RESEARCH

From Therapeutic Landscapes to Healthy Spaces, Places and Practices: A Scoping Review

The review found that therapeutic landscapes help people feel healthier through a mix of physical settings, emotional experiences, and social interactions, but not everyone benefits equally. Future work should make these spaces more inclusive and consider the unique needs of marginalized communities.

Program Types: Therapeutic, Social

Population Groups: General Population

Setting or Context: Schools/Educational Settings, Hospitals/Clinics, Community Gardens, Natural Areas/Parks/Forest, Homes/Private Residences

Health and Wellness Outcomes: Improved Mental Health, Enhanced Emotional Well-being, Greater Sense of Purpose, Increased Sense of Belonging (Reduced Isolation), Increased Social Engagement & Skills, Increased Self-Efficacy

Allied Profession Intersections: Social Work, Landscape Design

Type of Activity: Sensory Stimulation, Outdoor Gardening, Forest/Natural Area Immersion, Mindfulness/Visualizations, AI/Digital Tools in Therapeutic Horticulture

Evidence Type: Peer-Reviewed Studies

Measurement and Evaluation: Metrics for Mental Health

Access: Paid

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Summary

This research paper reviews the idea of “therapeutic landscapes,” which are places—like gardens, coastlines, hospitals, or spiritual sites—that support health and healing. Originally introduced in the early 1990s, the concept has expanded to include not only physical spaces but also emotional, social, cultural, and spiritual experiences that help people feel better. The review looked at over 160 studies from 2007 to 2016 to understand how this idea has been used in real-life settings and how it has evolved. It explores how people benefit from green and blue spaces (like parks or beaches), social interactions in community places, moments of spiritual reflection, and symbolic meanings tied to specific landscapes.

The study found that healing experiences in these places depend on how people interact with their environment—not just on the space itself. It also highlighted that not everyone experiences these spaces the same way, with some people feeling excluded due to race, culture, or disability. The authors suggest that future work should focus on making these spaces more inclusive and on understanding how different groups experience them. They also recommend combining scientific and personal storytelling approaches to better explain the full value of therapeutic landscapes.

Link

Bell, S.L., Foley, R., Houghton, F. et al. (2018). From therapeutic landscapes to healthy spaces, places and practices: A scoping review. Social Science & Medicine, 196, 123-130

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