Harnessing our knowledge of the relationship between experience in greenspace, nature connectedness and pro-environmental behaviour: a conceptual framework for healthy cities

A sense of connection to the natural world can be crucial to developing ecological responsibility. Hence, understanding the relationship between experience in greenspace, nature connectedness and pro-environmental behaviour can benefit both people and the environment. While existing literature recognises these connections, it is fragmented across different fields. Therefore, as an interdisciplinary team, our contribution is by conducting a critical narrative literature review which clarifies what we know and sets out an agenda for future studies. Through this review, we identified three themes: Individual-level outcomes of being in greenspace, Pro-environmental outcomes: the relationship between experience in greenspace, nature-connectedness and pro-environmental behaviour and Environmental management interventions for fostering healthy cities. We collate literature according to these themes and present a conceptual framework that provides a new way to unlock the relationship and its implications for healthy cities. Our synthesis brings together various disciplines into the conversation, mapping what is already known from the literature, and outlining how researchers, policy makers and practitioners can harness what has been learned from this narrative review to develop tools to better design greenspaces to elicit nature connectedness and promote pro-environmental behaviour, leading to more sustainable behaviours, and benefiting the health of both people and the planet.