon merkitys kaupunkilaisille ja vaikutus psyykkiseen hyvinvointiin. Metlan työraportteja. Raporttia saa vain sähköisessä muodossa (pdf), maksutta Metlan kotisivuilta: http://www.metla.fi/julkaisut/workingpapers/2007/mwp052-07.pdf · Korpela, K. (2007) Luontoympäristöt ja hyvinvointi. Psykologia, 42, 364-376. · Korpela, K. & Ylén, M. (2007) Perceived health is associated with visiting natural favourite places in the vicinity. Health & Place. 13, 138–151. doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2005.11.002 · Tyrväinen, L. Korpela, K., Silvennoinen, H., Ylén, M. (2006) The importance of nature to Finns and the effect of the use of green areas on perceived health and restorative experiences. In Nilsson, K. &Nielsen A. (Eds.), Urban Forestry for Human Health and Wellbeing. COST E39 Research Conference, ASEM 2hd Symposium on Urban Forestry. Copenhagen 28th June 1st July, 2006. Forest & Landscape Denmark. (Abstracts, p.19.) ISBN-13:987-87-7903-289-7. Theses: Stenius, H. (2006). Relationships between restoration in favorite place, negative affectivity, and perceived health. Thesis. University of Tampere, Department of Psychology (available only in Finnish: Mielipaikassa elpymisen, negatiivisen affektiivisuuden ja koetun terveyden väliset yhteydet. Pro gradu -työ. Tampereen yliopisto, psykologian laitos). http://tutkielmat.uta.fi/tulos.phtml. Korhonen, N. (2006). Connection of mode of work and worries & joys experienced in work to psychical and physical well-being. Thesis. University of Tampere, Department of Psychology (available only in Finnish: Työn muodon sekä työstä koettujen huolien ja ilojen yhteys psyykkiseen ja fyysiseen hyvinvointiin. Pro gradu -työ. Tampereen yliopisto, psykologian laitos. http://tutkielmat.uta.fi/tulos.phtml. Congress Presentations and Abstracts: · Korpela, K., Tyrväinen, L., Ylén, M., & Silvennoinen, H. (2008). Kaupungin viheralueet ja ihmisten hyvinvointi. Viheralan kansallinen tutkimuspäivä, 24.4.2008, Viherympäristöliitto, Nokian kaupunki, VERTE – Ympäristörakentamisen keskus, Pitkäniemi, Nokia. · Korpela, K. (2008) Favourite places, environmental means of emotion and self-regulation. Kutsuttu esitelmä, Workshop on Recovery from Work. 31.3.-1.4.2008. Dept. of Psychology, University of Surrey, UK. · Tyrväinen, L., Korpela, K.,Silvennoinen, H. & Ylén, M.(2008). The importance of nature to Finns and the relationship of the use of green areas on perceived health and restorative experiences. A poster presented at March, 29, 2008. Symposium on Forest & Health, The Society of Forest Medicine within the Japanese Society for Hygiene. Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan. · Korpela, K., Ylen, M., Tyrväinen, L. Silvennoinen, H. (2007). In Search for the Determinants of Restorative Experiences in Favourite Places. COSTE39 Action Conference: Forests, Trees and Human Well-Being. 31.10.2007 - 02.11.2007, Sliema, Malta. Poster. · Liisa Tyrväinen, Kalevi Korpela,Harri Silvennoinen & Matti YlénThe importance of nature to Finns and the relationship of the use of green areas on perceived health and restorative experiences. Presented in the COSTE39, Copenhagen, Denmark, 28.-30.6.2006. · Silvennoinen, H., Tyrväinen, L., Korpela, K. ja Ylén, M. (2006) Luonnon merkitys kaupunkilaisille ja vaikutus psyykkiseen hyvinvointiin. Luontomatkailu, metsät ja hyvinvointi –seminaari 4.-5.12.2006, Koli. · Korpela, K., Ylén, M., Tyrväinen, L. Silvennoinen, H., 2006. Differences in restorative experiences between types of favourite residential areas. Institute for Housing and Urban Research, Uppsala University, Gävle. 04.12.2006 - 07.12.2006 Links: Related previous publications Connections and collaborators of the project		Visitations in Project’s site: