It compared children whose everyday play spaces have trees and grass to children whose everyday play spaces are barren. Two populations were targeted. Children growing up in urban public housing spend the vast majority of their free time in the outdoor spaces immediately surrounding their homes - while some of these spaces have trees and grass, many do not. A number of studies examined whether a barrenness of these neighborhoods might contribute to low academic achievement, delinquency, and violent crime in this population. Additional research examined the importance of nature for children with attention deficit disorder, another large population (7% of all children) suffering from many of the same difficulties. Do green spaces and green activities play an important role in children's intellectual, moral, and social development? This work shows that the urban forest may play a surprisingly large role in children's healthy development and provides considerable support for urban programs. On the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program awarded a $200,000 grant to the $401,025 project. For further information, contact Frances E. Kuo, Professor, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Illinois, 1103 S. Dorner Lane, Urbana, IL 61801. Phone: (217) 244-0393 E-mail: f-kuo@uiuc.edu

1995 Costs and Benefits of Urban Forests Project