Why a city stroll can calm the mind just like nature does

With each step on a forest trail, leaves crunch beneath your shoes, and a cool breeze carries the scent of damp earth. It’s easy to see why nature walks are synonymous with peace. But what about a walk through city streets — surrounded by honking traffic, glass towers and crowds? Surprisingly, research shows that even here, we can find a similar sense of calm.

The mindful magic of city walks and their quiet benefits

Walking, in itself, is a simple yet powerful form of exercise. “It can lower the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, dementia, depression and many types of cancer,” said Whitney Fleming, an environmental psychology researcher at Bangor University, Wales. “But when you walk in nature, you go beyond physical benefits — humans have an innate, evolutionary tendency to like nature.”

Her studies reveal that people who consciously noticed greenery — trees, flowers or even potted plants — during a walk felt significantly less anxious and more uplifted than those focusing on man-made surroundings. “Having natural elements to look at in cities is really important,” she added. “You can still receive benefits even when not in a natural setting.”

The idea that cities are inherently stressful is now being challenged. Cesar San Juan Guillen, a social psychology professor at the University of Basque Country in Spain, believes the narrative is changing. “Much environmental research used to compare nature with traffic-heavy urban streets,” he said. “But when we look at more nuanced urban spaces — plazas, parks, cemeteries — the results are different.”

In one of his studies, participants who spent time in a leafy park and others who lingered in a bustling plaza both showed better focus and reduced anxiety. The latter group even reported feeling more energised and engaged. “Historic areas and places with panoramic views provoke a kind of soft fascination,” he explained. “This involuntary attention helps restore the focus we lose through work or study.”

Urban planning consultant Tristan Cleveland agrees. His research at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia shows that people instinctively walk faster past blank walls and are less likely to stop for conversation. “The right kind of street can invite curiosity and connection,” he said, suggesting that one way to judge a good walking route is by the “first kiss test” — somewhere you’d take a date.

Annabel Abbs-Streets, author of The Walking Cure and 52 Ways to Walk, has found joy walking not just in wild landscapes but in cities such as Boston, Taos and Dubrovnik. Her personal favourite? London’s “Magnificent Seven” Victorian cemeteries. “It’s not that green is good and grey is terrible,” she said. “The truth is that green and grey are just very different — and sometimes, that difference is good.”

So, whether you’re tracing the edge of a park, wandering through an old cemetery, or simply looking up at the trees lining your street, it seems serenity doesn’t only live in the woods. It’s waiting in the city too — you just have to slow down and look for it.

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