We walked through Millennium Park yesterday to speculate the landscape with a specific theory (I chose ART).
The Attention Restoration Theory (ART) (Kaplan, 1989, 1995) suggests that mental health can be improved when you are exposed to nature. The natural environment can effect brain function effortlessly thus making fatigue brain recover.
The four features that a therapeutic landscape must have to improve the restorative effect are:
1. Extent (the scope to feel immersed in the environment)
2. Being away (providing an escape from habitual activities)
3. Soft fascination (aspects of the environment that capture attention effortlessly)
4. Compatibility (individuals must want to be exposed to, and appreciate, the environment)
While walking through the park, I found almost all the principle of Kaplan's theory.
1. Extent
There are a lot of green space in the Millennuim Park where I found people were having a rest or chatting there. People are "immersed" in the environment. The Great Lawn of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion which were closed due to grass maintenance issue was a great place to relax when I visited last time.
2. Being away
Lurie Garden is a perfect example of what an escape from the busy downtown looks like. The whole garden is surrounded by a circle of tall sculptured hedges which makes the garden isolated from the noisy Cloud Gate Plaza. The quiet and refreshing garden features more than 240 varieties of perennial plants and a wooden pedestrian foot bridge over shallow water.
3.Soft fascination
The various plants and different materials of the architecture and the walkways can be soft fascination to visitors. These components give the users a attractive yet effortless attention.
4. Compatibility
While wandering about the park, it was really great to see that most of people were having a good time in the park with smiles on their faces. Apparently, they were glad to have such a place in downtown Chicago to get close to the nature and to temporarily escape from the city hustle.
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