As cities continue to densify, plant-life will continue to increase in value as a part of the beneficial design within them. The proximity and sight of plants in home and work surroundings have many positive effects on humans.
Indoor air quality
Many of todays building products from engineered lumber to uphostered fabrics, off-gas toxic-chemicals that are contained in the material or is left from the manufacturing process.
When these materials are in a poorly ventilated room it can cause a condition know as “sick building syndrome” leaving the enhabitants sick due to the lack of air quality.
According to the NASA Clean Air Study - plants have the ability to remove several toxins from inclosed air. Benzene, Formeldahyde, trichloroethylene and carbon monoxide, as well as there well known function of taking in carbon dioxide in and releasing oxygen.
Air quality is linked to many aspects of human life such as health, happiness, stress, productivity, etc.
Reduced stressed and well-being
The sight of nature and/or greenery produces for calm and relaxing feelings among humans. A study in the Netherlands showed that heathcare patients with plants in there hospital rooms experienced less stress then those who had none. Its the reason flowers are given during stressful and painful times in life. The cultivation and caring of plants is known to give humans an avenue for turning their stress and frustration into something beautiful and tangeable.
Caring for other living things such as humans, animals and plants is highly correlated with a greater sense of well being.
Increased Productivity and Learning
Plants have been shown to increase productivity in the workplace and foster better environments for learning. Studies have shown that employees can experience upto a 15% increase in productivity and reaction time, there are also reports of feeling more attentive while in the presence of plants. A study (Hart, 99’) showed that 43% of young students experienced a more comfortable and facilitating environment when learning when in proximity of plants.
In general people in an office setting are more productive, experience fewer sick days, make fewer mistakes, and are reportedly happier when interior landscaping enhances their environment.
Popular culture
Corrollary to the aspects of health and wellness, indoor plants have become a large part of todays popular culture, see - Instagrams’ #MonsteraMonday, #SansevieriaSunday #urbanjungle hashtags. Many have posited the relationship between millenials low propensity to purchase a home as well as having children later or not at all and this interest in plant life. The marked rise of indoor plants in the modern social landscape has given birth to host of cermacists, stores, coffee shops, interior designers and photographic styling all centered around house plants.
In a 2016 National Gardening Report, six million Americans took up gardening in 2015, and five million of them were in the 18 to 34 age bracket. “They come in with their camera and phone and show me pictures of their whole entire place, wanting to make sure that it is the perfect accent to what they’re doing with their furniture,” -Employee at The sill on Hester street in the lower east side of Manhattan. Tara Heibel, founder of Sprout Home, tells us. “A lot of people come into the store asking which plants give off the best oxygen; they’re actually very concerned and curious about making sure how they can better benefit their life, and plants can be a part of that. (via Nylon Mag)