Turning study results into better parks to promote a healthier population

SINGAPORE - National Parks Board (NParks) is focusing on building and designing park features that will encourage visitors to stay longer or to increase their physical activities there, using findings from a series of studies as a guide.

The studies, conducted primarily by researchers from National University of Singapore, found that the longer a person spends at parks, the greater the improvement to his physical and mental well-being. They also found that adding one aesthetic feature, such as a pond or unpaved trails, increased the time spent by visitors.