In which natural environments are people happiest? Large-scale experience sampling in the Netherlands

Previous studies have shown that people feel happier in more natural environments than in predominantly built-up environments; however, it is less clear whether the type of natural environment matters. In a large-scale experience sampling study in the Netherlands, we explored whether happiness differs by the type of natural environment experienced. We also investigated to what extent scenic beauty, peacefulness or fascinatingness are associated with momentary happiness. Smartphone apps were developed for both iOS and Android smartphones, and made freely available in both app stores. The app, named HappyHier, sent requests to fill in a short questionnaire, starting with how happy the participant feels. The requests were programmed to oversample experiences in natural environments. Location data were provided by the GPS of the smartphone, and the type of environment was determined based on a land-use map incorporated in the app. HappyHier was launched with a media campaign starting on 1st May 2016. In the following few months, over 4000 people participated, generating over 100,000 experience samples. Multi-level analyses were conducted, controlling for, among other things, being inside or outside, type of activity, type of company and weather conditions. The participants generally felt happier in natural environments, especially at the coast and in areas with low-lying natural vegetation, such as heathlands. Whether the environment is thought to be peaceful and fascinating appears to be more important for happiness than its scenic beauty. The representativeness of the data gathered by this relatively new method was explored from several angles: people, time and locatio

Vier scenario’s voor de inrichting van Nederland in 2050 : Ruimtelijke Verkenning 2023

In de Ruimtelijke Verkenning 2023 heeft het PBL scenario’s ontwikkeld voor de inrichting van Nederland in 2050. In dit hoofdrapport worden vier mogelijke ruimtelijke toekomsten gepresenteerd. Dat zijn: Mondiaal Ondernemend (een toekomstscenario waarin grote bedrijven de lead hebben), Snelle Wereld (de nog verder toegenomen digitalisering doet afstanden verdwijnen), Groen Land (veel ruimte voor de natuur) en Regionaal Geworteld (burgers nemen het initiatief in hun eigen leefomgeving). Voor elk scenario zijn op basis van ruimtelijke modellering en ontwerpend onderzoek gedetailleerde kaarten van het bijbehorende Nederland van 2050 gemaakt. Deze scenariokaarten brengen in beeld welke gevolgen verschillende keuzes hebben

Natuurverkenning 2050 – Scenario Natuurinclusief

If the Netherlands were to adopt a nature-inclusive planning regime this could make a significant contribution towards resolving the current challenges facing Dutch society. This is the outcome of the analysis of the Nature- Inclusive scenario, one of the three scenarios in the National Nature Outlook 2050. In this scenario there is an increase in the provision of multiple ecosystem services that make important contributions to meeting the major challenges facing society in the areas of climate, biodiversity, water quality and the quality of the human environment. It is the first time that the effects of a nature-inclusive future have been quantified in this way for the Netherlands. But even a far-reaching nature-inclusive spatial development of the Netherlands would still leave issues to be resolved and additional measures would be needed to fully overcome these societal challenges. Moreover, nature-inclusive spatial development would involve major changes not only in spatial planning and design, but also in people’s behaviour